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POULTRY NOTES

By Terror. 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. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS “Poultry” writes:—“l am desirous of producing hens that will make good and early sitters. I have been rearing a crossbred Black Orpington rooster with White Leghorn hen). They do not seem to make sitters, but I find they are good layers. Would you kindly state (1) which breed of hen will make an early and good sitter even if she does not lay many eggs? (2) Is the Black Orpington-White Leghorn cross a good utility bird, and would you advise continuing with this breed? A Minorca-Rhode Island Red cross produces reliable cluckers, and so does a Minorca-Wyandotte. A Leghorn does not make a good cross because the instinct to cluck is practically bred out of it. (2) I do not consider the Black OrpingtonWhite Leghorn is likely to produce good utility birds. Such a cross simply mongrelises. because the Orpington is already a combination of Minorca, Langshan, and Black Plymouth Rock. “Puzzled” writes: —“A few weeks ago I purchased some pullets at a local auctioneer’s. One later developed a peculiar cluck in the throat. She ate very little food and. as she grew weak, I bad to destroy her. Last Sunday another bird, evidently a sister to the former, developed the same cluck and is now on the sick list. I have separated her from the rest, but am puzzled about her complaint. The fowl is a White Leghorn. Can you please tell me what is wrong with her, and whether the . complaint is contagious?”— The peculiar cluck you mention indicates a cold. The best thing you can do is to place the bird, or birds, in a separate coop, paint the nostrils and throat with glycerine and carbolic acid 1 in 6, and put a little Condy’e fluid in the water. If there is a bad smell from the afflicted birds the trouble is roup. If so, remove to warm, dry, and well-lighted quarters. Wash out mouth and nostrils with warm disinfected water. Do this twice daily. Squeeze or wash away all mucous discharge. Wipe dry, and after each operation administer to a full-grown fowl a teaspoonful of cod liver oil, to which add five or six drops of half terebene and half eucalyptus oil. Feed on light soft food with milk, chopped green stuff, and a little meat.

Brooding Last week some notes appeared relative to mating and batching, and information was promised for this week respecting the brooding of chickens. When a few chickens are to be reared by a hen there is little cause for worry on the part of the owner, for the hen knows her business, and provided she is accommodated in comfortable quarters, and her chicks cannot stray beyond her call, all the owner has to do is supply the proper kind of food regularly and in a cleanly manner. What a proper kind of food consists of is explained in the following notes concerning the artificial rearing of chickens in large numbers. There is only one way in which a person can become capable of handling a large brooder house full of chickens, and that is by practical experience, first, with smaller numbers. His eyes must be trained to see at a glance whether the chickens are doing well; his ears must be trained to distinguish the different chirp of a chicken, and to note, when he enters a brooder house, whether the chicks are comfortable, and hig nose must be trained to know whether there is any dampness, mustiness, or staleness in the brooder house. He must also be in such a position that he can tell at a glance whether the general vitality of the chickens is going backwards or whether their sprightliness is being maintained. There are practically two methods of rearing chickens artificially—viz., with either the heated or the tireless brooder. Both these systems have been tested and proved successful, and both have their defects..- One experienced breeder will use a heated brooder, and another the tireless. Mr Currens, the Government poultry instructor, in the course of a lecture, once said that per- : sonally he liked a little heat to start with, because where a person is doing all hig own hatching and rearing, time/ is a big item, and it follows that where a little heat is applied to a good brooder, the chickens do not require the same great care and attention in being handled as do those reared in a fireless brooder. The three chief points in rearing chickens are; Don’t overheat, don’t overcrowd, and don’t overfeed to start with. Other points are; Train the chickens, keep the brooder clean, and be regular at feeding times.

Temperature The heated brooders are generally heated to 75 degrees, when the chickens are first placed in them. Then the temperature in them should be gradually reduced, and it is beneficial after the chickens have settled down for the night if the lamp is slightly lowered. Many breeders prefer to do the reverse, but it is risky to do so. Of course, a great deal depends on the make of the _brooder. In some brooders the thermometer is higher over the backs of the chickens than it is in others, and sometimes it is nearer the source of heat. Thermometer or no thermometer it is always well to watch the chickens themselves and see how they act. If they crowd up it is a sure sign that more heat is required. If, on the other hand, thev stand apart with their mouths open, it is an equally sure sign of too much heat and insufficient ventilation; but, if the chickens settle down nicely around and underneath the hover, not crowded in any way. it is clear that they are comfortable and that the heat is correct. Litter The litter must be perfectly dry, for dampness underneath the hover is fatal, and this must at all costs be avoided. Again, it is a mistake to put in the brooder any class of litter that the chickens are likely to eat. In fact, it is a mistake to place anything for the first 10 days before chickens which they are not intended to eat, as they are unable to distinguish one thing from another. Feeding Chickens should not be fed for at least 48 hours, and the first feed should be a. little grit. An hour after this grit a little coarse pin-head oatmeal is as good as anything. This food will do for at least two days, when a finely-cracked grain may be given. To ensure exercise all cracked gram, or commercial l chick food, should be t fed in clean litter, the object being, as indicated, to get the chickens to learn to scratch, this being very important; as exercise to chickens is a great help, and the more they can be got to work and exercise the better.

Mash (or Chickens After about a week Rive a little soft food, say twice a day. The mash may consist of oatmeal, bran, and pollard. The mixture used for years at the Government experimental stations was: —Four parts sharps (pollard), two parts bran, one part maize meal, two parts finely cut lucerne, and about half-part of meat meal This mash, we were informed, was minced to a crumbly mass. Oatmeal was added to this mash during the first and second weeks, and then withdrawn. The foregoing mash is mentioned to indicate what is considered suitable for chickens. Every-

one cannot supply lucerne, and some do not approve of meat meal, but these two items arc not necessary if the chicks get plenty of green food finely cut up daily and a little fresh meat (very little indeed) two or three times a week. It is important to see that grit is not too hard. Too hard grit has been the cause of much mortality amongst chickens. Finely broken oyster shell in a hopper serves admirably. Charcoal is not used nearly as much as it should be. It is almost a necessity and should be supplied in the same way as is the grit. After the chickens are a week or 10 days old they can have a little meat. If skim milk is available no better animal food can be given. Of other animal food such as meat meal or fresh meat, not more than 5 per cent, should be added to the mash for chickens. Green food is absolutely necessary. The more they will eat the better, but it must be young, tender, and cut very fine for little chickens.

As regards drink, give water after the second day, and then and thereafter see that it is always fresh and in clean vessels. Arrange the drinking vessels so that the chickens cannot get into the water.

Leaving the Brooder The light breeds should be left, in the brooder house for at least seven weeks and the heavy breeds for at least nino weeks. When they are removed to larger houses, care must be taken that they do not crowd into corners. Round the corners off so that they cannot do this, otherwise the weaker ones will be suffocated by the stronger birds crowding them. A little fine-meshed netting judiciously placed doeg away with the corner trouble.

Fresh ground should, if possible, be provided every year for chicken rearing. Chickens grown on fresh ground make, it is computed, as much growth in four months as those grown on stale ground do in six months, and after all are not as profitable. A necessary remark to make is that eggs for hatching should be stored and kept in an even temperature before using. If a number of eggs bought for hatching have travelled any distance they should be rested for at least 24 hours. No abnormal eggs should be put into an incubator and they should be at least 2oz in weight, uniform, and with no rough or riddled shells.

Health of Breeding Stock To the foregoing 1 would add that, no matter the care and attention given in hatching and brooding, unless the chickens are from healthy and vigorous stock, there is bound to be disease, and disappointment. The healthy chick can only come from healthy parents; it alone comes from the egg with vigour, develops a good aP' petite, and grows rapidly from the start.

Two Eggs a Day Hens and ducks have often been known to lay two eggs in a day. Mr Goodlet’s White Leghorn pullet finished up its win during the last week of the last Papanui egg-laying competition by laying two eggs in one day, but it is only in the United States of America where hens —according to report—make it a regular custom to “ stunt ” at frequent intervals. For instance we learn that of 250 caged layers now on test at the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station there have been 79 instances between December 5 and March 17 of pullets laying two eggs a day. This' feat was performed by 42 different individuals, three of which showed a decided tendency towards “twotiming.” One White Leghorn pullet laid two eggs a day three days in succession, and 13 eggs in 11 days. Another laid two eggs a day three days in succession, and two eggs a day 10 different times. The third pullet, a Leghorn, laid two eggs a day 11 times.

Disinfecting Incubators, Etc. “As infection may survive for several months in contaminated incubators, brooders, etc., all hatching and rearing appliances should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before and after use. As an additional precaution, incubators, etc., may be fumigated with formaldehyde gas after thorough cleaning and disinfection. This is to minimise the risk of any crack or crevice being overlooked. The formaldehyde fumigation may be carried out by putting some potassium permanganate crystals in a bowl or tin and _ pouring over them a quantity of formalin. The proportions are approximately two teaspoonfuls of potassium permanganate crystals to two tablespoonfuls of formalin. This is sufficient for a 150-egg incubator or a 150 chick size brooder.

In the case of a hover the quantities will depend on the size of the house. For a house Oft by Oft four tablespoonfuls of pot. permanganate and two wineglassfuis of formalin will be necessary. The fumigation is most effective when the temperature of the incubator or brooder is ■ at least 00 degrees F., so the lamp should first be lighted for some time. The door of the incubator and all outlets should be closed immediately after the formalin is added to the potassium permanganate and left, closed for a few hours. Similarly the hover house or brooder should be closed as effectively as possible for a similar period. Fumigation should not take the_ place of the usual washing and disinfection, but should be used as an additional precaution.”—Extract from a leaflet on B.W.D. issued by the Ministry of Agriculture; N.I. With respect to the foregoing it has been suggested that chemists might make up a packet of potassium permanganate and a little bottle of formalin in quantity sufficient to disinfect, say, one 150-egg incubator so that small poultry keepers may be saved the trouble of measuring. Larger poultry keepers will be wise to keep always in stock a jar of the crystals and a bottle of formalin.

Reilly’s report:—On Wednesday some very fine consignments of poultry came forward. The supply was short of requirements, and prices all round showed a distinct advancement. Eggs: These continue to arrive in large quantities, and in the absence of export and the fact that pastrycooks have not yet commenced preserving, supplies are accumulating, and we have heard of sales being made at Is Id, though nominally prices for guaranteed are Is 4d per dozen. Hens: 18 at 7s, 12 at Os od, 12 at 5s Bd, 12 at 5s od, 10 at 5s 2d, 13 at ss, 0 at 4s Cd, 4at 4s 4d. Ducks; 12 at 6s, 12 at 5s 2d, 5 at ss, 3 at 4s lOd, 13 at 4s 6d, 13 at 4s 4d, 6at 4s 2d. Cockerels: 2at 15s, 12 at 10s, 5 at Bs, 3 at 7s 4d, 14 at 7s, 13 at 6s 6d, 13 at Bs, 2 at 5s Bd, 2 at 5s 2d, 2 at ss, 2 at 4s Bd, 3 at 4s 6d, sat 4s 4d, 7at 4s, 2at 2s. Pullets: 12 at 12s, 14 at 7s 6d, 5 at 7s, 5 at 6s, 2at 5s 6d. All at per pair. Turkeys; Hens, 4 at 8d; gobblers—2 at Hid- 3 at Bi}d, 2 at 8d (all at per lb).

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19320712.2.11

Bibliographic details

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21694, 12 July 1932, Page 3

Word Count
2,481

POULTRY NOTES Otago Daily Times, Issue 21694, 12 July 1932, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES Otago Daily Times, Issue 21694, 12 July 1932, Page 3

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