POULTRY INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20562, 13 May 1930, Page 14

POULTRY INDUSTRY.

HOUSING AND EXERCISE

COMFORT OF YOUNG BIRDS

ATTENTION TO FOOD SUPPLY

Fresh eggs usually command their highest level of values during the month of May, writes Mr. F. (J. Brown, in the Journal of Agriculture for March. The present position of the market indicates t luiL the forthcoming first months of

winter will bo no exception to this rule, as the great majority of the adult birds will bo undergoing tho moulting process and bo in an unprofitable condition, and tho pullets must be principally relied upon for the egg yield. In anticipation of cold winter weather, when everything is against' a bird producing to its fullest capacity, it only stands to reason that tho pullets must bo provided with tho best, conditions if eggs in good numbers are to be secured.

Tho first essential in this respect is to make the young birds comfortable, as only in this ■ condition can they bo expected to do their best. This implies a roomy house, with an open or partly open front as tho means of admitting sunlight and fresh air—those great essentials to the well-being of the domesticated fowl. There must be no cracks in tho sides or back walls, as theso create a draught and cause roup and other troubles. With the open or partly open-fronted house tho birds can bo fed inside in comfort during bad weather. Dual Economy. Obviously a bird cani.ot be expected to lav vejl if compelled to wait about in a muddy yard with wet plumage for its evening meal to be thrown down. By feeding the birds in the house a dual form of economy is brought about. I< irstly, only a minimum amount of food will bo required to maintain 'tho bird, as when it is fed in the rain body heat to dry it and ward off the cold must necessarily come from the food eaten. Secondly, there is' a great saving effected in protecting the grain from sparrows and other small birds.

Provision for exerciso is also essential if a bird is to produce heavily at this period of the year. Hence the whole grain ration should' bo fed in deep litter, in order that the birds may he kept busy in scratching for the hidden grains. In short, every endeavour should bo niado to discourage tho birds from resting on their perches by day, as this is apt to cause an over-fat condition—a stato which does not tend toward promoting heavy egg production. This does not mean that tho ration should be reduced in order to check a production of surplus fat. On tho contrary, it means liberal feeding, but by a method which ensures that tlio birds are made to work to secure at least tho greater part of their food. In tho long nights of the winter months tho birds have ample time to rest without doing so during the day. Tho heavy-laying hen is always a busy bird, and if denied tho opportunity of keeping in this condition sho will fail to bo really profitable. Prevention of Colds. I cannot urge too strongly the necessity of taking every precaution against colds, which young birds especially arc liable to take "at this season of the year. It should lie borne in mind that onco a flock of pullets becomes affected with colds their egg yield rapidly declines, and in spite of all that is dono for them they will bear an unkempt, miserable appearance. Thousands of winter eggs are lost annually from this cause. Not only this, but colds are (110 forerunner of roup, and onco t his dreaded disease gains a foothold in a flock, heavy mortality is almost sure to eventuate. The best of all means of dealing with colds is to prevent them. The most common symptoms of colds are sneezing, eyes watering, and a discharge from the nostrils, to which d,ust and dirt adhere. In severe cases the discharge will usually bo found on tho feathers under the wing, owing to the bird sleeping with its head thereunder.

When birds show any of these symptoms they should be isolated at once as a prevention against the trouble spreading. Tho next step should bo to find tho cause and remove it, and for this purpose it is a good plan to visit the house bv night. 11 may bo found that the ventilation :is insufficient, or that there are cracks,in the back or side of walls whereby the birds are sleeping in a draught, which undoubtedly causes more outbreaks of cold than anything else. Usually when colds make their appearance the poultry-keeper resorts to one of the many cures recommended for this trouble, and quite overlooks the great essential of first discovering and removing the cause.

Pood Quality and the .Ration

It is obvious that if the cause is not removed, tho trouble is apt to recur at any time. As to a cure, or, rather, a means of checking tho spread of cc.ds, it is a good plan to placo some Condy's crystals in tho drinking water, sufficient to give it a pink colour. For well-do-veloped colds dip tho bird's beak into pure kerosene, sufficiently deep to cover the nostrils, arid hold tho bird in this position until it, inhales, repeating this treatment on altcrnato days. This will usually effect a cure, but, as mentioned, if tho cause is not found and removed, the trouble is likely to recur.

Particularly at this season of the year, when tho egg-yield may bo regarded as more or less artificially produced, tho poultry-keeper should make sure that tho food supplied is of tho best possible quality, quite irrespective of cost. With any class of poultry it .is always poor economy to feed damaged or musty food because it is cheap.

Especially is (his the case with pullets which are being looked (o lo produce dearseason eggs. They will simply refuse to cat such food (unless, of course, forced lo by hunger), and obviously a declining egg yield will result-