ON TOE LAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18706, 12 May 1924, Page 14

ON TOE LAND

POULTKZ '.EN_ WINTEE. HOUSING AND FEEDING.

TRIALS OF BEGINNERS.

.' CARS OF TEE BIRDS.

BY 8.8.8. . ir, As the damp, cold and wintry weather arrives wa find the usual trials and tribulations" of beginners in '■; poultry culture increase. With a little extra care ; and foresight troubles that may become serious, will generally vanish, Personally I don't 4ike doctoring any fowl or -duck. I would' far rather destroy them and not • risk infection of the the rest of the flock. The first loss ! should ~be *■. the greatest If we imagine a sick bird will get better on its own and not give us : any further trouble, even if left among its f mates, ■we are only ; seeking losses •• on ? a large or small scale,. according to the size .of ■ the flock the sick bird is with. So far we have had mild weather but very wet during. April, at times we have had cold spells c; and generally ; speaking the cli- • matic conditions may be classed as changeable. If our fowls are not housed in a proper manner they are likely to 'feel the changes to heat, cold, damp or bleak conditions. We find this year that colds and chicken-pox are more prevalent than say last year. We may have neg- . lected our flocks more this year than formerly, because they have not been so profitable owing to high cost of foods and low" prices of eggs during the flush season. We may have let our fowl hous: s) get into disrepair and ;as a result they are draughty and give the birds chills. Winter Egg Production. . ;•■ To secure good egg production during the autumn and winter months means something more than good feeding. If we feed ever so well and allow our. birds to roost at night time in an unsuitable house, egg production must suffer. For aiany days during the last month, it has been raining continually, and if the birds are out in the rain all the time, or if inside a, house that is damp and draughty (it is one and the same thing in fact, being outside is preferable), the birds must suffer and in both cases egg production will decrease. The person who desires dear egg production must adopt the right method to induce the birds under his care to respond. The production of • eggs during the autumn is out of season, but with a good strain,,good feeding, good housing t it is quite possible * to produce the goods. At the present time it is impossible to have all the birds on our ' farms laying, but with care and • • judgment, we might have a percentage doing so. No flock of birds can do ; justice to their breeding,, however fine . a strain they come from if they are not; given the necessary treatment; to " induce dear egg production. Also, pallets cannot be expected to lay if not old enough, and we must learn to hatch a certain percentage of our birds early '■? enough to lay at the time of the year when every estg produced is worth two or three produced.; later ,on. ' Close Housing and* Disease, Once- let a.chill,, chicken-pox, or roup get hold of a.flock of birds kept on the ' intensive system and trouble will he sure ; to follow. % It" will' spread very fast when birds are always in, contact ;• with one another, and for this reason houses lot intensive purposes V should ; be so constructed that there: is no danger of draughts and chills. f' Chills precede chicken-pox arid roup, the latter trouble being the effect of neglect in caring for the ; birds that have taken a. chill. Chills can i be detected by the birds 'having^.watery :'■-'■:";. eyes and running nostrils. Dipping* the affected bird's beak and nostrils in kerosene, is a good cure and 'preventative of :? the bold going further. Let the bird in- '■" ■'■ hale through the nostrils the fumes of the kerosene and it will clear the throat*;; of danger in a very short time. Of course, if the bird, or birds, are severe cases;'get them away from the others \ as soon as discovered. Keep a watch over the birds ■:" at, this time of the year "and nip any trouble in the bud. ; While I don't like doctoring birds, I think it a good plan to keep ' separate pens and; houses ■ for * birds that have colds and attacks of- chicken- ■» pox. * When the birds are so far gone as : to develop roup it is 'far better to kill and . ' burn, all affected birds. But no : poultry \ : farmer worthy- of the, name should allow rv . roup to get a hold on his flocks. One cannot at" times \ help a cold appearing or : an attack of <ihickeri-pox, but one will ;; take prompt measures to cure same. Dangers of Obicken-Fox. Chicken-pox spreads very rapidly and, 1 if not taken in hand right away, will - cause serious trouble in no time. In it- . ' self there is not much danger,j if proper ;- care and attention is given to the : birds when first attacked. _ The delay in at- !; ;-.tending to affected birds is ,'; where ''(■_ the danger lies. When first % the birds are attacked small nodules 'form into scabe on the face or wattles or comb. They may be_ only little ' spots I *at the start ; ¥ , but, being sore, they irritate • the bird and •i . she scratches the sore, making:it bleed, and it spreads all over the ;face, - sometimes covering the eyes all over, making the bird quite blind, and if neglect is continued such a bird will 'lose its eye- -: ; sight. When first the nodules appear on the face treat them at once jby "applying carbolised vaseline over the spot, and, in ;; fact, :': rub :■ the -;?■ whole \h face, comb : and .: wattles with it. The carbolic in the vas- .' ;: eline will keep the sores clean and the ; vaseline will : keep : the ■■ flesh *; soft and •. re- '■- : duce irritation. If; the birds are given Epsom salts in.their drinking water and treated with carbolised vaseline in the : early stages of an attack iof ■■ chicken-pox, there need be no fear of it doing any ; ; harm to fowls so attacked, sit is usually caused by ' birds being in over-condition and getting a chill from climatic changes, <: • arilU need .;not cause serious trouble. '.:{y~ Eoup in Poultry. ■ ; 3ssVhen a bird is allowed to go so far as to develop ;; a;' form of .; roup it is best to ■.■--■■■■- get rid -of: her unless the owner is pre?ared; to. give full treatment. Personally, ; think it is better to get rid of the -birds 80 • affected, as.a cure is not always sure : and it .may: break Out again at a time when you are unprepared for it. Provided it is only .an isolated v case, it is safe to be rid of the infectious danger. , ■■:.,,- There are different kinds of colds, roup, etc. iWe 5 have the wet and dry roup, the ' fane-eye cold which is a dangerous form of roup; cold or ; catarrh roup, and diptheria roup, canker, etc. , Explanation of : these different forms of roup and : cures, , etc., will take up a good deal of space," which 1 will leave to a future article, but do not let anyone neglect the first signs of colds, chills, etc., among their feathered flocks. By wise care and by using common sense methods in our treatment and : feeding of our : birds we must win out in / the end. > I think we have about reached ; the turning; point in the history of: our industry, in; this Dominion, and the signs of : the times are brighter, so it will pay the beginner and the old hand to care for their ; poultry as ; they have never done . before. ::.■:•::;:•■;;■ '"■'.■' ; - 'i TESTING OF HERDS. ■ GOOD BUTTER-FAT YIELDS. I*** ;'. TELEGRAPH.—OWN COItRBSPONDBKT.'] MORRTNSVTLLE. Saturday. ' '> A Shit? M ests ere recorded bv Mr. ■■<'- XnrK^U- rd ■?**: Motumaoho duririi? Nor^ »ome good buSki Association show " $m ;*ith: an 8.8 test aVwuv"' °-T, °° v: ' ?E01b: of milk per h a , y , ,eld of rive 52.4 of btttiXt.X C & latcd *v. of He lowest test was 4.4 a nd «? , mo ? th ' ', 10 6. a total of 34.981b. a offe h, 5." t . men during the month with ftV fetteV 8 ' ;; L:; bis 40 cows one has .eiyen p a e '"^^ .Lr -10 ' = three others «of ov« r Q**^ of ; SS over 8, six over. 7 and. ! r t- if ovS 6 and under 7, 10 over 5, e - 8