POULTRY NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21772, 11 October 1932, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES

By Terbo*

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 “ Constant Reader " writes: —“ In your notes this morning (October 4) you suggest lime for putting down eggs. How would you use the lime? "■ Water will hold only a given quantity of lime. It can carry no more; consequently, directly you see a sediment the water is fully charged. The proper thing is to boil the water before putting in the lime in order to destroy any deleterious matter it may contain. In putting in the eggs, let them be as fresh as possible and see that the eggs are always covered with lime water. Wooden or pottery jars are the best containers, but great quantities _ are put down every year in kerosene tins with good results. “ Worried." —There is no _ reason to worry about the black and white feathers in Black Orpington chickens. When they grow older you will find you have purebreds.

Introducing New Blood • It is customary to speak of new “ blood " in crossing breeds, or in importing a bird of another strain to the one already possessed, but we speak wrongly when we use the term “ blood,” for a Mondelisra shows us, that in crossing we mix “germ cells” and not “ blood.” There is no such thing as a purebred breed in the strict sense of the term, for all breeds have been tampered with or " improved ” by the introduction of foreign elements at one time Or another in their history. The result of crossing is that “ throw-backs ” are almost inevitable. When the writer got what were to all appearances black-red game chickens from a Brown LeghornSilver Wyandotte cross cockerel mated to a pure Brown Leghorn hen, it was because some fancier before him had improved his browns with game in order to get tighter and brighter plumage and perhaps better carriage; and the reason why, when I had mated smooth-legged Orpingtons with smooth-legged Minorcas. I got feathered-legs in the progeny was because the Orpington is a made-up bird, one part being the feather-legged Langshan. The germ cell and not the Blood represents the race.

When we mate up within a breed — the more so within a strain—the probabilities are that like will produce like, 1 because certain factors in the germ cells, through generations of straight breeding, have been dominant, but when we venture to breed from crossbreeds, particularly when derived from a purebred and a made-breed, there is no knowing what to expect, for the potentiality created by the previous straight breeding is lost, and the progeny may be anything between the moderfi type of fowl and the original birds of the jungles, for even the champion birds at our shows, whatever their breed, carry an inheritance from the first pair of birds that mated in the long ago. By breeding straight we can keep “ Adam ” and “ Eve ” in the background, but we cannot rub them out —they are there!—and breeders are well advised if they remember this fact.

4 Notwithstanding the foregoing, poultry scribes still speak in terms of “blood, 3 ' rather than of germ cells, as do those interested in other kinds of stock. It is so usual to do so that it would be pedantic to do otherwise.!

A Reminder There is a certain amount of relief when the chickens leave the brooder house—a sort of “Well, thank goodness, they are all right now” feeling. But take care; those birds need your careful attention still.

Any bird which shows definite signs of ill-health should be removed, as it is a potential source of trouble. , Give it the careful attention that is due to the birds which. are to form your egg-producing flock next autumn. Faulty management now will cause low egg yields next winter, 'so look after your chicks after they leav£ the brooder right through the growing stage. Fowl Paralysis

Mr D. F. Laurie, formerly poultry expert, South Australia, says: “We occasionally see. a .case of poultry paralysis among young pullets or young hens about to lay.' Nearly all such cases are due to trouble in the oviduct and yield to treatment. Thirty grains of glauber salts (sodium sulphate) dissolved in half a cup of warm water daily will generally bring relief. Pour the water slowly down the gullet, or better still, use a glass syringe and tube, and discharge the contents into the crop. A good many cases have been investigated in Holland. They are referred to as paralysis, and are stated to be the result of tapeworm infestation. There are probably many fowls in South Australia infested with tapeworm, but only slightly. It might be worth while treating any cases which resemble paralysis first for tapeworm. A few grains of powdered pomegranate root bark may be given in a bolus, or seven grains of areca nuts. This is adosage for single adult fowls.”

Weaning Chickens from the Brooder The age at which the chicks are wearied will depend on their general condition, the weather, the. breed and the time of year. If conditions are favourable and the heat has been gradually reduced each week, when the seventh or eighth week is reached heat should no longer be necessary. It is a good plan to cut out all heat for at least a week before the chicks are moved to fresh quarters. The sexes should now- be separated and the pullets allowed extensive range. Poultry Farming

Many people who have no experience in poultry keeping entertain the idea that egg farming is a business which anyone with the necessary capital can enter into with certain profit. So many fowls will mean so many eggs at so much a dozen; their food costs so much, and the difference is. profit! But is it so? Mr J. Steven Hicks, who is a, contributor to the Feathered World, summarises the essential requirements as follows: 1. A searching mental stock taking as to personal resources and suitability for the life. 2. A thorough preliminary grounding. 3. A start with sound, healthy stock and well-made appliances. 4. Very careful buying of foodstuffs in bulk.

5. Consideration of all devices that will save labour.6. Careful attention to the land comprising the poultry farm, in the way of resting, dressing, or grazing it with suitable animals, such as sheep, from time to time.

7. A general “ look-before-you-leap ” attitude at the start, especially in cases where resources and land available are scanty.

Mr Hicks stresses the point also that he has never advised anyone to go into poultry farming who has already got a coihfortahle job.

Caring for the Goslings When goslings are hatching it is not uncommon for the process to cover a. period of 24 hours. It is best to leave the eggs alone, and let the birds extricate themselves in the natural way. To interfere with them may be to cause bleeding, and if not exactly to kill the birds at least to weaken them considerably. When the first of the goslings are out the mother goose may be inclined to leave the nest with them. To avoid this it is a good plan to remove the goslings, one by one, as they hatch and are dry into a warm, flannel-lined receptacle of some kind, and to set it near the kitchen fire for warmth. This will have the

effect of keeping. the goose on the nest till the last gosling is out. When the nest is finally cleared of empty shells the flock may be restored to the mother. The gander is usually very much interested in his family, and is always at hand to protect them if necessary. As with chickens, goslings should receive no food till they are at least 24 hours old. The first food may be moistened oatmeal, to which should be added some green chopped vegetable food. The birds need this, as they are practically grazers, and depend a great deal on green vegetable matter and grass. The water supply should be given in a dish deep enough for them to clear their bills thoroughly, and in the drinking water there should be a supply of grit, and here, too, their grain ration may be fed.

When the goslings are to be moved with the mother to a coop it should be remembered that a wooden floor is dangerous for this stock, and has been known to do damage to the legs and feet by the birds slipping on the wood. For a week or more they should be kept in the coop with a small bit of run attached, and not allowed to roam in case of being caught in wet, or in case a worse trouble might befall them, viz., exposure to the fierce rays of the sun. In babyhood they are very susceptible to sunstroke, and if exposed losses among the flock need not be surprising.

Incubating Duck Eggs Hatching duck eggs in an incubator can be quite successful if suitable precautions are taken and the conditions required for this type of egg provided._ First of all, one may emphasise the importance of incubating eggs only from ducks correctly mated, vigorous and healthy, and properly housed and fed. See that the eggs are laid in clean nests, collected every day (three times daily at least in frosty weather), and stored on their sides in slightly damped peat moss or similar material. Each egg should, be first grade, well shelled, oi even shape and good texture. The fresher they are the better, but nine days should be the limit.

The usual type of incubator is-quite satisfactory if the moisture is sufficient. It helps in this respect if one tries to maintain an incubator room temperature of from 65 degrees to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. As duck eggs are larger than fowls’ eggs certain adjustments to the incubator will be necessary. The thermometer must be raised about l-3in-Jin, the bulb being Jin above the top of. the eggs. This is easily done by bending the wire supor, with the hot-water type, by lowering the egg drawer. The eggs should not be placed too tightly in the drawer, or turning will be difficult. A 30-egg drawer usually holds 20-23 duck eggs, a 50 size 39-42, and a 100 size about 85. Don’t close the incubator for two hours, so that the eggs are warmed gradually, I find the best temperature is 103 degrees Fahrenheit right through. Start turning the eggs after 48 hours, turning three times without jarring, or four times a day if one can spare the time. Do not cool them. On the twenty-fourth day turning is stopped. While duck eggs generally hatch on the twenty-eighth day, some strains laying the larger eggs (such as the Aylesbury) linger on until the twenty-ninth day. Really fresh eggs sometimes hatch a day early.

The moisture supply is important; a broody duck in natural surroundings goes on to the water and comes back quite wet to the ekks. A hydrometer (costing 3s to Ss) can be used to register the humidity inside the machine. For the first week 50 per cent, is correct, the second week 55 per cent., the third week 60 per cent., and the fourth week 65 per vent. In the absence of a hygrometer one must be guided by the air space in the egg. To increase moisture one may (1) fit long galvanised water troughs to each side of the interior of the machine just above the eggs, (2) keep a saucer containing a sponge or cotton wool and" water in the centre of the egg tray, or (3) keep a heap of wet peat moss just under the heater on the floor.

Even with such provision, however, it is advisable to sprinkle the eggs every day after the fifth. I find it easiest to use a small hand sprayer after turning, spraying with hot water (150 degrees Fahrenheit). . Sprinkling by hand, the water should be 103-110 degrees Fahrenheit. The spraying or sprinkling should be continued until the eggs chip, when the incubator should be kept shut until the best part of the eggs are hatched. It is wise to test oh the tenth, and twenty-first days, but it is important to avoid chilling the eggs. With hot-air machines one felt should be taken off on , the twentieth day, leaving the other on all the time unless it is a very thick one

Duck eggs are slow hatchers: it often takes the ducklings 24 to 36 hours to get clear of the shell from the first “pipping.” On the twenty-eighth day, when three-quarters should be hatched, clear away old shells and turn chipped, eggs so that the chip is at the top, sprinkling with hot water. Do this quickly and close up the machine again. It is good policy to cover the glass front of the machine with a piece of dark material during hatching. • Following a procedure such as has been outlined, one can reckon on average hatches of 70 to 80 per cent, right through the season. Cappnising Surplus Males

The cockerel is laid on its side on an improvised, table, euch as a barrel top, and the wings and legs are fastened by means of a string and weights or nail’s in the side of the table to which the string can be fastened. This is to prevent the bird from moving and to hold it in the prpper position. If both sex organs are to be removed from one side, the birds should be laid on its left side and the cut made in the right side; if only one organ is to he removed from a side (many do ,it this way), then it does not make any difference which side he is laid on, but he must be unfastened and turned over after the one organ is removed, in order to get the other organ. A few feathers are plucked from the bird’s side in the region of the last two ribs. A cut is then made between the last two ribs. This cut should be about an inch in length and the upper end of the cut should be about half an inch from the backbone. Avoid making a deep cut so the intestines will not be punctured. The spreaders are then inserted to hold the cut open, and the membrane inside the skin is torn with an instrument especially provided for the purpose. The testis, or male organ, is located just in front of the third rib from the rear, and can be plainly seen merely by pushing the intestines to one side with a blunt .instrument as the handle of the pick or forceps. If the bird has been properly starved, there should be no difficulty in keeping the intestines out of the way and getting at the testis; as a matter of fact, the testes on both sides may be observed and removed from the one cut. However, many prefer to turn the bird over and make another cut on the other side.

After the testis has been located it is gripped with the forceps, spoon, or other instrument provided for this purpose by your particular set of instruments, and is gently removed by a turning motion, first in one direction, then in the other; it is gently torn loose and is not cut loose. Care must be used in removing the testis not to rupture the large blood vessel that runs along the backbone. That is why it is best to tear it loose gently rather than to cut it.

This is the important point in the caponising operation, and is the cause of most of the deaths that occur. The normal mortality as a result of caponising is about 2 per cent. Birds that

die as a result of a ruptured blood vessel in this • operation r are l not a total loss, for they may be plucked and eaten. It is well to apply disinfectant to the wound to prevent infection, and_ to keep the instruments in a pah of disinfectant during the operation while each particular instrument is not in use. ■ If it is desired to remove both testes from the same side, remove the' lower one; that .is, the one on the farther side, first. If any minor blood vessel is torn in the process the upper, or,, near, testis will not be obscured from view. The object in removing the testes froni one side, instead of making two cuts, is :to save time, avoid making two cuts, and to subject the bird to as little discomfort as possible. It is well for_ the beginner to remove them from two sides until be becomes proficient, as it is easier to operate from both jsides,,■ after which he can operate from one side only, , After the operation'the bird can, be turned loose. The skin vnll slip forward to close the wound, so no dressing of any kind is needed. Shell Texture

Sir Edward Brown, the grand old man of the poultry world, writing on this question suggests that a good percentage of the losses in incubation may be due to lack of sufficient shell material —i.e., weak shells. The shell at the time of hatching is weaker than it was when hatching commenced because the embryo chick has drawn up6n it for material in its own make-up. Consequently if the shells are weak at the start the chicken has been short of building material and is not strong enough to- break through. Dr Brown says:—

It Is undeniable that during recent years there has been a great increase in the proportion of weak-shelled eggs, and If hens laying such eggs are bred from this tends to increase in their progeny. Hitherto it has been generally assumed that the cause of weak shells is due to lack of the calcium of which these are so largely formed. That this is a contributory cause is undoubtedly true. It does not cover the entire ground. Hence it is satisfactory to see in Poultry Science a report of research ■made at the Californian College of Agriculture which —a set is by no means complete,—it may be hoped will be continued. Correspondents have written calling attention to the loss arising as a result of weak shells and those with uneven porosity, in some Instances recording very heavy losses during Incubation. In fact, the opinion has been expressed that a large proportion of death In shell arises from deficiency In thh enveloping shells. Whether that Is .so or not has not yet been determined. It would be difficult to prove, yet is worth an attempt. Dr Brown continues:— . My object •in calling attention to this subject is to indicate the need for investigation. Therefore, I give a quotation from the report referred to, ana make a suggestion. The former Is:— “ in all probability the transitory nature of shell texture Is due to a difference in the relative rates at which water is supplied to the shell by the Interior of the egg and at which water evaporates from the shell to the ■ ■ atmqsphere, as affected by storage, temperature, and humidity. With . lower humidity and higher temperature it is probable that the rate of losing moisture from the shell is greater than the rate at which moisture is absorbed from the interior; this results in a drying out of the sheU and an improvement in shell texture. With high humidity and low temperature, the converse is probably true.” In so far as the shell is concerned when the egg is laid, my suggestion is that ItP r ?" bable eggs laid by, prolific hens far In excess of the normal average of the .fiocK or race are weak or otherwise incomplete in that there is a deficiency of material secreted for coating the egg proper, and that what would be sufficient for a smaller number of eggs [aid, is Inadequate for the greater output. Unless, It this suggestion la correct, the deficiency can be made good weak sheila are what might be expected. I ami only submitting a theory, not making an as sertlon.

What it Calcium? The following reply to the query: “What is calcium?" by Mr A. Kirseh, a regular contributor to the Feathered World, is interesting, particularly in view of the foregoing contribution by Sir ltdward Brown. He says “T.H. B. wants information about calcium carbonate and the part it plays in feeding the hen. Calcium carbonate (call it chalk, limestone, or marble) plays a very important part, as in the shape of limestone (in which we also find calcium phosphates) it is essential to plant growth, anfi without plants there can be no animal life. In the body, whether human or hen, the calcium salts are, except for water, the most widely represented mineral; Water, of course, Is a mineral, and its average proportion In animal bodies is about 70 per cent, of the total weight. The bones are largely composed of calcium phosphates or lime phosphates. (When we talk about lime by Itself w« mean calcium oxide.) Calcium carbonate. or phosphate, Is a combination of calcium and of an acid, and when we feed calcium we should be careful to choose a form which Is easily soluble, such as limestone, oyster shell, etc. Marble, for Instance, would not make a gobd " food.” The body Is made up from millions of little cells, which are constantly break-

Ing down and are excreted througU the vent, with the food that la not digested, and have to be replaced by other cells, containing minerals. We must, therefore, Include such minerals as calcium in the ration. As these cells; can only live Under ' water, that-is. why the body Is iso largely.; composed of water, and that Is why death from thirst takes place much more quickly than death from starvation. If, and "T. H. B." will now see what an cell looks like he has only to look at the' outer skin Of his hands. This Is formed from dead cells. The dermis, or Inner skin, Is made up of live cells, and If water was withdrawn from the body these cells would become something similar to the cells* of the outer skin. v Hens require much calcium for their egg shells, which are .a very pure form, of calcium carbonate. The amount is almost a question of simple arithmetic, and “T. H. B.” will now see, whsit an Important part calcium plays in feeding. The :prinolpal sources" of calcium'; are limestone, oyster shell, meat and bone meal, or fish meal. Nearly every food contains i a certain amount of calcium, and such plants as alfalfa are particularly: rich In that element. That Is the main reason why they are included. There Is a limit to the amount of calcium that should be fed, and I certainly do not think that it Is wise to feed only a soluble lime grit, like limestone or ‘ oyster shell. Leaving out the fact that these hardly help to grind the food, such a quantity of an alkaline food may disturb ,the natural equilibrium of the digestive tract by neutralising the acid juices In the stomach. If this occurs, the enzymes In it may stop work, and digestion 'bo affected. It will not be so bad as. this really, as these will only be partly affected, as there Is constant formation of fresh Juices. There can be very little doubt, however, that excess of soluble calcium carbonate Will to. no small extent affect digestion, It will be remembered that I often suggest that the grit given to fowls should be half flint or half . limestone, or sometimes all limestone,.and. at other times all 'flint, I base my advice on the amount of salts (calcium salts) contained In the ration. Lastly, we must also remember that , without mineral salts assimilation of other foods Is bad. Soya bean Is a good concentrate, but only when minerals have been added, and. so on, with many other foods. Bran Is a valuable source of minerals, and so is alfalfa. Leg Weakness Out-of-door, sunshine helps ; tp maintain the proper proportion of calcium to phosphorous in the blood, and, as a result, there is no leg weakness in the_ chickens. When chickens are hatched out in normal periods there is plenty of opportunity to let them out in the sunshine, but when weather conditions prevent this, then the food should contain elements which help to supply the energy of the sun. Bone meal or cod liver oil fed in the mash ate claimed to be alternatives for the direct rays of the sun. One half pint of cod liver oil daily to 500 chicks will meet their requirements, or 6 per cent.’; bone meal may be added to the mflsh when cod liver oil is not Riven. The dried milk powder now on the market ;is also* a fine bone producing food, and is highly recommended as a rapid growth producer, . \ Eggs, owing to fair quantities being packed for export, are ■ rathetr short of : requirements. Guaranteed fresh are real*. ■ ising lid to Is; storekeepers, 10d. A good varding of poultry at our last week’s sale, hens realising 3s to Bs, pullets 8s to 10s, ducks 5s to Bs, all at per pair.— Reilly’s Central Produce Mart, Ltd.,- ’ Moray place. ■