POULTRY NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22328, 31 July 1934, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES

By Terror. Quality Rather Than Quantity Quality should have preference over quantity. By this is meant that not so many more birds and more eggs, but birds of the right strain and consequently better eggs. There are a number of reliable breeders in and about Dunedin who specialise in breeding stocks of highproductive capacity, such as every commercial egg producer requires, and their ! success at laying competition proves this fact, and it is gratifying to note it. For a beginner to start with any other than good-class birds is a wrong policy entirely, for the bird has not the capacity to supply that which has not been bred into it. Having bought inferior stocks the owner soon gets disappointed and says to himself: "Is it worth it?" Yet all the same it is not the industry of poultry keeping which i s at fault. He should blame himself. Better by far go in for stock of high productive capacity from the start. It is then up to the starter to attend regularly to such items as cleanliness, housing, feeding, etc., and as far as the latter is concerned a great deal depends on it. What one above all else is birds of sound constitution. The owner should realise that birds in confinement depend entirely upon what is given them in the way of food, and provided for them in housing, exercise, and sanitation. Value of Milk At experimental farms the usefulness of milk and milk products as a supplement to poultry feeding has been satisfactorily tested. Research demonstrates that sour milk or buttermilk, or semisolid buttermilk, when included in dietary for young stock, is most beneficial to health and development. The lactic acid content is deterrent in its action upon the growth of bacteria when present in the intestinal tract of growing stock, and for adult layers, the use of sour milk in some form has been found to be economical and profitable, increasing the health and activity of hens and improving their appetite, and consequently their egg output. Chicken rearing records show low mortality when soured milk has been fed from the shell to maturity. The absence of chicken ailments has been conspicuous. The effect of sour milk for laying hens was tested in two commercial flocks One was fed on the normal ration with ordinary drinking water, the other on the same ration with skim milk in addition to water. The result showed 40 per cent, improvement in egg yield of the milk-fed flock, the extra number of eggs more than paying for the milk. To the foregoing it may be added thnt sour milk, together with finely chopped green onion tops, fed daily to young chickens, has proved a blessing to poultry keepers, and readers should strive to be in n position to supply such invaluable preventives. Scientific research proves that garlic or green onion tops finely chopped and given daily, is a reliable intestinal disinfectant which, with sour milk, prevents the growth of bacteria or parasitic trouble, being also a definite i preventative against gapes, often prevalent during summer months.

Favour Brown-egg Breeds The Black Orpington, or Australorp, as the utility bird of this variety is known, should be turned to, as it possesses a white skin, and is well fleshed. Ikying qualities, especially in the early months of the year, are also desirable. Whiter Orpington are also most satisfactory layers, but the hens of the Buff variety lay better still. White Orpington cockerels fatten better than Buff, which do not show to advantage the amount of meat carried on the breast. Layers of large brown-shelled eggs (the colour for which there is a preference in England) and one of the best sitting breeds, the Orpington is docile and does very well under intensive conditions, but is still better upon open range, though it does not thrive ou heavy, wet soil.

The Minorca as a Layer W. Fisher, hon. secretary and treasurer of the United Minorca Club (England), directed the attention of members at a poultry conference to the fact that at the last Harper Adams Trial in the single bird section, the only two MinOrcas entered finished first and second, competing against all birds, and not, only _ did these birds finishin the foremost positions, but they were far ahead of the third, and won in the proverbial canter, Speaking further 1n praise of the Minorca he said: "The Minorca egg, and plenty of then), will satisfy the most sceptical, despite the supposed favour for the brown-shelled egg. A« an example to prove the above, I recently gave at each of two whist drives, run to support local charities, a special prize of three dozen Minorca eggs. Such fine samples they were—each egg weighing nearly three ounces—that, all present were anxious to win them in the raffle. So that at 2d a time one lot fetched f 1 Os 6d and the other lot 18s.' Before the breed was spoilt by breeding for extremes in head points, those who favoured the breed always boasted of the large eggs their birds laid; they never rattled in the eggcup.

Incubator Temperature Mr P. Rumball (poultry expert for Queensland) in the couree of an article in the Agricultural Journal says:— " Temperatures at which incubators are to be operated vary with the position in which the thermometer is situated in the machine. The heat of table-top incubators comes from the top of the machine, consequently the higher in the machine the bulb of the thermometer the greater the temperature shown. . " The correct temperature when the middle of the bulb of the thermometer }s on a level with the top of the eggs is 102 deg. A thermometer hung with the bulb free of the eggs should read about 103 deg. "During the course of the hatch the temperature will increase slightly, and just prior to hatching may go as high as 104 deg. This extra temperature is due to the increase in animal heat of the developing embryo, and need cause no worry unless it is excessive. '

Turning and Cooling In respect to the turning and cooling of eggs in the incubator. Mr Rumball says:— " Begin turning the egps at or about 48 hours after setting, and continue to do so twice daily until the nineteenth day. Occasionally, if the temperature has been a little too high, the eggs will pip on the eighteenth dav. When this is the case, turning should cease, as the chicken has put itself in a position to release itselt from the shell. , . "When the eggs are placed upon the egg tray, set them at an angle of about 45deg. with the large end up. To turn these it is necessary to handle every individual egg unless patent turning devices are used. This may be done by simply nulling the egg over upon its small end to the other side. After testing, turning may be done by gently moving the eggs over with the palm of the hand. " Complete turning is not essential. AU that is necessary is a movement sufficient to make the embryo seek another position in order to prevent sticking to the shea b " Cooling is a method of giving the eggs a thorough airing with the consequent strengthening of the embryo, lie necessity of airing varies with the make of machine.on account of the variation in the supply of fresh air. , " It is, however, important to remember that for the first seven days very little airing is required, and that the young embryo is very subject to, dull The time if takes to turn the eggs is sufficient. After the first week the cgsst may be kept out of the machine until they have lost that burning heat. The period necessary will vary with .the stage of development and the outside temperature A good plan is not to cool the eggs to that degree that the correct temperature in the machine cannot be regained within an hour. In airing, place the eggs upon a table. Do not allow any. portion of the tray to overhang, otherwise some of the eggs may become chilled owing to the greater circulation of air.

"Airing should be practised up until the nineteenth day, but if the eggs are then chipping they should not be aired."

Wire Floors Produce Breast Blisters Mr A. Kirsch, a regular contributor to the Feathered World, speaking of an experiment conducted on that journal's ex-, perimental farm, says: "We are up against a difficulty when cages are used for the whole life of the bird. There were 60 birds in that cage, and we obtained seven breast blisters. One was a blood blister and had to be cut out, making the bird unsaleable. It went into the house and was enjoyed by, the family. The other blisters were small and white. A tiny puncture and slight squeezing was all that was necessary. When the birds were 'plumped out' and the breast skin tightened by tying, no trace of blisters could be seen. The cage worked well, but wire floors produce hlisters." Chick Feed ..The New South' Wales Department of Agriculture advises, when feeding chickens, that there is no necessity to use a highly concentrated ration, which increases the cost of rearing without showing any benefit compared with a simple balanced ration. A simple ration' consisting of pollard, bran, and' 1 bone.meal; mixed with skim milk, or with milk: powder to which salt is added, will produce results equal to any. A Common Axiom Sir Edward Brown recalls that during the fifties exhibitors, amateurs, and, big farmers were antagonistic to the idea that poultry could be made to pay. He writes: "'Poultry don't pay,' became a common axiom. In The Times ofFebruary 1, 1853, a letter was published from 'Observer,' which read: 'lt has been stated that it takes five years to fatten an ox up to 12001 b, or 60 score, The same amount of return (say, £3O) may be made in about as many months if invested in poultry, while the profit will be incalculably greater.' The opposite view was given a week later in the same journal by ' One of the Drowsy Ones,' who, after pointing out that fowls only realised from 3s to 3s 6d per couple, went on to say: 'Every farmer knows that poultry is the most expensive stock on a farm when kept in greater numbers than suffice to pick,up the loose corn at the barn door, which would otherwise be lost.' He, further, suggested that the reason for greater attention paid in France to poultry was that there were 8.000,000 peasant proprietors in that country, and the number kept on each farm was comparatively small."

Difference in Feathering Heavy breeds differ from light breeds in the "manner of feathering.. In light breeds the males prow quill tail feathers at an early age, whereas in heavy breeds the males do not develop their tail feathers until later in life. A ragged or bob-tailed appearance is one of the means of detecting the males in heavy breeds, for the females generally feather more easily and assume their tail feathers before the cockerels.

Lecture by an Expert At this month's meeting of the Dunedin Utility Poultry Club, at which Mr Hansen presided, Mr Cussens, Government poultry Instructor, gave a very interesting address on the breeding pen, the hatching of eggs, and the rearing of ehiqkens. After answering questions Mr Cussens was accorded a very hearty vote of thanks for his instructive lecture.

Personal My attention has been directed to the fact that Mrs Hilda Crozier (Mosgiel) was a prize-winner at the Gore show with her black rosecomb bantams. She won two firsts and two specials in cockerels and pullets.

Reilly's report:—Only a small yarding of poultry came to hand for our sale on Wednesday, principally hens and a few heavy cockerels, and values were firm. Hens: 6 at 7s 2d, 15 at 7s. 10 at 6s Gd. 11 at Gs 2d, 10 at 6s, 30 at 5s 10d, 39 at 5s Bd. 11 at 5s 6d, 16 at 5s 4d, 2 ss. 12 at 4=) Bd, 6 4s 4d. 14 at 4s 2d. 13 at 3s od, 2 at 2s 10d. Cockerels: 5 at lis. 12 at fts Bd, 13 at 9s Gd. 3 at 8s lOd. 23 at 8s 2d, 12 at Bs. 7 at 6s Bd, 14 at 5s 2d, 5 at ss, 12 at 4s 2d. 2 at 4s. 12 at 3s Bd, 1 at 3s. Geese: 2 at 9s. 11 at Bs. 3 at 7s. Bantams: 8 at 2s 2d. Pullets: 5 at 10s. 14 at 9s, 13 at 8s Bd. 15 at "<» 4d. 5 at 6s lOd. Ducks: 2 at Gs Gd. 12 at 6s 4d, 7 at 6s 2d, 6 at Gs. All at per pair.