POULTRY NOTES

Otago Witness, Issue 2433, 31 October 1900, Page 44

POULTRY NOTES-

By Tekbob,

— The crowding of chickens is responsiblo for a much greater proportion of the fancier's troubles than is, as a rule, imagined. Just now the coops and runs devoted to chickens may be, apparently, of ample dimensions, and ail the birds look healthy and -wgorous; but next week, by reason ot rapid growth, the conditons are, though the fancier may not appreciate the fact, completely altered, and unless the flocks aie subdivided into smaller lots the evils of contaminated ground and the "breathing of impure air will soon be appaxeat. Neither coeicerels nor pullets will attain to decent proportions, nor will the eggs come so readily or so opportunely as the fancier would like when there has been crowding in early life, it will be found that birds stunted in the growth of chickenhood do not lay in the winter months when eggs are dear ; only the strongest, best-developed chickens can survive the rigours of winter and at the same time supply eggs. Further, it is a mistaken notion that late &taxters are necessaiily long continuers. As a matter of fact, it has been frequently noticed that the last piillet to start laying was among the first to cluck or moult. Then, as regards ailments, it i 3 the bird that is of stunted appearance, the one that has been checked in its grovv th, that, as a rule, acquires all the diseases known in the poultry yard,' endangering, on every occasion, the prosperity of the rest of the flock. The stunted bird, however, answers one very U3Bfiil purpose : it is a good ermin-indicator. It is this bird alone that need be examined to ascertain whether a whole flock is clean — it (he or she) is indeed the weak link in the chain.

— Dear Terror, — Can you or any of your readers tell me the cause of the death of a Minorca pullet. I gob a pair at the Timaru show, and they were both looking splendid until the other day, when I noticed the hen looking rather mopish, with her back up and tail down. She kept going round in a circle when she tried to pick her food up. I brought her in and kept her in a warm place, but she died after two days, during which time she seemed to take great struggling fits, and atter every fit she fell backwards and seemed as though she wore dead. I opened her up after death, and, as far as I could see, the organs w ere perfectly healthy. She mas in full laj laying even the day before her death. The pair of fowls had a very comfortable house, which was cleaned every day, and they had the run of the farmyard, so got plenty of green food. lam troubling you with all these details because I have hatched several settings of chicks from this hen's eggs, so don't know if they will be worth keeping, in case it might be.a disease she died of, and they might inherit it. I got a Langshan pair also at the show. The hen began to lay on July 9^and between that time and October s'lr laid 73 eggs. During the last week in August and two first weeks in September she only missed one day — 20 eggs in 21 days. Is not it unusual not to miss, at any rate, one day in the week? Your notes in the Otago Witness are a great help to me, as 1 am oniy a beginner at th© poultry business. Hoping I am not troubling you too nruch wilh ray questions, — Yours truly, Faielie.

t The bird died of vertigo, or mild apoplexy, i caused by overfeeding or too stimulating food, j Apply cold water to the back of the head of a bird when first attacked, and if it comes round give' a dose of Epsom salts, and jemove to a sM-parnl*. pen, where it can be stinted in diet for a few days. The performance of the Laiigshan pullet is not phenomenal. The breed is noted for regular, consistent winter laying until becoming broody.— Tekeob.] — Dear Terror, — Will you kindly inform me where 1 can get a set of caponiKing instruments, as I have applied twice to the Bee and Poultry Supply Company, and they are unable to supply me. I sent at once after reading your article on caponizing, thinking to experiment on some young turkey cocks, but not being able to procure the instruments I now apply to you, as my turkeys are now hat' ln:.-j;. <,nd I bhould like to have them attended to at the proper time this season. Can you inform, me where I can get some pure American bronze turkey eggs for setting? Mine are only half-bred. Also can you tell me the best food to fatten my turkeys on, to have them prime for Christmas? I read your notes every week, and receive many a useful and seasonable hint from them. I have been thinking of investing in an incubator, but am at a loss which one to choose ; which do yo\i prefer? I hope I have not asked too many questions. *My appreciation of your valued column in the "Witness must be my ex- j cuse. — Yours truly, Ikqulbek. [I know of no other local firm than the one referred to importing .caponizing instruments, and I do not notice that any Australasian firm is advertising them. Perhapsthis notice will attract the attention of someone willing to sell a set. Bronze turkey (pure) eggs can be obtained from Mr Hy. Buckland, Waikouaiti. A note on the feeding of turkeys will be found in this week's notes. My correspondent must be guided in his choice of an incubator by the claims of the advertisers and patrons of the various machines. Whatever the principle of structure may be, whether hot water or hot air, or whatever else, more than 100 per cent. of chicks from fertile eggs cannot be got, and all the leading makers have' achieved this. Whatever the make may be, the best of its kind — i.e., the one costing most to produce — is the one which will give best results. My own experience is with the Simplex, and, as a rule, I believe better percentages oan be got from the larger machines of this make ,han the smaller ones. With regard to the Cypher, I understand tliat the 120 egg machine gives ! bettor satisfaction than the one of 200 capacity. Thanks for acknowledgment of my efforts. By reading the report of the Fan- i ciers' Club (printed above) my correspondent will observe that an opportunity will be afforded him at the next show of judging as to the respective merits of the various makers of incubators, or at any rate, of those in which the owners have sufficient confidence to warrant their making an entry. For his action in offering a trophy, and thus inviting such an interesting competition, Mr Roberts deserves the thanks of all fanciers and poultry breeders. — Teerob.] — Dear Terror, — Would you please answer the following through you paper. There is a* disease among3t 'my fowls; they droop find pino and then scour. Others seem to 'have nothing wrong with 'them, and 1 find them dead in their mests ,and tbey seem, to lay a large percentage 'of soft eggs. I may say they have free use of gravel and sand. — Yours truly, Queey. — [The information given is insufficient to enable <m& to form"~an opinion. Noibiug said about food given or whether the

birds eat or <hiuk during- illness* Probaibly the trouble i. iuiLr>iir..atioAi of t'ae bowels through | oveivsii'.uiLitmg food, or eating an. irritant I poison, such as quicklime. — T.u.hbob.] — I would recommend my correspondent who asks how to fatten turkeys 10 feed pollard and crushed oats, mixed, for the morning meal, and a plentiful supjily of crushed or ' boiled wheat at night, and supplementary to? this to lay in convenient 'positions one swede) to every three birds and a basin of curds 1 . The giving of swedes and 'curds and a little! chreded raw meat will not only hurry on tho fattening process, but also tend to prevent roaming, as they take the- place of the food, in seaich of which the 'bi/"ds stray so far. For my correspondent's further information, I give the following so-called "cardinal points" in turkey -rearing, as laid down" by a/ leading Australian turkey breeder : — 1.- Never let the young turkeya get wet. Th# slightest dampness is fatal. 2. Feed nothing the first 24 hours after they are hatched.

8. Before putting them in the coop see that •^t is perfectly clean and free from lice, and dusfe •them three times a week with insect powder. 4. Be sure the hen is free from lice. Duafi her, too.

5. Look out for mites and the large lice on the heads, necks, and vents. Grease heads, necks, and vents with lard, but avoid kerosene. 6.. Nine-tenths of the young- turkeys die from lice.' itenie'mber that.

7. Filth will soon make short work of them. Feed on clean surfaces. Give water in a manner so they can only wet their beaks. 8. The first week feed a mixture of one egg, beaten, and sifted ground oats or rolled oats, mixed with salt to taste, and cooked as bread, then crumbled for them, with milk or curds, so they can drink all they want. Feed every two hours, early and late. 9. Give a little raw meat every day; also finely chopped onions or other tender green food.

10. After the first week keep wheat and ground bone in boxes before them all the time, but feed three times a day on a- mixture of meal and ground oats, all cooked, and to which chopped green food is added. 11. Mashed potatoes, cooked turnips, cold rice, and such will always be in order. 12. I'oo many hard-boiled eggs, will cause bowel disease. 13. Remove coop to fresh ground often in oider to avoid filth.

14. Ground bone, fine gravel, ground 'shells, and a, dust Ibatli niust loe provided. 15. Give them liberty on dry warm days. 16. They must bs caicfully attended to until lyell leathered.

17. finely-cut fiesh bones, from the butcher's, with the adhering meat, are excellent. 18. A high roost in an open shed, which faces the east, is better than a closed house for grown turkeys.

19. A single unioj of a male and female fertilises all the eggo the hen will lay for the season, hence one cobbler will suffice for 20 or more hens.

20. Two-year-old gobblers with pullets, or a yearling gobbler with- two-year-old hens, is good mating.

21. Turkeys can be hatched in an incubator and raised to the age of three months in a. brooder, but only m lots of 25, as ihey require constant care.

22. Capons make excellent nurses for turkeys ad chick&. '

23. It is not advisable to mate a JOlb gobbler with common hens, as the result will be -injuiy. A medium-sized gobbler is better. v 24. Young gobblers may be distinguished ficrn. the femaies by being heavier, more masculine in appearance, more- carunculated on tiio head, and a development of the "tassels" on the breast. A little experience may be required ■at first.

25. Adult turkeys cannot be kept in confinement, as they will pine away. By feeding them in the barn yard a little night and morning they will not stray off -very iar, but they, carniot be entirely prevented from roaming, and the hen prefers to make her own nest. 26. Gobblers and hens of the same age may be mated, but it is better to have a difference m the age. \ 27. Pullet 3 may lay small eggs at first, but the eggs will gradually increase to the normal size. "" — Having -now put down all the eggs necessary to fili his own requirements, Mr Irwine announces in his advertisement that he is prepared lo sell settings irotn his imported, birds.