POULTRY NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22268, 22 May 1934, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES

By Teebob.

ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT " North End " asks if I can recommend a reliable breeder from whom he could with safety order day-old chickens?—l cannot undertake to recommend a breeder in these notes. There are quite a number of good strains of different breeds, but it is not my policy to favour any particular breeder. North End" should advertise his requirements without delay, and when he has decided where to place his order get it in at once, remembering that tin? demand on plants of good repute are very keen at this time of the year. No one should expect to have an order completed at a day's notice. It is always a good plan send in an order for day-old chicks or eggs for setting two or three weeks before the chicks are required, but to be first to order and first to get supplied two or three months is not too early. The breeder can then make his plans for hatching, having 6ome idea of the quantity of chicks he may have to supply.

Buying Many persons will be buying stock for breeding, and pullets ready to start laying, and later on the requirements will be settings of eggs and aa3 r -old chicks; and it is well that these should understand the meaning of economy, or, getting good value for money. There are bargains to be picked up, but it docs not follow that the cheapest things, offered are the most" desirable. The real test of economy is value, and the great thing in buying is to get something that sis really good—in fact the very best for your particular purpose. If you get good appliances that will last, and, in the care of homes and runs, provide favourable conditions for your birds, and if you obtain stock that are well bred, constitutionally strong enough to lay well and certain to do .t>o, and capable of transmitting this trait to theh» progeny, you may be said to have made an economical start, because it will undoubtedly lead to profit; whereas, if you commenced with anything you can £ct at a low price, the chances are that you will not make the venture pay, and the transaction will not be economical. Invercargill Show

Dunedin fanciers were well to the front at the Invercargill Poultry Show, and it is very pleasing to learn that all were successful cither at winning first prize or gaining a place. The following is a list of those who competed:—Messrs A. C. Ooodlet, E. Anderson, A.' Gillam, W. Wilson, J. Campbell, and P. Hitchcox. The canary section was represented by Messrs J. Morris and H. R. Lambeth, both these fanciers capturing several first prizes. Congratulations to these fanciers on the success of these birds.

Kaitangata Show Mr F. G. Hanson has again been elected as judge to the Kaitangata poultry show, which is to be held next month. In addition to a large number of special prizes the club has offered five gold medals to be competed for in the following classes:—Best Utility Male, Best Utility Female, Best Open Class Male, Best Open Class Female, also one for the exhibitor with most rioints in poultry. Mr W. Jarvie has offered 10 blue ribbons, to be allotted as follows; —four on utility poultry, four on open class poultry, and two on bantams; with fine specials. Prizes like these should attract exhibitors and help to make the show a success. Head Points

Mr D. F. Laurie (Adelaide Chronicle) says:—"Observant breeders have always condemned the coarse treaded type. Such birds are sluggish and the hens poor layers. However, there are occasionally to be seen birds with very small round head9—fine, not in any way coarse—but they are not good layers. In good layers of any breed you will find the head longer at the back (the occiput extends), and the face almond shaped rather than round, and a good strong beak—eye full and bright. These heads are always fine, clean cut, and free from wrinkle. These points are important, because they are characters. . The myths of the public (miscalled pelvic bones) are exploded—even its great advocate Walter Hogan discarded measurements of capacity for head points." What Mr Laurie says about the good layers of any breed ateo applies to the good breeding hens of any breed and those who are not making up their breeding pens will do well to note the fact and not allow any coarse headed hen in the breeding pen. A Pedigree Breeder A pedigree breeder is one who " breeds " pure bred poultry having a known ancestry, and this is the ease whether he breeds utility or fancy stock. The mere buying of pedigree stock does not constitute one a pedigree " breeder." Externa! Parasites Winter is on us and it is well to note that the fowls may have little if any chance to dust themselves, and thus get free of vermin. Birds eo infected become very weak, and though they may not die, they become incapable of egg production. They cannot produce eggs ana feed vermin at the same time. Further, vermin prevent the fowls from being effective at stud. Lack of fertility in cold weather is no doubt often due to weakness resulting from heavy infection. See that the fowls have a good dust bath in h dry place, and take note whether they use it. Birds showing weakness should be examined and treated with insect powder if found infected. All perches should be painted with kerosene, also the slots which hold them, and if vermin are known to be present these precautions 'to destroy them should be repeated till the last one is detsroyed. Vermin multiply into millions in a very short space of time, so do not leave even two or three to propagate the species. Stoppage from Matted Grass

The Feathered' World's Disease Research Committee, in reply to a correspondent, deals with a trouble often met with a poultry plant as follows: "The dead fowl sent was found to be suffering from acute bowel stoppage, induced by a matted mass of fermenting and partially putrefied fibrous grass which completely filled the gizzard. This condition was relatively common/last summer, since, ae the result of the warm, dry weather, the grass had become hard and fibrous. The symptoms you describe — drooping, listless, roaming, food refusal, weakness—all agree with what can be observed in such instances of bowel stoppage. For the prevention of further cases, we would advise giving each fowl a. teaspoohful of olive oil and providing the birds with hard flint grit. If any appear ailing, either repeat the dose of olive oil and wait and see if any improvement results, or kill the bird and examine the gizzard for matted grass. Advanced cases are practically incurable, except thiough a skilled surgical operation." Avoid Floor Draughts There is no need whatever to go to the expense (for very costly it is) of trying to conserve the heat in the brooder house. It does not matter how cold it is there so long as the heat beneath the brooder is ample.

Any suspicion of floor draught is, of course, serious, particularly where brooders are used which have no curtains. It can be tested with a candle flame and remedied by nailina up three-ply board three inches high and attending to the ventilation. Make a practice of filling the brooder lamps in the morning, so that you can see whether there is any creeping of the flame during the day. Although it may be considered uneconomical, it is nevertheless the truth that the fewer chicks you put in a brooder the better they do. In all cases make it a regular practice to see how the chicles (as they grow) fill up the brooder at night. When it is seven-eighths full (floor area) move the birds or give them more space at once. Your chicks will do better for it. The litter beneath the brooder becomes foul four times as quickly as that in the rest of the house, so watch it and replace it with new stuff. The Menace of the Mouse

Poultry farmer g are accustomed (says Poultry) to regard rats as a serious danger to their stock and buildings, but are apt to take a somewhat more tolerant view of the mouse, which is considered more of an annoyance and nuisance than a real menace. Yet, from what I am told, the timid mouse may eventually be shown up as a greater danger to the chick-rearer than is the more directly destructive rat. The facte are that a number of apparently inexplicable losses of young chicks have been traced to infection obtained from mouse dirts coming in contact with the chick food.

In almost every respect the-outbreaks due to this cause have had the appearance of b.w.d., and might never have been differentiated from that disease had the circumstances not been unusual. It is getting fairly well known that chicks suffering from a variety of other infections, but free of b.w.d., will react to the blood test on post-mortem examination.

It seems that the infection picked up from the manure of mice is a form of food poisoning, not unlike botulism, and no less serious in its effects. Attacks of this complaint have been more evident among chicks between .one and two weeks old.

I do not think this disease, attributable to mice, is particularly common, nor do I know if it is contagious—although I imagine it is not. It does, however, suggest that we should make every possible effort to keep mice from the vicinity of the brooder-house and food store.

This new insight into the potential villainies of the mouse has caused me to' examine the defences of my brooderhcuse, and to invest in some mouse traps. In future I must steel my heart against a lurking tenderness for these small creatures, which has several times saved one from destruction.

Reilly's report:—Some nice birds came forward for our sale, and for really choice table poultry there is a good demand, but inferior birds are entirely neglected. Hens—l 6 at 5s 2d, 13 ss, 14 4s Bd, 18 4s 4d, 46 4s 2d, 46 4s, 57 3e lOd, 12 3s 2d, 15 3s, 16 2s lOd, 5 2s Bd, 0 2s; cockerels —l2 9s 6d, 13 8s lOd, 6 8s Bd, 8 7s 2d, 12 6s, 12 5s 4d, 12 ss, 4 4s 2d. 2 4s, 7 3s 2d, 5 3s, 4 2s; ducks—G at 6s 6d, 12 6s 2d, 16 5s 4d, 14 ss, 16 4s lOd, 14 4s 4d, 15 4s; pullets—l 6 at 14s 6d, 17 10s 6d, 27 10s, 12 8s 6d, 6 Bs. 14 7s 6d, 9 5s 6d; bantams —5 at Is 2d; all at per pair. Turkeys: Hens—4 at 9Jd, 4 9d; gobblers —2 at 103 d, 4 9d; all at per lb.