POULTRY NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21688, 5 July 1932, Page 4

POULTRY NOTES

By Terkob. Fanciers and Utility Breeders of Poultry are cordially invited to contribute to this column. “ Terror ” will endeavour to make this department as interesting and informative as possible. Contributions and questions for answering should be addressed to “Terror,” Otago Daily Times, and received not later than Thursday of each week.

In introducing Poultry Notes to the readers of the Otago Daily Times “ Terror ” may be permitted to explain that he contributed Poultry Notes in the columns of the Otago Witness, now out of circulation, for over 40 years, and during that long period of time received many evidences that his contributions and his efforts to further the interests of those engaged in the poultry industry were appreciated.

On Hatching Chickens The hatching and brooding of chickens will shortly be engaging the attention of many poultry keepers. Consequently, a word on the care of the breeding stock is timely. Authorities advocate giving the birds in the breeding pen all the exercise possible, plenty of green stuff, and a thorough overhaul to see that each bird, particularly the male bird, is free from vermin. Animal food is best kept away from the breeding birds, especially the hens, which should not in any way be forced for eggs. In the care of the breeding birds it is not numbers of eggs which count but their quality. Eight to 10 hens are sufficient to one male in the heavy breeds, but 12 to 14 hens may not be too many in the light breeds. These figures are for those in limited quarters, but in free range more can be allowed. While it is wrong to-mate up too many hens with the male, it is equally wrong to have the pens too weak. Eggs usually prove fertile eight to nine days after the pen has been made up, and they remain fertile eight or nine days after the males have been withdrawn.

There is no way of telling whether the eggs are fertile except by testing them four or fire days after incubation has progressed. The size of the offspring is influenced to a greater extent by the female than by the male parent, and if the flock is getting down in size it is advisable to introduce a larger female rather than a larger male.

There is a tendency with White Leghorn breeders to get on the small side with their birds. If they breed only from the very heavy layers without regard to constitution the birds will go still further back instead of maintaining the standard of the stock.

In choosing a setting hen care should be taken that she is one of the sitting variety, as although the Mediterraneans are sometimes prone to cluck they generally turn out unsatisfactory. Use a medium-sized bird and avoid a bird with scaly legs, or a nervous bird. Scaly logs can be cured by dipping the legs in two parts raw linseed oil and one part of kerosene. Dip the shanks into this mixture, say. three times in the course of a fortnight until there is a cure. Care must be taken not to get the mixture on to the fleshy part of the leg, and it should not be applied while a hen is sitting, because it would be sure to affect the eggs. The sitting hen should be dusted with insect powder at least twice during the period of incubation in order to rid the birds of vermin. More cluckers are ruined each.year by the ravages of parasites than from almost any other cause. The sitting hen should be fed on grain rather than soft food. She should get plenty of grit and a dust bath should be available, so that she can keep herself clean.

As regards artificial incubation, it is almost impossible to give any definite instruction, because each machine has to be worked according to the locality and the conditions peculiar to the environment. For instance, one man will work a certain make of machine in a given locality and not have to use moisture from beginning to end; and he may work his ventilator in a certain way and, all told, with good results; whereas if the same methods of running the same machine were followed in a different locality the results would be failure. Consequently everyone starting a machine should follow the advice of the makers ns closely as possible, and if the results are not satisfactory go to some person in the eame district, who has worked one of the same machines, and have no fear that he will be glad to explain how he gets his good results. Whether the machine is heated by water or hot air is a matter of little importance provided an even temperature, proper ventilation, and due moisture are mantained. It is important to see that tue room where the machine is placed is properly ventilated, so that the lamp fumes can get away, especially when more than one machine is in the same room. Proper ventilation means the difference between good and bad hatches and.weak and strong chickens. Every incubator should be set as level ns possible. The thermometer should be tested every season. This is easily done by placing the bulb thermometer alongside of a clinical thermometer in a basin of hot water at about 105 deg. If the water is kept stirred, it can then be seen whether the two agree or to what extent they differ, and the bulb thermometer should be re-marked properly if found necessary, ■Time of Hatching.—lf the hatch is late in coming off and is not finished up on the twenty-first day, this generally means that the eggs have not had the required amount of heat in that time. The tbermometer may have been running low, or, it may be, has been placed too high above the eggs; or if it is a contact thermometer the bulb may. have been too loiy. The eggs may have been aired too long—chilled, in fact. If, on the other hand, the eggs hatch out too early, it is a sign that there has been too much heat. The best sign is when the eggs hatch out clear at the end of the twentyfirst day. The greatest problem in respect to artificial incubators is how to supply moisture and ventilation to the eggs. The size of the air cell is the only guide as to whether we have too much or too little moisture. In starting the machine it is a good thing to set a hen at the same time and endeavour to keep the size of the air cell in the incubator eggs the same as that of the eggs under the hen._ The idea underlying this suggestion is that we cannot teach Nature, In regulating the size of the air cells more moisture or more ventilation may be necessary from time to time. i Cooling the Eggs.—The weather conditions during the hatch should regulate the time given to cooling. For the first week the eggs do not need much cooling.

During the second and third weeks threequarters of an hour should be right in hot weather; but now, in the winter, such a long exposure would be fatal. If it takes an hour and a-half to get the incubator back to the proper temperature after cooling and turning the eggs it is advisable not to air quite so long next time.

After the first week the eggs should be turned twice a day. They should be handled gently. It is sufficient to move them slightly; a slight shuffling movement is sufficient. Rough handling means crippled chicks. Next week some notes on brooding will be given. Dead Poultry Export

It is reported that the Australian export of table poultry jumped from 47041 b in 1930 to 273,7281 bin 1931. A shilling in a pound, it is said, could be taken as an average price for poultry of this nature, this estimate being based on the figures of previous years. Some years ago there, were poultry depots, set up by the Government Agricultural Department, for the preparation and export of table fowls in all the chief centres of the Dominion. It was at a time when the poultry industry wa« in a comparatively small way, and, seemingly, the department realised tdiat its venture was not a financial success and put a stop to it. Had the business been under private instead of Government management the overhead expenses would no doubt have been smaller, and, with the assistance of a small Government subsidy for a year or two, the probabilities are that by now an important branch of the poultry industry would have been developed. Sex of Chickens

A poultry breeder in New South Wales is advertising that he will supply day-old pullets in White Leghorns, Australorps, and Rhode Island Reds, and offers to guarantee 98 per cent, of pullets. He has won several tests in New South Wales, and also won at Bendigo in 1931-32 with an Australorp which produced 335 eggs in 12 months.

If he can actually determine 98 percent. of pullets among day-old chickens be should experience a very keen demand for his stock.

Crosses for Egg Production

Although it is far better to keep our breeds of poultry pure, there is no denying the fact that a really good crossbred fowl takes some beating as tar as egg production is concerned. The fact that has to be considered, however, is that the bird is no good for breeding from when its period ot heavy laying is finished. One of the best crosses for egg production is that between the Leghorn and the Wyandotte. The offspring from this cross will lay large eggs in record numbers. Another splendid cross is the MinorcaWhite Leghorn, the Leghorn being the male used. Birds from this cross are mostly white in colour, with an occasional black feather or two or three patches of such. They lay a very large, white egg, never become broody, and are well suited to confined runs.

The cross that will produce the largest egg of all is the Andalusian-Minorca, both of which breeds are noted for size of egg. It is best to use an Andalusian male. Several colours will come from this mating, some black, some blue, and others a washy sort of a colour. Their eggs will often turn the scale at 2|oz. They do not produce them in such large numbers as the other crosses mentioned above. Another pairing up of breeds that I have had good results from is the Black Leghorn and Houdan. The egg-laying qualities of both these breeds are well known, and the introduction of Houdan blood will have the effect of calming the Leghorns’ wildness. Chicks from this cross have five toes; this is due to the Houdan being a five-toed breed. —Poultry World.

Reilly’s Report.—Some nice consignments of poultry came forward for our sale on Wednesday, and for these good prices were secured. Eggs.—These have been coming to hand in large quantities and it appears to us that something will have to be done immediately so as to stabilise the market. To-day eggs are nominally Is 4d, but we hear of sales being made at Is 3d. We sold: Hens —12 at 12s, 12 8s Bd, 10 5s Bd, 13 5s 6d, 7 ss, 15 4s Bd, 29 4s 4d, 7 3s lOd, 2 3s 4d, 7 2s; cockerels —8 12s, 12 9s 6d, 13 8s Bd, 4 7s, 14 6s 6d, 9 6s, 8 5s Bd, 2 4s 6d, 3 4s, 4 3s 8d; inferior—l2 2s 6d, 2 2s; ducks—--8 10s, 12 7s. 12 6s 2d, 6 5s Bd, 4 5s 6d, 13 6g 4d, 4 4s Bd, 4 4s 6d; pigeons—2o Is 8d; —all at per pair. Turkeys: Hens, 3 8d; gobblers—2 BJd, 2 7d; —all at per lb.