THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7864, 28 July 1911, Page 2

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

BY Cf?OW£I<S

ness and for rears have been practical!} "eating olf their heads," being allowed, as a matter uf fact, lo die at old age. Some of tho more successful ot out utility breeders only use pullets, mars - iug their layers immediately these m concluded their first laying season. \\ th the heavier breeds suggested this j ■ so necessary. The farmer would not think of. continuing to milk a to« that was hardly giving enough milk to icar a calf, or use an old horse that could not do a docent day’s work, but he "ill allow any number ol old hens, to mope around which are not even paying their boaid. 11 money is to be made oat of poultry on tho farm no fowl should bo kept aitu her second season. Even in the best of flocks and with tho best of birds it is hardly possible that it will prove pi editable to keep a bird for a third. laying period. A COMMON MISTAKE. Quito n number of cases have coim under my observation of heavy mortality in chickens owing to low vitality induced by vermin. It invariably arises oum . to the owner having a number of broody hens'about. Desiring to take advantage of these natural incubating agents, lo puts them on settings of eggs, and tho chickens arc out theso aro tramsfsired to the brooder-house, which is piohably not as cosy as. it might he- lh chickens have brought vermin from the hens, and trouble immediately cominduces, with consequent mortality. Dmox the strongest points m an incubatoi is that it does not breed vermin, tho source of probably the heaviest leakage iu tho business. No doubt chickens do well, to a greater or lesser extent when with tho natural mother, even when affected with vermin, but when chickens are in a brooder vermin is absolutely fatal ‘ brooder-house.

It has often struck me as a remarkable contradiction that keen utility poultrymen will theorise uy the. hour on tno test method ot rearing chickens, and yet taoy will construct their own brooderhouses on a plan which invites failuio at the outset. I saw ono tho other clay, constructed of old timber and iron, facing tho north and tho prevailing wind, with a wire-netted front and no windows, the building being of a depth ot only about Bft, and tho holes in tho old mm. of which the sides and back wore construtted, not even being closed up. Iresn air is a very necessary provision, but cold and draughts, two of tho most fatal things to ■ bird life, must bo provided against at all costs. In locating a brood-er-house the driest and most sheltered spot, and facing tho sun, on the plant should be chosen, and tho building should be so constructed that extremes of heat and cold may bo provided against, while at the same time stuffiness must never he allowed to exist. MOVABLE HOUSES.

The question has been asked, would it not bo preferable to have movable houses for farm poultry instead of a fixed structure? To my mind there is nothing to, bo said in favour of tho former. .The) conditions in England are entirely dificrent from those m this country. There, where high feeding of farm stock and intensive cultivation arc in vogue, tho soil is so rich iu insect life and iu fallen grain and seed that the birds can scratch up the bettor part of their liviug. Hero tho position is altogether different. Then, movable houses would make the work of attention and feeding so heavy that the cost would counterbalance any possible advantage. I have seen a man adopt the movable-house system, and with most unsatisfactory results. He had four or five houses in a largo field. Tho result was that at feeding time all tho birds would bo congregated near tho gate through which tho attendant entered with the feed, while many would wande) to the farmer’s house, and, losing theii hearings, would be found roosting iu the trees and stables, having missed their feed and being thus encouraged to lay anywhere. Again, whore tho birds left, their'houses to be fed it often happened that, iu the event ol a shower, they all rushed into the nearest , house, which would bo thereby crowded to suffocatioj. while tho other houses would bo empty hr have but a few birds iu, them. This is impossible with movable houses. With the accommodation handy, concentrated,, and near tho homestead girls can attend to the feeding and watering of the birds, in any weather, while tho eggs can bn, frequently gathered and bo obtained iu a clean condition. With portable houses and a free range the hens are encouraged to lay anywhere, with the result that the eggs aro too often stale and dirty and cannot bo marketed with confidence. SECTIONAL BROODERS.

Where sectional brooders are heated oy lamps a common mistake made is to think that in a brooder 12ft to loft long the required heat can bo obtained with a coil consisting of GOtt to 70£t of lin piping. It is palpably impossible to make, with two small lamps, such a largo extent of piping a sufficient heating medium. Tno most surprising thing is that tho American makers should send out such an ineffective apparatus. The best method I can suggest of making the heating arrangement of such' brooders capable of providing and maintaining the correc. temperatures is to instai a Perfection heater, of which an improved pattern to that illustrated in tho April ''Journal” is now on tho market.

POULTRY ACCOUNT BOOKS A USEFUL REFERENCE. With their usual enterprise the A. and P. Food Company has designed and issued an account book tljat will be of great service to poultrymon, by enabling them to keep an easy and correct record ot the proceeds and business transactions during tho year. Space is provided for daily laying records, together with a simple method of keeping particulars of tho disposal of eggs and other records such as tho results gained at shows, the number of eggs set, batched out, and reared. Separate pages are provided for stocktaking, showing a summary of the plant, profit and !o-s account, bal-ance-sheet, and ■ cash summary. The book also contains tho tabulated records of all New Zealand egg-laying competitions right down to date- This information alone is worth the price of the book and as this is_ the only opportunity that will be given for ponltryinen to obtain these records in th-ir present form they are advised to send in their orders »arlv. when the modest sum of one shilling will -enure a copy. Several hundred copies hare already been sold and numerous testimonials from satisfied customers have h n on received from mi, parts of tho Dominion. The comma:’y .anticipates a heavy demand for tli-Mr chick raising foods this year and they arc daily fulfilling rennet ord-rs, which is proof that ?'iti‘’f' , ct!on has been given to customers in tho past. LOCAL EGG MARKET The who]e=ale market quotations yesterday were about the same ns those of the provions week, viz. :—Fresh Is 2d to Is 3d for special brands. Preserved remain ah Is and are slow of sale. It is expected that present rates will continue for the next few weeks. When table eggs only are wanted male birds are not necessary or desirable: you will got more and better eggs without them. Then, infertile eggs will preserve bettor* i

AN IMPORTED BULLDOG. Amhuvst Baron, arrived by the Ruahin yesterday from Ixnulou tor a hurls church fancier.

SCRATCHING S Eggs for hatching should be as fresh as possible. , , , Gather your eggs daily and market them at least once a week, oftener when convenient:. Doubtful and small cg 0 . should never bo marketed. . Don’t delay purchasing trosh birds tor breeding until someone else gets? tno pick of tho stock offering. ~ Anvono's hens will lay iu the summer when eggs arc cheap. Try to be in thu minority and secure eggs in the dear ilave the coop and brooders disinfected and ready for the chicks before these arrive. , ~ , .. . „ It is commonly stated that this 3 oar tho pullets were slow* in coming on to lay. Keep up the supply at annual ioed if you want eggs. . Prevention is better than euro, and the best preventive in .a poultry-yard is cleanliness. . . . Tha farmer should keep purebred birds, all black or all white; ho will then not bo so ashamed to show them to a visitor. Don’t take advice from every theorist who comes along. Take it from a man whoso statements are based on experience, and adhere to his advice all the time. , . , , , The farmer should pen his fowls, and save tho annoyance of them scratching iu tho garden and roosting on tho back of the seat of his Sunday buggy. Don’t let lico drive the setting hen ■from her nest. Give her a good dusting with carbolic powder. Writing to a friend in Wellington Mr A. H. Padraan, of Adelaide, says;—‘‘Tho pen that put up 1584. at Subtaoo are wonders. Caine back iu the middle ot May all moulting and feathering up. Did not expect any eggs for a month. -Taoy surprised me with tho rapidity iv.th whicn they came on. They started, within a week, and for June averaged five a day. Have 53 chicks and GO more e'gs down, besides sending out several sittings. BeLeve I’ve something wonderful, and am hatching from them for all I'm worth-" ' , „ Black Orpingtons won the second Xasmanian egg-laying competition, which concluded ou May 15th. Tho pen laid 1318 eggs. White Leghorns were second with 1203 eggs to their credit. In his notes on the competition Mr R. J. Torry, Tasmanian Government Poultry Export, writes as follows; —"The winning pou of Rack Orpingtons were somewhat small if judged by exhibition requirements, but hanaie heavier than they look, being close feathered,\ and having no excess ;of finff or softness of feather. They were also fairly low and compact, with very neat, fine' heads, not the least heavy in appearance. They were, however, weak in colour. They did not get a very good start, only laying 23 eggs during the first four weeks of the competition; but after 1 that they were very consistent, and they had good health throughout. When they showed signs of broodmeqS it was very easy to break them of it; a day, or at the most two days out of tho pen being all that was required. Some ot the pu> lets would show slight signs of. broodiness, but would continue laying. It this lack of broody propensity which must have materially assisted them to attain' tho winning positionThe pen of white Leghorns which obtained tho second place were of tho same type as last year’s winners, being snfHl, c'losc-feathcred, neat, and haying a bright appearance. They won the nrst month, and went strongly for a considerable period.’ Unfortunately a death occurred, which meant -a fresh bird to repine it. Tho pen laid 50 eggs more than the number which won for the owner hast year, which seems to point to the A*ilue or lucerne, as a larger amount wafc available for the second compet:tion than tor the irst. when the lucerne was not •thoroughly established. **