POULTRY NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22068, 26 September 1933, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES

By Tebboe.

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 " Country" writes asking how he can prevent feather eating? Oue way of doing this is to apply vaseline or lard with powdered aloes to the parts near where the feathers have been plucked, rubbing it into the quills, =uid also on the new feathers as they appear. The birds do not like the taste of the aloes, and consequently drop the habit. Washing the roots of the feathers in quissia water has the same result. Often a bird will pick its own feathers, but she may bo assisted by others. Sometimes irritation caused by vermin starts the trouble, .but more often it is a question of improper feeding, too close confinement, and a bad condition of the blood. A little sulphur in the mash is beneficial.

"'Tatty Bogle" writes:—l set a hen on eggs about 29 days old. Four were infertile and the rest had chicks in them. When the three weeks were up the hen only had one egg chipped and it hatched at the right time, but there was no sign in the others for three days after. Then four more hatched, but there was no sign from the other eggs. I then broke the remainder and found the chicks dead in the eggs. They seemed quite ready to hatch, but were dead in the egg. The hen was taken off every day for a feed, and was off no longer than a-quarter of an hour each day, and the ground where the nest was seemed fairly damp, but not wet. What do you think was the matter. Were the eggs too old? What age can the eggs be and still be good for sitting. Should the nest be very moist? It is hot safe to set eggs—even under, a hen — when they are 29 days old. Put into an incubator they would probably not have advanced to hatching Btage as yours did. Older eggs have been successfully hatched by hens before now, but they were eggs kept under special conditions with a view to incubation. Strongly fertilised eggs—eggs from birds of vigorous constitution that have not been forced for eggs and that were suitably mated—can be kept a considerable time for incubation. • "Irrigator" Writes:—l have 48 hens which I feed twice a day. The morning feed is lsoz (dry measure) barley seconds boiled with one large rabbit (weight 2Jlb to 3lb); evening feed, and before dark, 2oz wheat firsts. The, hens are on free range when the weather is suitable; if not they are kept inside in a house open two sides, no draughts, and the house is open to the sun. I had hardly any eggs in May and June—May 60 eggs, Jijne 174 eggs, July 561 eggs, August 645 eggs; now averaging 33 eggs a day. Thirty-four are White Leghorn pullets and 14 one-year-old hens. There is plenty of grit and fresh water, the hens looking very healthy. Should not the pullets' have laid in April, May and June on that feeding? According to your notes of last week I must be feeding too much meat. I get very few double-yoked eggs. Would that ration be enough for dueks? Your fowls are not doing at all badly. Whether they should have laid better in April, May, and June depends to some extent upon when they were hatched, weather conditions during the rearing, and what sort of producers their parents were. I consider that one large rabbit should be sufficient to serve 48 birds two days, considering what they can get on range. With less meat, they would be less trouble with double-yoked eggs. As regards the feed for. ducks, they are gross eaters and should, get all they will eat up. The weights' given in these columns were only approximate—different samples have different weights. "G. E. B.' asks for a few instructions on the hatching, rearing, and feeding of pheasants. Pheasants eat enormous quantities of small seeds (any cereal, grain), fruits, and insects, arid when reared for shooting parties they have to be kept confined because of the'damage they do to neighbouring crops, t, It; is said that barley, oats, and potatoes'which are too small for market make aJdesirable variety in the bill of fare. The male pbesa-it is polygamous, having, from six to nine mates. Its natural habite confine it to the ground, and there it roosts in the summer and autumn among long grass or bushes, but in the winter commonly in trees at a height of 10 to 20 feet from the ground. The eggs would.be laid in New Zealand in October and November for four, five, or six weeks, and incubation lasts from 24 to 26 days, , ' The foregoing facts relative to the habite of pheasants and the kindObf food they consume in a' natural-state should suggest to my correspondent that he must imitate Nature as nearly as he can when keeping these ■ game birds. A rearer of pheasants points out that hand-rearing is a comparatively modern undertaking, and we have yet to discover a complete feed that will equal the natural nourishment Of the wild.bird. The intestines of the chick, or poult, are easily irritated, and cannot contend with the concoctions which unthinking rearers give them. Even the young of domesticated hens do not, as yet, take kindly to many of man's offerings, and we cannot expect, in reason," that game chicks will live and thrive on a dietary to which they have never been accustomed. The, experienced "rearer is aware of all these facts, and he is sure to have his own methods, and ideas' of feeding young stock. Food, the writer under notice points out, should be given sparingly and fresh, and this statement does not apply to food alone, but also to water. All feeding dishes and all drinking troughs should be scrupulously clean. Young game should be fed four times a day. A dietary entirely of dry food is wrong. A wet mash of middlings arid biscuit meal should form the staple food of the day. Care, must be taken not to give more food birds can- clear up at a meal, and this applies to the handful of dry feed used. sparingly, in addition to the mash!

To make up for the insects .the birds obtain when running wild some rearers 4iang a liver from the roof of their shed and allow'the birds to gather the maggots that fall, in due.course, therefrom. Also, some rough butcher's meat is put through a mincer, afterwards rubbed • through a seive. and then mixed with their mash. Finally, never give pheasants 'pepper, mustard, fenngreak, or food which contains similar spices, as these cause great irritation to the intestines of the young birds, followed frequently by death. Sometimes chickens and poults suffer from diarrhosa from no apparent cause, but if they are fed as suggested this complaint cannot be traced to the food. The cause in 99 times out of 100, the eating of grass seeds, young clover, or other harmful plants growing on the rearing field. If this is not checked at once great losses will ensue. > Ae regards the hatching of the eggs, the usual practice is to leave that to the hen, and she sits best where she lays the eggs. '

Which Breed to Favour? Beginners in talcing up poultry are sometimes curious to know which breed to start with. The following table may help them in making their choice. Jt covers the first 10 and last 10 years during which the Hawkesbury Colleße contest has been run, and indicates at, a glance the changing estimation in which the various commercial breeds are held:—

In addition to the 15 breeds and varieties enumerated, 16 others, according to Mr Hadlington, competed in the first period, but in small numbers. Of the,3l breeds and varieties competing during the first period 20. have entirely disappeared in the last 10 years.

"Fertile" '■'. This word is' sometimes ■ confused with "fecund." Some breeders seem to think the two words mean one and the same thing, ■ and; the • dictionary does not help them much! A hen may have the power of, producing eggs in great quantity ,_ and consequently be described' as highly "fecund," but her .eggs may not*be fertile.. The hens laying at competitions may be described as highly fecund when they put up good records, but as there are no male birds with them the eggs produced are not fertile. /Which' is the more important? Are hatchability, fertility, vigour, and stamina as hereditary as' is fedundity? They "most certainly are, and it will pay, if within reasonable limits we breed Erst for Stamina, vigour, hatchability, and fertility before we consider the fecundity of the fowl. . ' .: •' -' .. j

Green Feed i v. p'J-■:';'" It has been claimed that fpwls do jnot need green food. Experience has shown some poultrymen that good returns in eggs can be got from fowls which have never had green food supplied to them, but tnis does not satisfy" the rest of the poultry world that green food is not. good for their birds and that better results are obtained by serving it-than can be got by withholding it. Green food aids digestion, the fowls eat it greedily, and it'adds variety.to the. menu.: > ■

Potato Water Water in which potatoes have been boiled' should never be used for mixing the mash, as this water has an injurious effect.on,birds, of all ages. Ventilation Necessary

Many of the, so-called epidemics among chicks when about four days, and onward, old are traceable to ■ insufficient ventilation in. the incubator, room, or to defective ventilation'in the" brooder. Watch the chick's if they are panting, with mouths open, or their fluff or feathers.are damp. If so increase the ventilation. The important point is to maintain heat to prevent overcrowding,' and at the same time allow ,for ample ventilation. The brooder should maintain a temperature of 90deg Fahr for the young chickens, in the coldest weather,. and ■ yet not be . smothered, for want of am . '-'.;:

Overcrowding Overcrowding is responsible . for much mortality amongst 'As the chickens grow the accommodation of the brooder, which was' large enough at the start, ; soon- becomes insufficient. Culling out weakly ones improves matters for a time, and should be rigorously carried out, as they are a menace to the rest. See that the chicks retained have additional accommodation, as they require.it. Cleanliness is at all times necessary lij brooding chickens, but when a brooder is overcrowded neglect in this rspect is deadly. '

The Water Vessel Raise the water vessel in the brooder in order to prevent the water becoming fouled by litter and dung being scratched into -it by, the chicks. Neglect in this respect ia a cause of heavy losses. Slatted Floors . .V. . ■

In writing up the report of the 'Middle-, sex Slatted, Floor, Housing Demonstration. Mr Walter Heale introduces-his remarks with: "Absurd Crazes for. Untried Housing Systems," and in the course of his remarks, conveys the idea' that those who manufacture the "ready to. wear " houses are their chief admirers. He explains, it will be noticed, that he himself does not sell any type of house, eggs, chicks, or breeding stock, consequently is unbiased. " ■ He says:— "It has been generally accepted that birds kept in slatted-floored houses ;are extremely healthy, and not liable to disease' to the same extent as birds in solid-floor houses. To those poultrykeepers who have installed slatted-floored houses on this assumption, the Middlesex report' will come as. a-' rude shock. In this test, which has been carried out over a period of two years, we find that over 49 per cent, of the birds were culled before the end of two years, and even with this intensely heavy culling no fewer than 25 per cent, died or were killed as useless. These figures drive us to one of two conclusions—either the stock used in this experiment. was. not of. a. very of their farms? Is the highest state of houses do not keep birds housed in them in such a high state of health as we have been led to believe. "It was for the purpose of deciding this point that I gave my own figures for the last two years most careful consideration, and in this article I am "proposing to ■ give my comparative results from birds kept in the two types of houses "All my birds are bred at home from two and three-year breeding stock;, each heavy-breed hen must attain a weight of over sJlb before she is fit for the breeding *pen. Most iof the stock has free range in both types of houses, but some in.each case are kept in runs well covered with grass. The bneeds are pure-bred Bhode Island Reds and Light Sussex, with a number of first and second crosses.Birds are kept'- at the rate of approximately 100 birds to each house and, acre, and. stock of• the same age and breeding is put into each type of house. Details as to feeding and management are not pertinent to this article, and sufficient is it to say that,'in all essentials, all the birds I keep are eiven the same feeding and management.

" Mortality.—ln ■ 'slatted-floored ■■ houses the mortality over the last two years'has been 12 per cent. ! In solid-floored" houses it has.been a trifle.over. 5" per cent, During the two years 8 per-cent.of the stock has been culled, and the number of culls appears to have no relation to the_" type of houses in which they.are^kept.- . • "Egg Production."—ln this case we ixm dealing with approximately equal numbers of, first; and '. second-season birds,'i and the average for each 12 months is as follows:—In ."slatted floors, ;lo&. eggs■' per bird; in solid floors, 167 eggs per bird. Regarding the quality'of! eggs I have no accurate,data; but it appears that I obtain a very much greater number of thin and rough-shelled eggs ■. from the birds kept in the slatted-floored houses. . v Broodiness.—Keeping * nothing but heavy-breeds, and taking no especial efforts -to breed broodines* out of my birds, I usually have quite -i- number of broodies,.andfit is my opinion that it is almost impossible to .eliminate : broodiriess from naturally broody breeds without a loss of .constitutional vigour. In respect to this factor, -so far this year, the' percentage of broody-birds from :the slattedfloor houses? has been approximately 50 fi^L C f n v more; from the solidfloored The-number of-birds from which ;I ami taking these results' is WOO, they- may; therefore be considered to have i 1110l 110 " 1 !. to- ma Ke it p er f ect iy ciear that this is in no way intended as air attack'upon- the: slatted-floored house, out ie, rather an effort'to -arrive at some definite comparison between these two systems of housing. Figures on such important points as these are always "rather difficult to-obtain, and-it is only because I do not sell any'type of poultry house, or, for .that matter; setting eggs, chicks, or breeding stock, that I am able to: give unbiased figures. •-' ■.- ■■-.-?■%. ■ '.-,. ,'--' -. : -

.The slatted-floored house is one which has a very great: value; for growing" stock it has no; rival, but as a laying house Mt appears to have very, serious limitations. Being a relatively cheap method of housing, it-must always receive; much attention, but ■in .-nijr considered view a wellconstructed, well-kept, semi-intensive house will give better results >with laying stock. . ■■■-; :-.'' - ■•■;-. : ■;. ; :.«»■ > • ~*. ■■/■/:

.'At thepresent time is it not correct to say that, only the- most efficient-poultry keepers areable to make a real success of thetir farms? ■ Is-the highest state .of efficiency obtained by housing laying .birds in other than solid-floored houses?' In the comparative results which I'have been able to give it will be noted that 1 the birds receive the best "conditions' which can be given to birds in l slatted-fldor.ed houses. What can be the production and mortality figures from birds kept in thig type of housing on small, thud ; covered runs it is difficult to' imagine. I have recently been oh to poultry plants where the birds, are kept in such, conditions, and in ; such, cases -disease'.is.present, to a serious extent, while' egg production ie naturally very poor, '•

Reilly's Report.—A fair". >. yarding of poultry came forward for'bur sale on Wednesday, arid prices for, good 'birds were quite satisfactory. Eggs: The**egg \, market, owing to the export 'shipments, continues firm. Cockerels—*l2 at 17s, 6d, 12 'at lis, 12 at 8s 2d„ 22 at Bs, 2 at 6s, 6 at ss, 12 at 3s 6d,.16at 3s 2d,-15 at 3s, 6 at 2s Bd, 10 at 2s 6d; hens—l2 at 8s lOd, 6 at Bs, 2 at 7s 6d; 7 at 7s l&, 2 at 7s 2d, 2 at 69 10d,5;at «s 3d,' 40 ,&t 6s 6d, 38.at,65.4d, 76. at 6s 2d, 9,at 5s Bd, 2 at 3s 6d; bantams, 2 at'ss, 2 at 2s 6d; pullets-r-9 at 95,. 2 at" 6s 6d, 3 at 6s; chickens, 31: at Bd, 18 at. 6M; pigeons, 2 at 2s 2d; all at "per pair."

First Last lOYears 10 Years (1902-13). (1923-33). 4022 birds. 5366 birds Tested. Tested. White Leghorns (single comb) .. 1912 3436 Black Orpingtons .. 786 1328 Silver Wyandottes .. 648 12 . Buff Orpingtons .. 204 Nil Langahuns .. 150 444 Brown Leghorns (single comb) .. 132 24 Minorcas .. 126 18 White Wyandottes .. 120 Nil Grold Wyandottes 90 Nil Buff Leghorns ... .. 84 6 Andalusians 60 Nil Buff Wyandottes .. 54 Nil White Leghorns (rose comb) .. 48 Nil Brown Leghorns (rose comb) 42 Nil Plymouth Rocks (barred) .. 30 30