POULTRY NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22738, 26 November 1935, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES

Bv Terror.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS " Beginner" (Blurt) says he has heard a lot about balancing the ration, and asks what is the proper balanced ration for poultry. The ration for egg production is generally balanced as nearly as possible to a ration of 1 nitrogen to 5 carbohydrates, but it is impossible to do so exactly because no two samples of any grain or mash would analyse exactly the same, and. as a matter of fact, variety is of much importance in feeding, because an exactly similar diet day after day throughout the year would pall on the appetite: and. further, it is well to recog-ni.-e that balance a ration as you will the fowl docs some balancing on its own. The system of a fowl will crave for certain elements in the food, and those it will digest and assimilate, and tile rest, however valuable in a general way. Will be passed on as dung. In balancing a ration it is to be remembered that the whole day's food, grain and mash, should balance. One authority (Mr Thormcroft) puts the matter very plainly as follows: "The question is how to arrive at the combined ratio value of the whole day s menu—that is, the combined ratio value of the mash and the grain. A hen in lay requires a ration which has a nutritive value of one part albuminoids to about live parts carbohydrates. Take, for example, the following formula, and sec how its combined ratio value works out. This is for laying stock. For grain feed : Equal parts of wheat, oats, and kibbled maize. For mash : Middlings 20 parts, bran 10 parts, maize meal 5 parts, Sussex ground oats 5 parts, fish meal 4 parts (all parts by weight). To avoid a seiies of lengthy decimal sums, the reader will have to place his faith in us, for we will take the ratio value of each food from the complete analysis form which we drew up some time ago: if the reader is fortunate to possess such a thing he will be able to check our figures for himself. These cards or tables save a great deal of time and calculation, and every poultrykeeper who intends to mix his own mashes should make a point of obtaining one without further delay. The albuminoid ratio of wheat is, as we worked out before, 1 to 6; therefore if you are using in your formula two parts of wheat, you must multiply by two; if three parts, then by three. Now let us take the formula :

approx. It will be eoen that the formula which we have given above works out at an excellent ratio value of nearly 1 in 5, which is very good for laying stock." " Beginner" should note that in the information given above reference is made only to nitrogenous substances and carbohydrates, and that other elemental matter is necessary in all food. Fowls must have green feed, grit, and shell, and foods deficient in natural salts would not be productive of health or eggs. Too much nitrogenous food—say 1 to 3—would be dangerous to health if prolonged; too much carbonaceous food would be too fattening, and too little would lead to loss of warmth and energy. Salts and minerals are needed. The bones need phosphorus and lime, the feathers require sulphur and stone grit (silica), and the digestive organs and the blood need salt. The following by Sir Edward Brown in his latest book should prove instructive to " Beginnor " and others.

Nitrogenous Matter or Proteins This group of compounds consists of substances of a very complex organic nature. They form feather?, .akin, blood, muscle, and a large portion of the egg. Proteins contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, while sulphur is usually present, and in many cases traces of phosphorus are found. The thousands of different forms of protein vary greatly in composition, but all possess two main characteristics in common, these being—(l) A definite percentage of nitrogen is present in all (16 per cent.), and (2) they are all composed of substances known as amino acids. The importance of this group of nutrients will be realised when it is stated that 20 per cent, of the live weight of a bird and 50 per cent, of the dry weight consist of protein. An inter esting fact regarding protein is that if an excess of protein be supplied all enters the blood stream in the form of amino acids, and on passing through the liver that which is not required is deprived of its nitrogen and transformed into fats and carbohydrates. Only the nitrogen, therefore, in excess of protein fed is wasted. On the other hand, carbohydrates and fata cannot bo transformed into proteins when this nutrient is deficient. They have not the power of taking up nitrogen. A protein deficiency in the food is therefore serious in respect to the body maintenance and production.

Carbohydrates These substances arc heat and energy providers. Only three elements enter into their composition—viz., carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The two last mentioned are always in the same proportion as found in water —that is, two parts hydrogen to one part of oxygen. Included in this group are the starches, sugars, and celluloses. The celluloses need not be considered in this connection, since they are not acted upon by the digestive juices, and therefore do not assist in the direct nourishment of the body. During digestion the starches and sugars are broken down into a simple form of sugar, which is oxidised by uie oxyden carried by the homoglobin in the blood to carbon dioxide and water, while heat is generated. The life of the bird is absolutely dependent upon heat production. The carbohydrates arc utilised comparatively soon. Any excess supplied is

stored up in the liver and muscles in the form of fat, which as occasion demands may be transformed once more into carbohydrates. Fats These compounds contain the same three elements as are found in carbohydrates, but the oxygen is present in smaller quantity. It is explained that a given weight of fat is more valuable than an equal weight of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates contain about 50 per cent, of oxygen and the fats only about 4 per cent. Experiments have proved that lib of fat produces the same heat as 2Alb carbohydrates. When an excess of fat is served the unusued portion is stored up under the skin, in the abdominal cavity, and on certain organs of the body, such as! the. kidneys, i

Faults in Eggs Asked for an explanation of the terms "heavy" and "green" yolk in eggs, the chief poultry expert, Mr C. F. Anderson (South Australia) said: —"The heavy yolk refers to the one which appears much denser and darker than the yolk of an ordinary egg, which, although it appears firm, is almost transparent when the egg is broken. The heavy yolk egg will run, while the yolk of an ordinary egg will remain firm. The term " green ' refers to the colour of the yolk- On being candled a percentage of eggs shows a little darkness in the yolk, varying in colour under the light, from a light green to an olive green yolk. When the eggs are broken the green colour of the yolk shows up much more prominently. There is no doubt that with the stricter testing of eggs now being practised, a number of faults are being found which, in previous years, when the testing was not so severe, were allowed to pass." Value of Salt

One outcome of experimental work carried on by the Poultry Research Institute, Northern Ireland, was confirmation of the alleged value of common salt in the poultry mash both .for chickens and adult birds. The report says:- " When salt is not included in a laying ration in some form or other, egg production is reduced by at least 50 eggs per bird per annum. On the other hand we have found no benefit whatever to result from the use of any other mineral save lime. Steamed bone flour, iron oxide, sulphur and iodine do not appear to be necessary under our conditions." Duck-keeping for Profit

There are some circumstances in which ducks afford an interesting and profitable hobby, especially when, there is a considerable expanse of ground that is not dry enough for fowls. This ground should provide a certain amount of natural food.

Ducks have made some remarkable records in public laying trials, which clearly indicates the productive character of the laying type of duck. Laying records depend, however, upon generous feeding and also on environment, for ducks are more easily scared and upset than hens, and it would not do to keep them where they are likely to be frightened. The most important point to be noted in connection with ducks is that there are two distinct classes—egg producers and table ducks. The latter comprise the large breds, suck as the Aylesbury and the Pekin, which grow quickly into large specimens. Under the right conditions Aylesbury ducklings can be grown to 51b apiece in nine weeks, but this result can only be attained by keeping the birds in confinement and feeding very generously. These large ducks, and Aylesburys in particular, are not good layers in the same sense as the egg-producing breeds. The egg-laying ducks comprise the smaller breeds which are of little or no value for table purposes—at any rate, for the production of table dneks tor the market, though the surplus drakes are not to be despised for home consumption, They are active birds which resent close confinement, especially the Indian Runners, though Khaki Campbells are more adapted for confinement in a grass run of limited extent. These two have proved themselves to bo the best egg-producing breeds, while the Buff Orpington (which must not be confused with the Buff Orpington fowl) is rather larger and lays claim to .better table propertics, though ite coloured feathers exclude it from the first grade of table 'ducks. Anyone who is going in for raising ducklings for the table will find that coloured ducks do not fetch satisfactory prices in the market, so that a large white breed like the Aylesbury should always be selected.

Although the large appetite of the laying type of duck is a disadvantage from the point of view of economical egg-pro-duction, there is an opportunity for. saving over the housing, since ducks do not require the elaborate scratching-shed accommodation that is essential for pullets from which eggs are required in winter.

In exposed localities laying ducks require no more elaborate night accommodation than an open-fronted hovel facing south or aouth-east, and the deeper this is the more protection it will afford, while litter can more readily be kept dry. On no account should ducks be shut up in a badly ventilated small poultry housePoultry (England). A friend of mine (writes "Major" in Poultry), who regards a morning round of golf as part of the routine of a successful poultry-farmer, has been lamenting the lack of an automatic trap-nest, and suggests that the industry should offer a bonus to inventors. As tit happens 1 have had some connection with two attempts to solve this problem. About 25 years ago a gentleman—whoso name, I regret, I have forgotten—sent me an automatic trap-nest for trial. It was extremely ingenious, and worthy of success; but—well, let me explain. The hen was supposed to go on to the nest and deposit her egg, which then rolled into a drawer, where the eggs of each bird which visited the nest were deposited in order. When she wanted to leave she put her head through a hole, when a coloured ring encircled her neck, so that on emerging she carried the ring to indentify her with the egg she had laid, the eggs, ot course, being in corresponding order with the coloured rings. But there were snags. If. for instance, a hen came out with a coloured ring without depositing an egg. the whole plan was blown to smithereens. Then again, as the rings were large enough to slip easily over the hens head and neck they came oil' just as easily, and within a few days I found coloured rings lying all over the run. So that was that. '

Keillys Report.—Only a medium penning to hand, prices being satisfactory. Hens: 4 at 5s 6d, 6 5s 4d, 6 5s 2d 9 ss, 8 4s Bd, 31 4s 2d, 8 4s, 18 3s 6d. Cockerels: 10 at ss, 1 3s lOd, 5 3s Bd, 1 2s lOd, 21 lOd. Pullets: 10 at 7«s 8d 7 7s 4d, 19 6s. Ducks: 6 at 4s Od, 17 4s. Chickens: 59 at 4d. All at per pair. Pigeons: 32 at Is. 1 hen and 8 chicks Bs, 1 hen and 10 chicks Bs.

Mash— 20 parts wheat middlings .. .. 13 parts wheat bran r> parts maize meal 1 to 4 X 20 • 1 to 4 X 10 ■ 1 to S X 5 • — 20 to SO — 10 to 40 — 5 to 10 5 parts Sussex ground oats .. 5 parts fish meal .. 1 to (i X 1 to 1 X 3 — 5 to 30 — "i to 5 Grain— 1 part of wlieat .. 1 part oats 1 part kibbled maize lto6 X ltofl X lto8 X 1 1 1 — lto G — 1 to (1 — J to 8 48 to 213 lto 5