POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2579, 19 August 1903, Page 54

POULTRY NOTES.

Br Terhoe.

— The p.s. Evsex. which sailed for South African ports on Friday, took a consignment of 139 orates of poultry, containing 1404fowls, 276 ducks, 90 turkeys, and 33 gaeso —in all, 1623 head. This shipment represents approximately the output of the Dunedin depot for three months, but does not satisfy a tenth part of the orders in hand.

— Flying antp have bsen, very destructive to poultry* in Poverty Bay. One owner lost 50 fowls in 10 minutes, and on another farm the. ants killed 28 fowls in an hour. The Government veterinarian is to be asked to examine some of the ants.

— T!ic=o who have ehickcu.« to care for should be particularly careful not to exposo them to c-xi es-ive cold, rain, or wind. A check to growth in early chickenhood affects the ultimate eize and weight of the adult bird." Don't servo them with sloppy food; never leave soft food uneaten to be trampled upon, and soiled. Sweep and sprinkle afresh, every day the spot upon which the chickens nestle together at night, whether under hen or in brooder.

— Good, healthy, ycung or old fowls after the third mouth, if well fed and oared for, can furnish enough blood to keep about 400 chicken lice each robust and full of life. If they had 1 no lice to support less food would bo required to keep the fowls in good condition. It is bad policy to feed lice; tli^y are no usa to anybody ; let them starve. But y<ni can only do that h\ starving the chickens; then kill tho lice. The easiest way in the- opinion of one authority to kill lioe is to drown them. Fill a fivegaJlon oil-can two-thirds full of warm water, and add about an ounce of carbolic- acid. About 10 o'clock any clear morning dip ouch bird into this bath, head and heel ; hold it about hnlf a minute to drip, and turn it loose. Go tlr.ough the whole flock thus. In an hour they will bo all dry, and free from living lice. Then you can fatten any of them in eight or ten days. You can't fatten them with the lice on them — tliat much is certain. Snuff is also good, but its administration to an entire floc-ld is accompanied by too much sneezing on the part of the administrator. — Try rolled oats just damped with milk for the first week's chicken food, and provide plenty of grit and green food to pcok at.

—In counting chickens and removing shells always allow the- hen to settle on the nest before replacing tho chickens, otherwise some are likely to be trampled unon and killed.

— Don't feed chickens for 1\ hours after hatching, or 36 if some, are late hatched. Prior to the chicks' first feed remove the hen to permanent brooding premises, amd feed' well before giving her the chicks. .She will then feed her family with due attention and without too much fuss.

— Tho majority of chicken troubles begin in the breeding pen. It may be taken as an axiom that weakly chickens had weakly parents ; that Slow-feathering ohickens come from liens of poor constitution ; that vermininfested ehioks had unclean mothers. Weed out tho small, under-sia&d hens, the delicate hens, and destroy all vermin from the bieed-

ing pe-n. The result ynil hb quiefe'y growing chicks, and a minimum, of eickness and mortality. *

— The fourth month of the laying competition at tho Hawkesbury Agricultural College terminated ou. July 31, and the results were again satisfactory. Two of the American pens still hold first and third positions respectively, but the third pen has lost a few points, owing to some of th© birds toeing in moult. Th total number of eggs laid for the month of July was 6636} as compared with 4821 in June, 3124 in May, and 128* in. April, making a total o£ 15,865 by ihe 70 pens of six hens each. The following are a few of tho leadimg pens and aggregates for four monthe: — Mrs Hansel, America, R. C. Brn Leghorns 470 G. Howell, W'entworthville, Silver-i^Vyan-dottea 451 "W. X.. Hays, America, White "Wyandottos 414 A. Itfunro, Eockdale, Buff Leghorns .. „ 385' Ponton a-nd Son, Tuggerah Lakes, Langehnns 360J. Varley. Rookwood, Buff Orpingtons .. 34^ R. E. Warren, Riohmond, Silver Wyan-

dottea 349 W. B. Csuides, America, White Wyandottes 345 W. Wild. Lake Albert. Black Orpingtons. . 331 A E. Honry, Ryde, Silver Wyandottcs .. 324 Mts Kirkby, Ryde, Buff Wyandottea .. .. 323 S. Kendall. Kiama. Silver Wyandottes .. 317 ,

Tli© lowest pens have not yet exceeded. 100 eggs during the four mouths, one or two standing at from 50 to 80 eggs eaoh*