POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2008, 18 August 1892, Page 5

POULTRY NOTES.

FEEDING CHICKENS.

Mr Edward Brown, in his well-known book on poultry-keeping, gives the following directions as to tho feeding of chickens :—: —

The question of feeding young chickens is allimportant, for upon its food must depend whether the bird will thrive well, die a premature death, or be stunted in its growth. It will be well to say here that more harm is done by o w er than by under feeding, especially amongst amall amateurs. They like to give chicks dainty bits, to be constantly feeding them on rich morsels, with the result that they are often killed by kindness. The plainer the diet tho better, and anythiug in the shape of forcing is sure to cause harm. Thousands of chicks die every year from no other cause than that they are over-fedorfed on too rich food. Where death does not result the seeds of disease are sown, and sooner or later these seeds are developed, and trouble is the result.

Aa soon as possible we believe in making hard grain their staple food, when it is intended to-rear the fowls and not kill them at au early age. But judgment is needed to decide when this can be safely done. We have found that most chickens cannot take whole grain until they have turned three weeks old, and up to that time it is necessary to give them soft food . There is nothing better that the foods already mentioned, which have all the elements for successful chicken-rearing. When tho birds are about 16 or 18 days old, they may have a little dari or crushed buckwheat, which may be gradually increased until the soft food is only given once a day. Occasionally in cold or wet weather a little crushed or whole hemp seed maybe given, but this is very rich, and should be used very sparingly. Of course, when the chicka get to be six weeks old they may have small wheat and other grains that are not too large for them t& swallow.

The true secret of feeding young chickens is to give a little plain food, and often. All young life needs its nourishment to be frequently given, and chicks are like babies, they must be fed at short intervals. Unless this is done they are very apt to suffer and be stunted through hunger, and also to gorge themselves when the food is placed before them, the latter, a state of things very likely to induce disease. The best chicken-raiser is the man or woman who can get up early in the morning, for birds require to have an early feed, as soon after daylight as possible. This feed should be a warm one. Young chickens under a month old should have a feed last thing at night, say about 10 o'clock. This will, of course, have to be given by lamplight, for only in tho height of summer would there be daylight for the purpose. When the birds are over a month old ib will be sufficient if they are fed about half au hour before sunset.

Cure fou Feather Eating. — The Poultry Monthly, an American publication, states that " a breeder of game fowls who had been troubled with feather eating birds, finds that & piece of salt pork nailed up where they can get at it proves a sure cure and preventive." Featb.Gr eating is generally a sign that the birds need flesh diet ; but we were not awaro that the craving was specially for " salt pork." Get- Rid of the Roosters. — An authority says :—": — " Unfertilised eggs are much sweeter and bettor for table use, and will keep from two to four times as long as fertilised ones. Hens not kept with roosters will lay longer and set les* than others. It is safe to say that iv the United Kingdom there are 5,000,000 roosters, and that 4-,0j0,000 of them are a positive and expensive nuisance, except for the table at the right time. If these roosters were killed and their places supplied with hens, and each hen laid 200 eggs per year, the aggregate gain would be 800,000,000 eggs."