THE MARKET FOR EGGS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21289, 16 September 1932, Page 17

THE MARKET FOR EGGS

REDUCING THE COST FOOD FOR THE BIRDS BY UTILITY At a time when eggs are. selling at such unprofitable rates it would appear' that measures for increasing the demand should go hand in hand with continued efforts to bring down the cost of production. It would be a mistake to assume that the latter could be achieved by giving the birds less food, for it is only the extra they eat, over and above what they require to maintain their bodily warmth and activity, which produces any eggs at all. Consequently it is false economy to be sparing with food, but it is a, sound policy to study how to get the best results with the least outlay for food. Unfortunately the main food is usually wheat, but as long as the prico is artis fically held up, it will pay to feed as little wheat possible, if substitutes can be found which will give equally good results. It i 6 doußtful if any single substitute will do this, and during the period of warmer weather it would be unwise to depend on maize as the sole grain food. A Grain Mixture It is o(teri suggested that oats might be used to a larger extent than has been customary, but it must be remembered that as oats run only 401bs. to the bushel, against wheat at 601b5., the former is really no cheaper, and its main value consists in its nutritive properties in a mixture. The really cheap grain is barley, now that the Import duty has been taken off. The birds have no objection to this grain if it i s machine cleaned, although they usually like it the least of the four grains mentioned. Summed up, it would appear that the cheapest grain mixture is a combination of all four, steadily decreasing the proportion of maize with the advance of warmer weather. In any case, however, it would decrease the total cost of food very considerably if the grain ration were cut down severely r, during the summer. A large proportion of grain is not required in hot weather, for the birds will lay just as well on an increased proportion of mash, and this is a very important consideration when it is borne in mind that the main ingredients, bran and pollard, cost little more than half as much as a grain mixture, weight for weight. The breeding pen must have" a full quota of grain, but not the laying pen. Particularly docs this apply during the summer, when birds thrive just a s well on lighter foods than they require to sustain their warmth during the winter. It also applies in a marked degree to birds On free range, for grain is hardly necessary for them at all. people will have noticed that even' sparrows steal very little grain during the summer. Nourishing Ration Naturally it would not , bring good results if entire dependence were placed on | bran and pollard, extremely useful though they are as the foundation to a meal mash. Probably for free range birds they would suffice if used alone, at any rate until the pastures begin to dry up, but for birds confined in a house or yard, more would be required. The main supplementary ingredient in the mash would then be meat in some fopm, either fresh meat, meat meal, fish meal, or even milk. On most, farms skim milk is in virtually unlimited supply, but it is rarely used to the extent that economy in feeding would suggest. It seems unfortunate to have to suggest that the policy of feeding is often dictated by convenience, and this is probably the reason why a tin of grain is often fed to the birds instead of a tasty mash, just as a dish of milk is. loft* in the yard, for the birds to help themselves. This is not by any means the best way to uso milk, for it does not improve by exposure to the sun and the dust, nor is it advisable to let them splash it over each cither while shaking their heads during the process of drinking. Fowls will get quite as much milk a s is good for them if it is used for mixing the bran and pollard to a nice crumbly mash. Clean water is better for the birds to drink than milk, but here again it is necessary to take care that it is protected from dust and sunshine. It would be hard

to best this plan to achieve that result: Stand a benzine tin upright, and cut out the top half of one side, so as to give ready access to tho water that fills the bottom half; place tho tin 011 a benzine case laid flat, so that the birds havo to hop on the box in order to reach the open side of the tin; put tho box under a tree, and in order to make assurance doubly sure that no sunshine can reach the water place the box and tin in such a position that the open side faces" south. Having the tin on the box instead of putting it on the ground will effectively prevent dust reaching tho water if the birds are scratching about in the vicinity. A Mineral Mixture It is perhaps unnecessary to again stress ■ the importance of an unlimited supply of green food all the year round, for this is the cheapest of all foods, and is becoming recognised as one of tho chief factors in keeping fowls healthy and productive. Unfortunately, however, the necessity for a mineral mixture is not so generally recognised. As a result of experiments in England, it has been found that good results will follow if the mineral mixture contain this proportion: 501b. bone meal, 201b. common salt, 281b. powdered oyster shell or finely ground limestone, 21b. oxide of iron (powdered fine), 4oz. potassium iodide. This can be added to the mash in the proportion of 3 per cent by weight. In addition the birds should have access to a full supply of shell grit. If the system of feeding is arranged on these lines, insfead of planning for what can be given with the least trouble at the time, it will go a long way toward compensating for the recent deplorable fall in the price of eggs on the local market.

USES OF LIME THE NEED FOR CARE After the floor of a poultry or brooder house lias been thoroughly cleaned, it is [ not a'bad plan to coat the floor thickly with slaked lime. Quick lime should not be used, and is not , necessary. This 6laked lime may remain on the floor for a week, during which time all fowls must be excluded. Then, the lime shpuld be carefully swept up and removed, and the floor well sprinkled with sand. Quick lime, if eaten by poultry, is violently corrosive and to a less extent so is slaked lime—the birds are prone to eat it. Gypsum, which can be had in many places for the carting, is harmless, and is a good deordorant, but, it is doubtful if it would destroy all disease germs and worm eggs. Gypsum is lime sulphate (calcium sulphate). Whitewashing small poultry houses is not generally recommended. Successive coats of lime wash tend to flake in time and so afford much harbour for vermin.

External applications of some good whitewash compounds reduce heat in summer time. Interiors when whitewashed give a marked increase in light—very often a great advantage. While it is right ■to add some binding substance to cause lime-wash to adhere to surfaces, it is of doubtful utility to add substances with the idea, of destroying parasites and even disease germs. Lime in powder form will cause much trouble to the breathing apparatus of poultry. Often the eyesight, is impaired or destroyed. This explanation should define lime and its use.