POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 10 April 1901, Page 48

POULTRY NOTES.

By Terbob.

— Hen Fancier. — The address of the manager of the poultry farm, Seaoliff, is Seachff Asylum. The cause and cure of fowls stripping their feathers has been time out of number dealt with in these columns. Briefly put, I have invariably, I think, explained that idleness is the cause, and exercise the cure. For fuller information I think I cannot do better than quote "Utility," of the Weekly Times, as follows: — "The habit of feather-eating, when once contracted by hens, is difficult to cure. There are several reasons for the acquirement of the habit, but the principal one i.s that the fowls are closed up in a small pen where they have not sufficient exerci=e. Want of green food will tend to induce fowls to start feather-eating, and feeding on any sticky food that will adhere to> the plumage will also cause the birds to pick at the feathers, anl they will gradually acquire this bad habit. In moulting time, when the fresh feathers are just appearing, there is a large quantity of blood m the quills, and if birds are confined together in a small yard or pen, and once get a taste of the blood, they will have to be separated at once, or the fresh plumage will be ruined. Many different cures for feather-eatiug have been recommended, but none of them are certain remedies, and prevention will be found the most successful in the end. If your birds are confined in a small yard take care not to feed with soft or sticky food that will adhero to the feathers, and in feeding with grain it is a good plan to put a layer of straw in the pen and throw the grain on it Scratching for this amongst the straw will pro\ide the hen with exercise, and will materially assist in checking the habit. A little green cut bone should also be given two or three times a week, and a plentiful supply of gieen food is also an essential. Do not give the hens too full a meal in the morning, as this tends to make them dull and mop'ng, and instead of foraging for insects or other food, they will lie about in the shade until they become hungry again."

In continuation of the foregoing, I may add that mi me faneieis think thir°t is the chief cause of feather-eating. One writer say*-:— "I ha\e again and pgain *een it commence when the fountain \\a-> empty cr abbent, oi filled with sun-warmed water, and have verified tins conclusion repeatedly by withholding watei fioin a hen known to be addicted to it for a few hour& in warm weat!ie£. Xjje inleien.ee is obvious ; kjjep cool,

fresh water always in reach, ainl many cases at least would be a\oidcd." He adds"ldlencFo i<- also a qirat cause, and I have known a whole yard cured by burying torn in the giound, !=o as to gne the birds ni cupation in scratching. It is, for this reason, very useful to hang up a whole oabba&e by a .°trn.g. just within rrach of the bircK; by its bobbing about it gnes occupation and green food at the same time. A simple, temporaiy remedy, which may lead to ,» cure, is to file or pare away the edges at the tip of both mandibles of the offending bird, so that the beak will not meet at tho tip. It can Ptill pick up coin, but a feather slips through, and with per3istent ill-success the habit is often abandoned. A bran-and linseed mash twice a week has been known to afford marked benefit, r.nd, in' oir ease, whcie no animal food had bsen given, we knew a perfect cure attained by giving daily fresh or raw bones, crushed email ; in another case, by the free use of bone meal in all the food given for some days. The mo=t general success, however, appeared from inquiries to have attended the copious u«se of lettuces, especially _ if running to seed, and the medicinal qualities o£ thla plant has led me to advise the tr;il of a sedative. Accordingly, I Lave latrlr pi escribed an eighth to a quarter of a grain daily of acetate of morp -a, wiui a. giain of calomel in addition, twice a week, and the addition of carbonate of potash to the drinking water, in proportion to give a decided alkaline taste, with more marked 1 success thdii has attended any treatment I know; so marked, in fact, that I ha\© reason to belieie it may be found generally effectual. In the case mentioned the vicewas cured within a week, and in others al*o it has succeeded. External applications are, howe\er, also necessary. Short stumps of feathers mibt be extracted, and all the p»rts attached copiously anointed with rarho-i.-.ted vaseline, or a very stiff latl cr made from carbolic disinfecting »np, <n c\K to nauseate the unnatural palate of ti>e bucU. —Mr T F. Leihy, the praJer at tna Dunedin Government Poultry Depot, reports in respect to hi* first fuH ino.ith s bus ; ae-s as follows : -"Received from consignors 800 head, accepted and put tnroag.i 520 the balance, 280, being reject- fhe majority of the birds passed on to the < 00l stores were ducklings and chicken-. -\ '?ir proportion of boiling fowls and eld due*/* was also handled." The gtader insist* upon consignors exfrci=ing more ciic in tho EC.ection of their bird*., tho peicenUge of rejects being mr.fl' too high. He al-o complain-* of the awkwardness and dmyness of mai.y of the crates in vhich birds are seui. Any old bex wired across t'.ie top is neitivnsuitable .nor economical. Whr.t i> v antec t is a perfectly clean crate. ma-> ox light battens top "and sides; the bottom on v bMncr drvs boaid'd. Hn>- bl.'lm* batten admits of e-isy handling oi tho W.-J-. and c little <-tia-.v upon ihc floor, r.itohiticc tho droppings, ensures romfo.t for Ut Lire*, and facilitates cleaning MM 1 * L-shy i procuring the measurements of the c.w* now used 'and found suitable in "Victoria — Still in the prize list. At the Baiibury (Knglorfd) Show, held ou February \l and 13, Air F. Rogen's entry ecored a. third in. the I/uigih.m ccck class. A reporter's criticism of this bird reads: "3 Rogen, young, very i-mart, great reach, shapicy body, moderately feathered legs." * — Clean Water. — An Adela'dc fancier writes: — "I need hardly remind my readers that care must be taken to always supply clear and fresh drinking water, as I have urged it =o often. From thip source comes so many ailments that I almost think it necessary to again give a reminder in that direction; and, more than that, keen the water cool and fresh all the time. How often it is that one pees the water n? the ponltiy yard put out m tbe boil ng tc. sun all day lon# and nover changed, until it becomes perfectly sickly to look upou. let nlm*r> to be dnink by the fowl* and duc\-. Then come people wonder why ie is t'nnt di-eve i- rampant tliroiiehout the yard, and many a fine exhibition b rd "sroe^ down" before tho wading aunv; but nr.o without good effect, ior if nothing more it teaches one a 10-on. and tho*e who have brains are- set to U3P them find profit by the experience gained. Disease i° no respecter of persons; it taW~ (he laige and small, strong and weak : 2. it this we c T o know, when strong, heiltl.y nirda that haie some stamina to fall birk upon are attacked, they ha-< c a hundred chances to one for recovery against their weaklier brothers." — Effervescent enthusiasm is the secret of failure in many cases of poultry breeding. For a year or so there is to some breeders nothing like it. They talk all clay and dream all night about their purebred stock) and prospective winners. But the inevitable reaction soon corner. Their fancied bird does not obtain a card. Slowly but surely their interest wanes, and finally vanishes altogether, and they throw up t J is sponge in disgust. There is no doubt that nine-tenths of the failures in poultry keeping may be ascribed to the same cause, and lack of interest is certain to precede failure. But if they would only brace up and resolve to still si\e their stock the care and attention they bpstowed on them when they first made a stait, th°v would find that, although failures occasionally occur, success in most ratea would be assir.ee l . apcl that poultry keeping can be made a profitable undertaking.— Weekly Times. —At the Maine station, U.S.. flrc\-& of 15. 20. 25, ami 30 hens respectively weie tested for romparptne profits. The lots containing 20 hens gave a greater net profit per lot than any other number. Lots of 25 hens gave slightly greater net returns than did the 15-hen lots, and those with 30 hers gave much less net return-, than any of the other?. The general result indicates that thj be«t profits will be obtained by allowine; each hen fiom 8 to 10 square feet of floor space. — Speaking of Mr Maude, who is to judge our next Dunrdin show aad who^e advertisement re a journey Home appear? at the head of this column, the Australian Poultry Gazette says: — Sydney show will be specially written up for our (the Gazette*) next issue by Mr Maude, and fanciers who want to purchase through our lepoit can do so with confidence, as Mr Mauclo is one of .Australia's foremost judges. Over 25 years ago he reported for the Stockkeeper. Here he is in great demand as a ludge. having at tbe present four requests from New Zealand. Mr Maude is also booked for Charters Towers, Queensland.

The along the line at Lako Brminer are complamrag latterly of ilio treatment they are receiving at t'ne h. ir.ru of the inspectors, and unless a, change n made the men bay they cannot such bleepeis as are a-ked foi undoi 6-- eat h For neivous debility j.ud hy^ieuA- 55 ?

"Splendid exercise, cycling l Why, I shall be ready for another bicyclist m an hour or two! It does make one hungry! "