THE BREEDING SEASON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18771, 26 July 1924, Page 16

THE BREEDING SEASON.

r PIHEPARJMG FOR HATCHING. | WITH INCUBATORS. : . : KEEPJNG UP EGG SUPPLY,/ ' i/ /■ ■. v' ; "' ; ' ' BT 6.H.5. ~ .. f:.;'.•'"'-■-.' : "White ifc ,is;.yot early■ to set. eggs for ■ •';■■•''"-,■ incubation purposes,. yet many /poultry-. |V' keepers who intend to hatch large quan- }/' '"// titles are.■already at work with mcubtttors. I •, Mahy beginneriJ are. led astray by so many h hig poultiry-keepons hatching ;'so early, ! When one/gees in for poultry farming,oh / '.'/'■'. fccommereJiilvbusis, one must always look. • ■ fcheiad and ibe "sure each: year that enough young stoci; avti raised to replace the old ; ■ birds culledV: out each year, and also, to i. produce eggij. in the off season, when the older birds are moulting. The up-to-date ;. ■ / poultry-farmeiv must take every opportuci ity to keep ftp a continuous supply of fresh eggs, ana early hatching is indeed a preparation ih\\i cannot be overlooked. ! Certainly the vvuy early bird is, inclined to lay too esii'iy/"at times causing hereto lay rather a C!gg, and not to have the 1 ; necessary bodily/ development that one would prefer, but oho has '-to take risks, and an experienced poultry-keeper can, by proper care and feeding, so influence ■Ihe growth of young 'stock, that they will not as a irule laytoo. soo.nu ..: « Meeting Contingencies. The experienced man knows that at all times a setback may occur, and the sea* Fon's hatching be curtailed, therefore to bo on the safe side he skirts hatching Cipsrations as early as : \\s advisable. The breeder who deals in the day-old chick trade must always -■■shar(early so that he can supply orders arid .fill his own requirements. Generally/ speaking fer- ■ tility in the early /'months of the breeding season is not all one would wish it to bo, yet a fair /percentage of chick's is acceptable, especially if they_ are freni select- mating*. In fact, were ii nr\ foextra early handling, many a hrvder would lose his best chances of reproducing laying blood above the ordinary standard. Some big breeders have the incubators running as ear'y as June, others make a start Tn early July,, while others - »re starting their machines at ithe time of writing. Generally speaking, Juna or July is considered early, while August is quite an ideal month "to■'.start at mil capacity. Beginners/who/only wish to ■:V rear limited numbers; should .'confine their ■'' Hatchings to'"■■ August/ September and October for heri«,and .September/: October. sind November for ducks- - /'■''■;■ /,,The Breeding Jtfoathf/.Those months mentioned .above are; the ideal months for breeding/ thengh, it 43 /''"., essential for the .big poultry farmer, who in in the business on commercial lines, : v: to start operations earlier and at times he continues hashing right into Novcmher for chicks and a;, late as December for •■ : tfacks. The usua'i and best way] for the •nonltry-keeper who has both fowhs and ducks,is to hatch / chickens BrsiL finish with them and then-turn to ducks. If // 'we keep both light arid' heavy breeds J» /fowls it may be wisci to hatch the latter 1 •first or earlier than the ligM/breed. If / both - light and heavy /.breeds kenir for eee: production/ are from/'ar good 1 laying strain, then both can be hatched jit- i^esauie'time and with properdeecK ing will mature and lay at; the same inne.; As a rule the earlier they are hatched thf earlier they will, u start.:/to/ : « lay, butstrain and feeding: rarer'big factors, and one has to .know the strain ,he ,is working on;and foe np to the buisintess 01 feeding for normal growth in the young itock so that: no ' mjury . may Occttr *o i/.' : the growing birds in laying too soon, or no delay in fegg production will cause a - loss, in cash.;, h ■■-:■:/'./ • : Bad 7W«ather and Hatching. \ The long spell, of bad weather in the [Auckland Province" will delay hatching 1 operations on many farms', but one must not ;be disheartened as it is quite safe/t&J hatch chickens during the:; next/thrfce months,: and if necessary good resuh/s can .••"..■; toe" obtained with pullets hatched asi lata as November if they are allowed,; free ■ : >/'"■'•-- irange. The big breeder, however, -\ must ; :-."-' " : :i he careful with; chicks reared. in brooder; /runs as they get sour after a few months ; use,, and November ;sees, the last of, v ' chickens in brooder runs and the, in- ,; cubators are closed down in October. '/■/' While ducklings will do well, if hatched • early and kept nnderj suitable conditions,-, 5 * they like the warm/weather and thrive}: : -well when there is little or no r*in/ In/; bleak, cold days, chickens can pe kept quite happy and in the pink of condition, -. ' „hy : providing exercise in the scratching pens inside the big brooder Jiouse. It is not so easy 40 provide; exercise for ducks. ."■-: sad if kept in close coniinement too long througK spells of reahyk bad, w«t/ cold, weather they grw weedy and have, not / // the stamina of the later, hatched pries, and /-"■: do not grow stO quickly. _•• /" '■//Tbeiijse' of Scratching, Sh^ds^''^/.^/; • ",( ; ;By the use scratching sheds fertility ;■' can r 'be greatly improved m the breeding • s, . ctock/' If the breeders cannot secure exer- .-":•;.• case h> -will mean poorer fertility and necessarily later hatches,: ; espaciaily with the later breeds. It is ; qnits:tnatural ; fpr,, the general purpose: or" heavy m-eeds,; ; to s put oh; condition quickly, because i. s , ;"' : : why-ihey kre such .excellent table.birds; the 'flesh being /.Snore tender .'than the; .... flesh of the It is surprising; how , quickly a;; bird belonging to the Orpington, Rock ; arid Rhode : ; felahd'Red/will put on condition ; after it stops layibg, arid i+. is necessary in thesV Tareeds to adopt a different style of feed? ing.'.'. frorii;i that k used- "with the / lighter breeds fiuch as .Leghorn,' The I latter will, while monltimc, stand quite j a lot of rnaize, and such.•: iik? fafc-forming \ ■-'■j grain-. f<x>ds, : while with the heavier ! treeds, especially where exercise i 3 limited, \ mois.oats should be fed. These birds of .i th^heavy-breeds that are,to be kept for' breeding purposes after; they-have grown a. new coat: of feathers, well be given: & less; quantity,, of: food thSri their lighter .;/■'• sisters, the Leghorns/ >/:Then; when required to come back into • full/ lay, give an animal food, such as green"cut bone,, //.'-,. which helps fertility considerably. One ■needsi examine one's birds to understand their condition. / Feeding ;!or the Laying Season.;; For the next month those birds that have had a good spell from egg.production should be given ample.; supplies of animal food/and if. given in the form of green ;, / cut bone it will 'riot be likely to scour them a3 large quantities of fresh liver, too much blood 7 meal. or a strong sample of meat .meal wall. As long as-the liirds respond and are producing eggs with good sound shells 'and are not showing scours it is quite safe?to kerap the animal food up, but too much fresh meat as the season', advances is apt to cause extra broodiness, even in good laying strains. Of course, when this occurs the- birds come on to lay quickly again, wheu put off the inclination to mother a clutch of chicks or ducklings. If your breeders are In too good a condition to get best results in fertility, use drastic measures by feeding extra animal food and • making them forage for their grain food and also cutting down/ or/,: omitting: v : altogether, grains that help::'tif»"- keep' lhem : in over good condition. Don't make your breeding pens into fattening pens, leave that" to the person who makes liis livinljout of fattening; fowls/,and,; ducks for table purposes.' ;../. ' - . ■,