POULTRY NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23857, 11 July 1939, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES

By Terror

Another Wakari Poultry Farm The sunny lower slopes of Flagstaff are apparently well suited to poultry, for in addition to the Wakari poultry farms previously dealt with in this column, in Helensburgh road, Wakari, is situated the poultry farm of Messrs Beckingsale and Bell. Though comparative newcomers to commercial poultry farming, these young men are by no means amateurs, for they are both thoroughly familiar with poultry and poultry work, as an inspection of. the farm will disclose.

The lay-out of the farm makes good use of the land available, the housing being well placed with a northerly aspect all the houses receiving the maximum amount of sunlight, the ideal requirement necessary to obtaiu and maintain healthy birds. \ They have installed three different, makes of what are known as mammoth incubators, one being of 1800-egg capacity, one of 540 and another of 120-egg capacity. These machines are suitably housed.

The farm is well equipped with suitable houses for brooding chicks and with laying and breeding sheds and luxuriant crops of chou moellier and lucerne show that the proprietors recognise the value of a plentiful and constant supply of green food.

Tale-eyed Fowls For generations in the exhibition poultry world the red or fiery eye was demanded in the majority of the breeds exhibited. The red, golden and reddish brown eye gave a fowl a totally .different appearance when compared with the grey or green pale-coloured eye. In black breeds the insistence was on black eyes; dark brown eyes could pass, but anything on the light side had no chance with a competent judge of being awarded a card. The utility breeds of the present day are rtpt kept under natural conditions, their vitality must be drained by heavy production, and as this has a bleaching effect on many parts of the bird, no doubt it has a like effect on the iris of the eye. Dr J. B. C. Hennape, a noted Dutch authority, considers the presence of grey eyes in birds is often a symbol of coccidiosis or paralysis, and in tests carried out by him he proved this to be the case in 40 per cent, of his examinations. He stated that if he found grey eyes he would throw those birds from the breeding pens. He had found that birds with grey eyes possess a higher incidence of disease than those with darker coloured eyes. He said that Dutch breeders had followed that method and had eventually produced a stock entirely free from disease without a trace of tuberculosis in it.

The eye is the index of health m all mammals and birds, and there is no gainsaying the fact that the red strong-coloured eye in the fowl denotes virility and should be bred for It can be bred for. and by careful selection the pale, watery-coloured eye would soon disappear. Many breeders do not believe in this theory, but as far as the research workers have found grey eyes they are very often a sign of coccidiosis or paralysis. It would certainly pay breeders to give even more consideration to this matter than they have been doing. Value of Male Records

When no more eggs are required from the breeding pens, one of the first jobs should be the removal of all males with a view to disposing of any that will not be needed. Some will be too old for further breeding, while others are sure to have developed certain faults which cannot be tolerated. What should be done is to go through all the breeding records and follow on with the handling of the males until the birds have been settled on which are likely to prove useful for another season. Some poultrymen have a tendency to hold on- to males just because they happen to be of attractive appearance. Such a system is useless. The breeding male needs quality besides looks. When to Retain a Male r ;

Body condition at the end of the breeding season is a great help in making a decision as to whether a particular bird should be given another chance. If he handles hard and carries plenty of breast meat, and. is still keen to mate, then a bird has real breeding qualities and his stock will thrive. Reject the male line that has given a good number of clear 1 eggs during the last few weeks and is thin on the breast. He lacks stamina, and, although he may recover his strength before next season, he is not the type to keep. Some males possess certain peculiarities and the power to transmit them to their offspring. For the production of ordinary commercial flocks the use of current-year males is a sound proposition. Pedigree breeding, however, necessitates the use of special males, some of which may be aged. On the question of how long a male can be bred from much depends on the particular bird in view. If an old male retains his body condition and fertilises successfully, and his stock shows no signs of deterioration, he is as good as any other bird. As a matter of fact, he should be better than any young bird, because he has proved that he has the power to breed and live. Sometimes one is prevented from retaining a particular line of blood because of the risks of in-breeding. This method of breeding can do much harm, and only those who have experience should attempt it. Labour on the Farm

Labour on a poultrv farm must be economically though thoroughly used. It must be planned so that the daily duties are undertaken with proper time at the disposal of the worker. It must not be limited, so that tasks are done hurriedly and improperly nor must it be wasteful so that iobs have to be looked for to keep the men busy

The problem of how manv birds one man can look after is an evergreen one. the answer depending upon the method of housing; the lav-out of thp farm (distance apart of houses): the method of feeding 'wet mash takes rather more labour); the organisation of work, and whether / other than routine tasks are experted r >f the met. such as blood-testing. If a man is not concerned with rearing, plucking, and similar iobs. he can attend to twice as many layers as if " extra " jobs were required of him Here are some figure'- which may be taken as a safe guide: One man can look after 1000 layers kept on the intensive or semi-intensive system in solid-floored houses; 1200 in slatte-i floored houses in units of 50 on free range; 900 in fold units of 25 birds each: 1400 where bir.it are housed in laying cages with automatic cleanine 1000. if cleaning-out If by hand) These figures can be reduced by naif it the man is to deal with seasonal duties. Labour should be planned carefully so that work is evened-out over the vear By careful planning there should be no rush periods when extri labour has to be imported and no slack Deriods when a man has to be ofl. Poultry keeping cannot oe done by odd men who lack knowledge and the fathering together of a staff of keen, observant and • exec-f----enced assistants will ensure the success of all operations.—Smallholder (England) Laburnum is Dangerous

While there may not be much actual danger of fowls eating laburnum leaves, pods, or seeds, there is no need to put temptation in the way of the birds. The leaves are supposed to be poisonous, but not the seeds As the leaves are usually pretty well withered before they fall they will offer no temptation to fowls, provided they are supplied with plenty of fresh green stuff The real danger is when la,burnum is growing in or adjacent to the fowl run. for then the birds may peck at the young buds and leaves, which it is known are poisonous to fowls. It is well to be on the safe side, and care should be taken that nothing dangerous to them is within reach of fowls.

General Pointers Don't adopt new and untried methods. There are no get-rich-quick' systems of poultry-keeping. Commonsense and hard work are the mainsprings of success. It is an easy matter to make poultry - farming pay on paper. Theory is all very well in its place, but it must go hand in hand with experience. The farmer should pen his fowls, and save the annoyance of their scratching in the garden and roosting on the back of the seat of his buggy or motor car. The farmer should not expect his poultry to pay unless they receive the same care and attention as the other farm stock. Many maintain that poultry kept in large numbers will not pay. They are quite right—if the large plant is in the hands of the wrong man. Many farmers still declare that the barn-yard fowl is the best layer of all, simply because they have not given the noted egg-laying strains a trial. Because the birds are not laying do not neglect them. Producing feathers is often more exhausting than producing eggs. Profits will be reduced by not placing in the broody-coops birds showing the least sign of becoming broody. Have your fowls so tame that you can go among them without frightening them. More eggs, better fertility and stronger chicks will be the result. The man who has failed in all other lines of life will make his greatest blunder if he takes on poultry as a last resource. Every bad egg placed on the table tends to lessen consumption. It is more profitable to keep 20 good fowls than double the number of indifferent ones If £. small flock cannot be made to pay it is useless attempting to conduct the business successfully on a larger scale. The producer is not always to blame when a stale egg reaches the breakfast table. Keeping eggs for days behind a plate-glass window in a citv shop has something to account for. Do not blame the hen if you faih With the laying blood and knowledge now available, everything depends upon the man behind the birds. When you begin to know a little about poultry-keeping it is only then that you realise what a lot there is to learn.. The best way to learn poultry-keep-ing is by practical experience combined with study of the writings of Dractical men. Reilly's report a heavy penning of birds for Wednesday's sale, with a good demand for table birds, of which there were fairly heavy consignments forward. Values for stud birds were disappointing, as these are not yet inquired for. Hens—6 at 10s 6d, 10 8s 6d, 4 Bs, 34 7s 6d, 82 7s, 7 6s lOd, 20 6s 6d, 117 6s, 10 5s lOd, 68 5s 6d, 13 5s 4d, 5 4s 6d, 6 4s, 6 3s 10d;. cockerels —2 at 12s, 4 lis, 4 10s 6d, 4 10s, 5 8s 6d, 4 7s 6d, 11 7s, 7 6s lOd. 2 6s 6d, 8 6s, 6 5s 6d, 2 ss, 2 4s Bd, 6 2s 4d; pullets—lo at 13s, 12 lis 6d, 29 9s 9 8s 6d, 12 7s 6d, 20 7s 2d, 4 6s 6d, 6 6s, 6 4s Bd. (All at per pair). Three turkey hens at Is per lb; six turkey gobblers at la Id to Is 2d per lb.