POULTRY NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21920, 4 April 1933, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES

By Tebbob. Fanciers and Utility Breeder* 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 “ Sandy ”, writes:—Would you kindly let me know the quickest and best method to get rid of lice on fowls? What about the pinch method—do you advise it? Do hen lice keep the fowls from laying? How many feeds should poultry have? Mine have a small feed of wheat until mash , arrives at 9 or 10 —hot mash of bran and pollard and a handful of salt, one tablespoon of meatmeal every second day, which is half a bucket for 58 fowls (a few small roosters included), wheat at night, let out 4 p.tn. into cabbages and lupins. They have a large run. ——“Sandy'" cannot do better than treat thoroughly each fowl with insect powder. As to the so-called “ pinch ” method, which means applying godium floride, it is claimed to be effective, but I have never tried it. Mr Brown, the chief Government poultry instructor, says that nicotine sulphate spread lightly over the perches just before the fowls go to roost will kill lice as well as red mites. A good dust bath containing sulphur, is necessary in every Jjoultryhouse, and it is well to note that if it is slightly moist the fowls use it more frequently. As to feeding: A feed of mash —2or to 3oz for each bird in the morning and one of grain at night, as much as they will oat (about 2oz), and a little grain in the litter at mid-day to keep them busy, is all that is required, seeing that they have 1 access to green feed. See that grit, and I oyster shell is available, also plenty of ; clean, fresh water.

“P. C.” writes;—l would be much obliged if you could tell me what js the matter with one of my fowls. Makes a noise like a cough quite frequently. Has not gone off her food, but stopped laying as soon as this noise commenced. The bird has evidently got a cold which has blocked the nose. Clear with a feather which has been dipped in Gamfosa, and then put a little glycerine on the tip of the tongue.

Choosing the Layers .When moving the pullets into the laying house for the winter, handle and examine each one thoroughly. The bird should have a prominent eye, length and width of back, short breastbone, the more space the .better between the breastbone and the pelvis bones, and the legs must be wide apart. No bird ever made a good layer that walks with its legs rubbing together. Then, in every lot of pullets there are sure to be some backward ones —birds that look as if they hkd been hatched weeks later than their sisters. Such birds as these very rarely pay their way. ‘ The objects of the culling is to improve the egg production (egg average) of your flock. For example, if you can, by drastic culling, improve your flock average the first year from 135 eggs to 140 eggs per bird, you have made a very big advance, and if you can stick to it you will find in a few years that the average yield is gradually creeping up.

Eggs to Hatch Be most particular about the size of eggs your hens lay, otherwise you will have to set purchased eggs, for only 2oz or over eggs are suitable for hatching purposes. Hew to Improve One’s Layers A glance at the particulars of egglaying at the Papanui egg-laying competition which are published weekly in the Otago Daily Times will show poultrykeepers who have strains of no particular merit what has been done by breeders who have by careful selection over a number of years endeavoured to improve, the laying capacity of their birds. Those competitors who have birds laying in the neighbourhood of 280 to 300 eggs a year have succeeded in producing them from flocks which not bo long ago laid no more than, say, 144 eggs a year, and what they have done others can do. One slight mprovement each year is all that is necessary. All one has to do is, each succeeding year, mate up his best hens with a cockerel of better strain than his own. Or by purchasing a sitting of eggs, a few day-old chicks, or a trio mated up from one of the flocks of the owners of the leading birds at the competition a giant stride in improved production may be made in a single season. Considering the high cost of poultry feed at the present time, it is unprofitable to feed birds of poor-laying strain. One hundred and twenty eggs per annum per bird may pay expenses, but it is poor economy to be satisfied until, at no more expense, the egg production is increased to the point of showing profit.

Watery Whites in Eggs There has been a good deal of talk in the Old Country about the prevalence of watery whites in eggs. Some critics seem to think that wrong packing of eggs when being sent to market is responsible for the production of watery whites. Others think it is due to vibration when travelling by car or train for long distances, whilst others attribute the condition to the forcing methods now so general in feeding the layers. There are many eggs rejected by the examiners whilst grading eggs in this country ' for export—'at least so I have been given to understand—consequently the cause for watery whites deserved investigation. A suggestion is that one investigation should proceed as follows: —Take a box of eggs from fowls kept on free range on a general farm and fed normally, ana compare their travelling capabilities with eggs from hens fed for egg production on a commercial or intensive farm. Another Suggestion is:—Compare the travelling possibilities of a box of eggs from normal 150 to 160-egg layers with a container of. those laid by 220 and over egg layers. It is suggested that by such investigations interesting data would be provided on the importance to attach to feeding and fecundity as responsible for “watery whites” in eggs. Cleans * Brooders and Brooder-house . Floors Professor William Monahan, of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, says that by scrubbing with scalding hot water and lye disinfection is best accomplished. Use one heaped tablespoonful of lye to each gallon of water. A Winter Precaution Wintry conditions will soon be upon us, and it is timely to note that damp litter—indeed, damp anything—makes for coldness and that damp conditions are dangerous in a fowlhouse. If there are any hollow places—depressions—in the poultry run see that they are filled in so that in wet weather there will be no puddles. Puddles in the poultry run not only mean damp feet for the fowls, but polluted drinking water, which the fowls will not fail to drink! Drinking from puddle water must account for much sickness amongst fowls. lodine Increases Egg Production lodine causes, it is claimed, increased egg production when administered to hens in small quantities. In an experiment in Germany an increase of 4 per cent, in yield resulted from feeding hens a daily

ration of two milligrams of potassium iodine. Instead of the usual amount of iodine found in the eggs, from four to seven milligrams, the eggs obtained in the experiment contained from 300 to 400 milligrams. In addition, the percentage of hatched eggs increased to 88 and 02 per cent., as compared with 76 to 84 per cent, for hens giving no iodine. Most of the iodine in the eggs was concentrated in the yolk. That iodated eggs may figure in the new therapeutics in Germany is indicated by experiments.

The Invariable Law An Australian poultry scribe, Mr D. F. Laurie, puts it well when he says: "Efficiency and effectiveness mark one man’s progress; waste of time, lack of energy, and common sense mark another’s indelibly. The two opposites are both poultrymen—the one succeeds, the other blames fortune, or the “ jolly old fowls, or what not.” “ Terror ” does not think it necessary to comment on the foregoing except to repeat, “It is well put.”

The Balanced Ration Thirty years ago an American poultry specialist produced in the American Poultry Journal in the course of a series of articles entitled “ Science in Practice ” the following table and remarks, which readers of these notes will, I think, find interesting:— Table of total protein, albuminoid protein, non-albuminoid protein for several foods from special analyses (not averages) for one pound of each food: —

i • Another temple. The proteids of grains, whether ali huminoids or non-albuminoids, are not I similar compounds to the proteids of I animal foods. The actual forma of proI teids in vegetables (garden truck) are i still generally obscure, but every tendency j is to diminish the real nutrient value of vegetables, though not their real value as rations, which rests mainly on succulence and bulkiness. On the other hand, blood albumen and egg albumen are so similar that one can and does replace the other in many industrial arts, notably in photography. THE IMPERATIVE NECESSITY OF BALANCED RATIONS FOR BEST RESULTS. I .find that many readers regard balanced rations as merely one of several good methods of feeding fowls. If my writings finally leave only that impres; sion they will fail in purpose and value. It is my determination that it shall not be from any fault of mine if such an impression ultimately prevails. In trying to amend matters it will be necessary to repeat many statements made herein before.

Any fowl, in the best possible condition for any purpose whatever is almost identical with any other similar fowl. That is, each in body, bone, blood and feather has the same constituents in closely similar proportions per pound weight. These constituents of body, blood, and feathers are all obtained from the food eaten by the fowl. That the various nutrients fulfil the offices assigned to them herein is certainlv as true as the multiplication table. A fowl can only profitably use a definite amount of protein, carbohydrates, fats, and minerals. All of the nutrients contained in the food eaten go to body maintenance, deposits of fate, product and excrement. If the fowl receives too much protein the excess is waste or worse. With great excess of protein the liver becomes deranged and liver diseases follow. If the fowl receives too much of carbohydrates and fats the excess is waste or worse. Product is lessened because of insufficient protein, the bird becomes excessively fat from deposit of excess fats on heart, lungs, intestines and abdominal surfaces; diseases of gall bladder and heart commonly result. Is it not plain, then, that if the constituents of body are known, the constituents of eggs, the constituents,©! esecrement, there must be one absolute requirement of. certain amounts and proportions of nutrients to maintain the body, repair waste, keep body temperature correct and provide maximum product? That the amounts cannot accurately be prescribed is no detriment to ,the truth of the proposi-

tion. Feeding is not everything in poultry keeping, but it is the one direct agent to any result. All other details of maintenance simply help to maintain health, energy, digestive capacity and insure that food shall not be too greatly 'devoted to keeping the bird ward enough. Proper feeding is even the main agent in this latter, for it produces plumage that will make the fowl indifferent to cold and rain. , . . I seek to be understood as claiming that balanced rations are designed to give the fowls just what they need for, the purposes they are kept for. Not too much of one thing nor too little of another. Verily, to give them what they need and I no more is the only way to feed economically,' to have maximum health, maximum product, maximum fertility, everything we desire. Rations need to be balanced for chicks, broilers, maturing youngsters, roasters, layers, ducks, geese, turkeys, anything for anything. It is only the balancing that is to be different for each. SPECIFIC FOODS OR NOSTRUMS IN EGG PRODUCTION. Without seeking to pose as a rara avis in poultry advice, it seems fair to say that every. reader has frequently read that one food or ; another or some particular nostrum has been found to be the true source of heavy egg production. At one time it is fresh cut bone, then clover, then animal meal or Fee-fo-furn’s condition powder, red albumen, Venetian red and what not. A poultryman obtains increased numbers of eggs for a week or a month after beginning to serve some special food or nostrum. He forthwith rushes into print with his panacea for all defects, or he whites a testimonial. If asked six months after what he still thinks of his pet food the question is likely to make him very tired. His hens are all broody when he does not want sitters, or else sick, dying or dead. Stimulation is worse than useless. A highly nitrogenous food served after great deficiency of protein is bound to force laying for a time; the excess of carbohydrates and fats deposited in the body as layers of fat are drawn upon for the other eleements of make eggs. The fowl is doing double or treble digestive work for some digestive appurtenances and little or none for others. Derangement or disease may follow; anyhow, every egg adds to the exhaustive effort on the fowl. | It is not advisable to expect to get proper results by overdoing at one time and underdoing at another. We must give every day the food proper for that day, counting season, weather, temperature, and purpose.

Number of Total ArticleAnalyses. Protein. Alb’olds. alb’oids. Ounces. Ounces. Ounces. Animal meal .. 1 5.7200 ' 4.1920 1.5280 Potatoes .. 1 0.0852 0.0151 0.0201 Potatoes* .. .. I 0.0400 0.0160 0.0250 Carrots .. 1 0.0170 0.0078 0.0008 Cabbages .. .. 1 0.0170 0.0107 0.00G9 Whole milk .. 1 f 0.0560 0,0500 — Wheat bran .. 1 ? 1.6900 1.5520 0.1440 Ground oats .. If 2,0100 1.0840 0.0320 Cracked com .. 1 ? 1.4880 1.4080 0.0800 Whole corn .. 1 f 1.5200 1.5040 0.01G0 ■Whole wheat .. 1 f 1.G960 1.5520 0.1440 Whole oats .. 1 7 1.9520 1.0300 0.0160 Whole barley .. If 1.7280 1.GGJ0 0.0040