POULTRY NOTES

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1831, 10 April 1907, Page 49

POULTRY NOTES

(By “Fancier.”)

/•FATTENBMG AMO KILL!MG

. ' Chickens for the taole, of the larger -breeds; if the broods have been properly fed and cared for, will be quite largo enough'to . kill at three or . four months old So young as this, they ,d > not require fattening at all, and, even if .'they did, the process would bo r almost impossible, as well as cruel, as the active' temperament common to all animal infancy would . repel .against the confinement, and cause deteriora- • tion rather thjwi ,improvement. . If they have as much foed as eat, properly given, chickens up, to three months’ old are always, plump, more so than they appear a month or ■I two later, and should be killed just as they are after a night’s fasting. Even older chickens ' are often better i 1 their natural condition. In certain localities, however, fatted... fo,wls or chickens will alone realise the h ; est prices, and in many cases fattening" is necessary,for. commanding the market. The old plan of fattening fowls .■ ,was to put from eight to a dozen, ih a. poop with ah open front, feeding them regularly three times a day. By employing a railed or .barred floor j so ; that all the manure can fall through, very good results can be’ obtained, though the process of cramming is now considered quicker and more economical, as compared with what may be termed the natural plan. The coop must be arranged so as to be perfectly dry and free from draught, and should have a canvas cover drawn over to keep the inmates in darkness. Only fowls which ha ve run. together must be penned up in one coop, or their disagreement will urevc-nt any increase of weight. Before commencing, the coop should ’ whitewashed and the bottom bars ’. ‘ r« - s ed,-to prevent any annoyonce - - - w vermin : and when put ; in r the w? V-ons -be left for several ,-V without; any.' food at all. a This •.V os;entiah and the neglect of .it,, is

why many amateurs in their first attempts in fattening their surplus stock fail completely; as the birds, being naturally fretful at their confinement. refuse to eat heartily, and rather pine away; whereas, by well fasting them before any food is given, they begin to feed at once, ihe quantity must be measured by the appetite, ani rone on any account left, out clean, fresh food given as much as can hi eaten without leaving, and w iter being supplied at the seme time. When the feeding is done, the canvas covering should ho drawn down, and the birds left- in darkness until an hour before the next meal. Ihe time’s oi feeding must be observed with iho greatest punctuality,, or the fowls will fret and lose condition- The process will be completed in from fifteen to twenty days, and should be carefully watched, as when the proper point is once reached, the chickens, if not nil* mediately killed, rapidly decline again. For the cramming process it is to France we must go for the best information on this method of fattening, cramming being tlieie carried on upon a system, and to an extent which almost elevates it into a fine art. In the French method of cramming it is necessary to provide sparred coops, in which each fowl has its own compart-, ir.ent. The coop is a long, narrowbox in white wood, set on legs one foot ilul ar-lialf high; the outer walls and partitions are close boarded, and the bottom only is made with rounded spars, one inch and a-lialf in diameter, running lengthways of the coop, on which the fowls peich, the manure falling through the bars. Ihe top consists oi a sliding door, nearly as wide as the compartment, by w hich the chickens are taken in or out. Iho partitions are eight inches apart, so that the fowl cannot turn itself round. Ihe length of each box may bo regulated by circumstances, care being taken that the attendant has room to pass along and to sit down; and, furthermore, that cocks, capons, and pullets, or Ine lean and the fat be not mixed up indiscriminately. If fowls of different sexes are in close proximity, though noil ing beyond v flea.. relations be established between them, the fattening process will be delp.ved; or, again, fowls of different degrees of fatness should not inhabit til*, same box, because their rations will differ, and the newcomers will disturb the old settlors by their noise. Young cocks , will fatten, though not &) readily as capons. I heir flesh is somewhat inferior in delicacy to that of capons, and yet more so to that of pullets. The floor below the boxes is colored with, ashes or dry earth to catch ihe droppings, which aie removed every two days with a scrape:. Iha n aiiure is equal in value to guano, and shxnld be preserved from waste and mcistme. , . ... , . The best food for .fattening fowls n wheat meal bolted quite line. This is kneaded up with milk till it gets the consistency of dough; it is then cut up into rations abmit the size oi two eggs■ which are made up into rods about the thickness of a finger, but varying w 7, ith the sizes of the low Is, these are subdivided by a sloping cut into pellets two and a-half mche.l lang. A board is used'for mixing the meal with the milk, which in winter should be hike warm. It is poured into a hole made in the heap of meal, and mixed tip little by little with a wooden spoon so long as it is taken up; the dough is then kVleaded by the hands till it no longer adheres to them

The food is administered by the attendant, who puts «n an apron which will stand being soiled or torn, and takes the pellets on a board, with a bowl of clean water. The first fowl is taken from its cage gently and carefully, r>ot by the wings or the legs, but with’ both hands under- the breast. 'The attendant then seats himself with tho fowl upon his knees, putting its rumo under his left arm, by which he supports it; the left hand then opens .it/a mouth (a little practice makes this ' very r -easy), and the right hand takes up a pellet, soaks it well in the water, which is essential, shakes it on its way to the open mouth; puts it straight down, and carefully crams it with tho forefinger into the crop, taking care not to fracture the pellet; for if some, scraps of it remained m the gullet they might cause inflammation Other pellets follow the first tiH the feexl ing is finished in less time than one wculd imagine. . . It sometimes happens particularly in the early stage of fattening, that the trachr,l artery is compressed together with the gullet; this makes tho creature cough, but is not ous consequence, and willi a little - perience tl is mishap is easily av ~ u Y" ed The fowl when fed is again held witb both hinds under the breast, and replaced in its cage without fluttering it; and so on with each fowl. The chicken should have two in twenty-four hours, twelve hours apart, pro/ided with the utmost punctuality; if it has to wait it be* ccxr.es uneasy, if fed too soon it has an indigestion, and in either case loses weight. On the first day of cramming only two or three pellets are given at each meal; the: allowance is daily in w creased by one at a time, till it reaches

twelve to fifteen pellets. The stomach may be filled, but at each meal you must make sure that the last is duly digested, which is easily ascertained by gently handling the crop, if there be any dough in it, digestion has not gone on properly; the fowl must miss a meal, and have rather a smaller allowance next time—if too much food bo forced upon the animal at first it will get out of health and have to be set at liberty. The fattening process ought to be complete in two or three weeks, but for extra fat poultry twienty-dive or twenty-six days are required; with good management you may go on for thirty days, after which the creature becomes choked with accumulated fat, wastes aw 7 ay and dies. When a fowl is” to be killed, it should first be fasted for twelve to fifteen hours, and then held 'carefully <nou liung up by the heels, which would suffocate it), the mouth opened, and either the under side of the tongue cut with sharp scissors, or the pointed blade of a knife thrust into the palate till it pierces the brain; or, thirdly, a few feathers may be plucked from fhe left side of the head just below the ear, and a good incision made at the spot. In any case it must be fastened up by the heels immediately afterwards, that it may bleed freely, for on this the whiteness of the flesh depends. The chiaken is them bandaged till cold to mould its form; and if the weather is warm it is plunged for a moment into very cold water. Tho fat of fowls so managed is of a delicate white colour; their Ifflesh is as it were seen transparent beneath a delicate skin. Elat during many years a preference has been growing in France for feeding the caged birds with food mixed thinly. It is termed as the third method of fattening, or the cramming by. means of a funnel, with farinaceous food in a liquid form. It is said That this method is likely to become universal, being so einqule, eiaisy, land rapid. JTo carry out the third method of fattening),, barley-flour is necessary, not broken barley; for it is not desirable that the bran should be mixed with it, but on the contrary, it ought to be pro-ixu-ly sifted. The meal is mixed smoothly with milk and water in equal parts, till the thickness of clear soup when it begins to boil. It is essentia! that tho milk and water is in equal parts, for if there be more milk the fattening process .stops at the end of a few days, and the bird falls off and dies The funnel is of tinned iron, large enough to hold as much as is proper to give at a meal to every sort of fowl. The upper opening is four inches deep, measuring dow T n the middle, while the pipe, or neck, is three and a half inches long. The upper part of the pipe has an outside width of one inch, and the lower end three-fifths of an inch. This end is cut off slantwise for placing in the bird’s throat. The edge is rounded off, and further softened by a small tin rim carefully soldered on. At the upper end of the funnel, a small ring is fixed to the edge, intended for the first finger of the right hand. The opening of the lower end of the tube (which as above stated is slanting) is turned from the side of the operator: this is why the ring is soldered on the upper edge of the funnel, two inches to the right of the direction of the lower opening of - the lube. Those who are not accustomed to use the funnel, are liable of tearing or scratching the membranes of the throat, and in order to prevent this danger it is advisable to cover the end with India-lubber, which makes it very little larger. This precaution will avoid accidents which might produce disease.

Tho prepared food is placed in a receptacle from which it may be easily dipped out with a long-handled spoon ; then when all is ready the bird ds taken by the wings, near the shoulders, and placed with its head in front between the knees, so as to hold the bird without hurting or stilling it., The bird will struggle a little for the first few times but soon becomes accustomed to the operation. When the bird is quiet the right forefinger is placed in the handle of the funnel, the fowl’s bead seized with the left, stretching its neck well out, and the beak opened with the help of the right hand still holding the funnel. After the beak is opened properly it has to be kept so for a moment with only the left band, until the operator quickly introduces the funnel the whole length of the tube, taking care not to hurt the inside of the throat. The left holds everything quite easily—the fowl’s head in the palm and the last fingers, holding the funnel with the thumb and forefinger. Administering the feed comes next, the funnel being filled with the paste, and the crop held in the right hand until it feels full, when the task is completed. The meals are given regularly three times every twenty-foiir hours, eight ,hours between each feed. * j, n order to facilitate the operation and avoid accidents of forgetfulness, and vain attempts which fatigue and irritate the fowls, proper accommodation has to be provided according to the number of birds to he fattened, consisting of two, three or four open pens, in which there ought not, to be' more than ten together: The pens,

raised from the ground, a>rs placed in some quiet situaion, pro'fceeiied. from draughts, and there is jailwajd an empty coop to t spare. 'When all) is ready the bottom of the spate pen is covered with fresh straw 7 , the business of feeding following next, - and every fowl, as soon as filled, is passed into the empty pen. It is important that the straw is kept clean, for dirty straw imparts a bad flavour to the flesh of tae birds kept upon it. The fowls are watched carefully, and if no: progress is shown, are killed immediately. In the first case only birds m good condition and healthy are selected lor treatment, for to attempt to fatten weak fowlis in Jfchis (mangier, wouid be nothing but waste of time and money. The time taken for fattening is from fifteen to twenty days, according to the species and the individual bird; a longer time only makes the fattened birds grow thin again. . The fattening by meens of food in a semi-liquid state appears to be coining more and more into favour in France, and machines for cramming with food so prepared are now employed. They, are considered to disturb and excite the fowls less, the whole meal being injected at one operation ; and the time saved is very great. For many markets cooping up is not at all essential to fattening. Chickens or fowls reared at liberty and in good health si E) lay on weight rapidly, and make splendid birds if simply confined five or six together in a shed floored with clean sand, and fed three times daily with as much soft food as they, will eat. Th > first meal must he given at daylight, and the last at nearly dusk If they are.kept waiting for food in the morning thej r fret, and the feeding of the day b- fore is practically neutralised. Birds will often add one-third of their weight if taken off their runs and fed in this natural way. OAPONISING.

Closely connected with the subject of fattening is the operation of caponising or depriving the cockerels of the power of reproduction, which is largely carried on in seme parts of the Old Country, but litt’e practise! in New Zealand. There is no doubt that the weight of the birds and delicacy of the flesh are enormously increased by it; and on the ground of cruelty there Is little to be said, whilst most of our oxen and sheep are prepared in a similar manner. The selection of your bird is very important. In the first place be sure he is free from any disease which may carry him off sooner or later after the operation. Any of the large breeds will do unless you prefer to make a special mating for the purpose. The cross of the Wyandotte with the Indian Game would make exoellent birds for caponising purposes, and the best age for the operation is from three to five months From thirty-six to fortyeight hours before the operation keep the birds in confinement without feed or water. > -

At the time of the operation you will find the intestines entirely empty, which is \ery necessary. Should water be given, it will cause bloating of the intestines. After operating give all the water the bird will drink, and some soft food, not too much, however, but just what they will clean up. Continue this manner of feeding for three or four days, then put on usual diet. It is advisable to put the capons in a yard by themselves, as the cockerels, and hens as well, will give them » knock whenever they get a chance. In twenty-four hours after the operation you may find some of the capons are fat on the side on which the operation was performed. By closer examination you will find instead of the bura being extremely fat that it is puffed with wind. This condition is known as bloating caused from air getting under the skin, due to rupture of the diaphragm or injury to the lung at the time of operation. In order to relieve this trouble, puncture the skin and squeeze out the air. , ' ■ - The best time for operating i 3 from 10 o’clock in the morniug to 3 in the aftx rnoon, as at that time the light is overhead. The most convenient operating table is a piece of board 2ft by, Bft laid across a barrel.

To fasten the bird securely use two strong cords with a hook on one end of each piece, tying half a brick or amything of equal heft on the other end. Pass the end of your cord which has the hook on around both wings close to the body and hook the hook on to the cord, thus forming a* lcop about th.o wings. Secure the legs in the same manner above the feet With the bird secure proceed to pluck the feathers from the abdomen in front of the hip-hone. The point of the hip as your landmark you can locate the first and second rib, then with knife, make a quick cut through the skin parallel to the ribs. In doing this you will sever a small blood-vessel, but the application of a little cold water will cease the bleeding. Next insert the point or your knife between the ribs and cut out. By doing so you will lessen the chances of injuring the intestines and the other oTgans below. Make your incision at least half an inch long, being very particular not to injure the dark gland that lays above the sninal column,- for if this be punc-

.' tured .a fatal liemo.rrlia.ge may follow. ■ Next insert your spreader, which will firmly hold the ribs apart so that you • 'will have a clear view of things within. Use the small hook on the end of the -j.; caponicing spoon to rupture the glis- ,, tenjng membrane, which covers the m---testines- You. will readily see the upper testicle laying close to the spinal column. It is advisable for the beginner to open the bird on both sides. After... a number of 1 operations there will be no trouble taking both testicles from one side. In order to avoid the possibility of hemorrhage from the up- • .per testicle obscuring the lower end, do not remove ft till the last. Frequently the lower testicle will he obscured by a membrane which is attached along the spinal column and drops downward to the loop of the spermatic artery. It will be’ necessary to rupture this membrane so that the lower testicle can be grasped with your spoonY In rupturing the membrane, exercise the ' greatest care for fear of injuring the .-•spermatic artery.; To do this grasp - the membrane at < its upper attachment with your forceps, and with a quick ‘ * pull-onward you can. tear a small hole which can be enlarged sufficiently to • -admit-the spoon. It may be found necessary to draw the testicle up with the blunt hook before you can slip the spoon over the spermatic cord. When . ’ doing' this use the least force possible. ,• While inserting the spoon have £he points of the blade away from the diaphragm. By doing so the operator is - not liable to injure the lungs or rupture the diaphragm. After having slipped the spoon over the cord, push - the. slide down, which will elose the blades of the spoon firmly grasping the spermatic cord. Make three or four careful;turns and gently draw outward. \Ji the testicle does not come off easily, • I take the spoon into the left hand, and .1 with your blunt-pointed scissors cane- ! fully snip the cord, which will release | the spoon, bringing the testicle away Y ,at the same rime. Remove the upper ; | testicle in the same manaer, and when this is done remove the spreader, and put three or, four stitches in the skin. ’Jhe price in New Zealand for a set 'cf ■oaponisirig instruments runs at about 17s Gd, and the money is well expended where poultry for the market is raised in large numbers.