POULTRY YARD

Otago Witness, Issue 1825, 12 November 1886, Page 8

POULTRY YARD

CARE OF POULTRY. By H. H. Success depends a great deal on the way in which fowls are housed. The house should be constructed in such a manner as to ensure it getting as much sun as possible — especially in early morning — but the sun should not be allowed to play into the house in winter time when it first rises, unless the fowls are shut in, in which case they should be let out as soon as the air becomes warm. The window space should be large in proportion to the size of the house, and ought to have an easterly view, that beiug the warmest quarter. If the sun is allowed to pour its rays in at the window it tends to draw the fowls out sooner than otherwise, and consequently the cold of early morn is felt severer. The window should be uear the floor, say 18in or a foot above the floor, which gives the inhabitants the full benefit of the extra warmth thus obtained. Many people place the window higher up and have a shelf for the fowls to stand on. Were all tho fowls of a peaceful disposition and all able to fly up, that would answer all purposes, except that the floor — often damp — would not get the same chance of drying as it would if the sun were allowed full play on it. There are, however, always tyrants in a poultry yard as well as elsewhere, and these seem to imagine that they have a perfect right to act the part of " king of the castle " and reap the full benefit of the platform at the expense of their less contumacious sisters.

For the same reason the roosts, which should be broad and flat, and not thin and round, should be of one height, otherwise the weaker ones, not content, as is their nature, with the lower bars, always endeavours to get a higher place, which generally results in their getting knocked off, especially in the case of chickens. Chickens do not require teaching after they become independent of maternal shelter. Take a chicken only an hour or so old, place a crawling beetle just in front of of it, and after scanning it for a moment with its head on one side, it will piokit up as accurately as an old bird would do. The house should be well ventilated, but the means of ventilation should be as near the top as possible, thus preventing cold draughts reaching the fowls, which is generally the case if the vents are low. The higher they are placed the better, and if one is put opposite the other it is better, as the rush of air through the tops of the building will carry with it the foul air rising from the floor and the fowls, thus tending to keep the house clean and keep off the many diseases which might otherwise put in an appearance. The floor cannot be kept too clean; the nests should be renewed every week in hot weather, a handful of powder unslacked lime sprinkled, about the house. I have seen the tops of boxes that formed the nests lined with canvas, on the tops of which powdered lime was sprinkled. Every hen that entered the box gave both herself and the nest a light sprinkling. This was certainly a novel idea, and one worthy of being more generally adopted.

The fowlhouse should be as much sheltered from wind as possible. In cold localities it should be low, and in warm ones high, the roof and exposed sides being protected from the cold and heat respectively. Trees make the best summer shelter. If the roof is thin—of iron, for instance — it should be covered every autumn with green gorse or other boughs, but this should be removed before summer sets in, as it might prove a harbour for vermin. Fowls cannot thrive if constantly irritated by these pests, and unless the birds are kept in a healthy state, good feeding is thrown away. On farms in mild climates a simple, well-sheltered, open shed is all that is required for the adult fowls, with one end closed in for the nest part. Nests of any description will do, but they should be as natural and secluded as possible, and some of them should be placed near the ground. Have plenty of nests, otherwise too many hens will endeavour to get on at one time, and thus eggs are almost sure to be broken. The nests should be in a darkish corner ; hens always choose a hidden' place for their "stolen nests"— hence they will be more inclined to lay in the artificial nest, and the trouble and loss of time in " nest hunting " and searching for eggs will be avoided. For setting hens I find gin cases and boxes of that description very suitable. Besides the box a yard of one inch mesh wire netting is all that is required, with perhaps an old bag to throw over the coops in wet weather. Put the box in a sheltered, .warm place, having the front facing away from the wind. Have the box on a slope so as to avoid dampness, or raise up from the ground an inch or two, and give it a cant to run the water off top. Secure the netting to the two top front corners of the box, and the other edge to the ground. The wire along this edge must be well fastened down to prevent the hen lifting it up should she try to, and get out ; bend down the laps, which must be stapled to the side of the box— one end so as to act as an opening. Of course the nest ought to be made before this is done. Strew fine fresh earth on the bottom of the box, and place a small sod of grass along the front to keep the nest stuff in. Make the nest pretty deep, for the deeper it is the more eggs the setter can comfortably cover. The number of eggs to be set depends on the sizes of the hen and eggs. Ten small eggs are as easily covered as nine larger ones. Some folks advise the giving an odd number of eggs, because it is the most compact than an even one, and certainly five eggs do look more so than four. A large fowl— say a Dorking, Brahma, or Cochin China— can cover about 15 ordinary-sized eggs, and a Game about 9 or 10, and so on in proportion. This hen shbtJd be p'iit on the eggs afte* dark,

and the coops should be covered completely and left covered till the hen takes to tbe nest. The covering may then be taken off. At night is the safest time to do this. A handful of wheat and a small tin of pure, clear water should be put in the coop, and in the course of a day or so ashes and a leaf of cabbage should be given also.. It is always advisable to have .the setters where the other fowls cannot trouble them. When the chicks make their appearance and the hen leaves the nest — the following day, say — remove the eggshells and any o.ggs that remain. If the P SS S given to the hen were fresh, i.e., only a few days old, the remaining eggs will most probably be bad. Should there be a chiok inside it will soon make itself heard, in which case the egg should be placed under another hen and the chicken given back to the hen and, chicks. It is always advisable if possible to set, say, two hens at the same time ; then, if it is desirable, all the little ones can be given to one hen and the other one put in a coop with a young rooster for a few days to break her off cluckiug. After having cleaned the nest give it a good powdering with lime if it is not convenient to renew it Even if this is done it is a 'safeguard^ use lime. Sprinkle a handful of dry. ashesTß the coops every morning after taking- the cover off. Always cover the coops every night for fear of rats.

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