SIXTH ANNTAL TRIP. VISIT TO SOUTHERN POULTRY YARDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2661, 15 March 1905, Page 57

SIXTH ANNTAL TRIP. VISIT TO SOUTHERN POULTRY YARDS.

' By Teeuok.

\s stated in my last week's Poultry .'stcs. I was uufortunately prevented by ontmuous rains from completely carrj-ing ut th-e eomewhyt ambitious programme laid down for this year's visit to fanciers and poultry breeder... I think I may claim to have done fairly well. hoy. e\cr, during tlii 11 fine days at my disposal, for as the recorder upon my bicycle (the same Royal Enfield upo.i which all my trips lia\e. with fh'j exception of the first two. been made) tc.-tifics. I cci-ered over 350 miles in search of notes for my report. Having frequent opportunities throughout the year of visiting Mosgiel fanciers, I thought it well to resist a strong temptation to turn to the right a-s I footed Saddle Hill on the southern side, and halted not till I reached the Government Poultry Farm at Milton, just 36 miles by cyclometer from the Dunedin Post Office. In company with Mr Arthur Carr, the present manager, I looked over the whole farm, and found that sit.'cc my last visit many improvements had been effooted. The brooder house, for instance, has been enlarged and remodelled upon modern lines, and now rsr-mides, m nine separate compartments, the finest conceivable accommodation for chickens from the time of hatching till they are sufficiently advanced for transference to outdoor premises. From a side walk running the whole length of the brooder house the attendants can lift the lids of the nine separate hovers where the birds cluster for warmth (under pipe=; which convoy the heat through eh« ■whole series), and I was shown that these were kept clean and sweet by constant change of the floor material. Mr Carr's idea is that cleanliness and warmth combined are the first essentials to successful chicken rearing, _nd, further, ho holds strong views as to the necessity for frequent changes of ground right up to the laying age. Each hover (or brooder) fioer is covered first v. ith fine gravel or sand, over this is spread a sack, and above that is clean earth. These precautions not only fpcilitate cleaning operations, but render them thorough and effectual, as when the sack and its burden is removed and fresh" material replaced, an entirely new flooring j=> provided containing no soakage to give •off foul emanations to poison the air. X was not surprised to learn — neither will my readers be — that Mr Carr had great success with his brooders, and suffered nolens of chickens in them. Fanciers and uoultry farmers who reported bad lucik in, brooding chickens la^t season will do well t^> note that a permanent floor thinly spread 1 with sand cannot fail to become contarriii listed with the moisture from droppings, _nd consequently to give off ammonia ■when the chicks arc clustered together and the heat is at the maximum. f*here are inner and outer runs connected with each brooder, and for the number of birds each is intended to accommodate they are ample in size, and suitable as regards light, shelter, and the provision cf such essential requirements as dusting and! scratching, gr't. an"! green growth. The building proper is lined with wcod backed' with felt in walls and ceil'-ng, and Mr Carr alleges that the heat can be regulated to a degree in the hottest or coldest weather. The first change for the chickens after i leading this brooder is to out -door, movable I brooders situated amidst admirable natural s'-eltcr : and. later, they pass to premises behind a. southern boundary high hedge. H.ere tbeno ane three splendid houses (perehkss c f course) having dust sheds attached, and each has its own grass-covered ! run. I may hei'e mention that amongst rho healthy, vigorous youngsters in these premises at the time of mv visit I was pleased to notice several Houdans bred from Government imported stock, none showing the- slightest trace cf that feebleness so cciispicuous in the inbred stock of this breed generally seen in this colony. Mr Carr does not allow his birds to perch till they arrive afc the laying age, and thus avoids crooked breast*. In speaking of the necessity for change for birds, Mr Carr informed me that as far as possible he intends to carry out his theory with breeding hens as with growing chicks, and he showed me a paddcek of eight acres in which he had large movable houses, each placed a? far as possible from tho other, where he intends to run his breeding hens for a couple of months prior to mating up. I consider this sn excellent plan, going far to justify the existence of the Government poultry farm. Mr Carr evidently realises that just as it is the farmer's sole object to raise eggs and meat as economically as possible, and the fancier's object is to create show birds ever at the oost of eggs, so it is his business to produce stud birds of good stamina regardless of all else. Having frequently spoken of the system of housing the flociks at this farm, I need merely mentioi that the original (first ejt-eted) range of 1+ houses j.nd runs has now b^en changed into a row of seven ; the runs, doubled in width, being now commodious imtead of noticeably narrow as of yore-. There are 16 ether large double hou-es for, breeding purposes on tho farm each to accommodate nine hens and «'i rooster .or a number of cockerels, or such hens as are not required for breeding. Each of these houses has a large enclosed run boarded 4ft high to break iiind. and there is a lank to every house. Grit, shell, lime, and young trees for shelter arc in every run. _ counted about 40 movable coops for odd purposes, each consisting of a 3ft x 4ffc house and Bft to 10ft run. These have two projecting handles at each end for carrying, and being lightly bu'lt, wire fronted," and! covered with rubero-id (a little too heavy. F think, in Hip timber), can be shifted readily by two uion. The incubator house contains three Cypher", two Prairie States and a Victor. As regards the stock, practically all the utility breedb are kept, and, generally speaking, ih-cy are good specimen* of the.r l>irrl. T s? w =ome \erv attractive bi^ds fiom tin' fancy standpoint in the black and huff 0,-pinsrton. Taiiqsli2n. Hondan, Plymouth Rocks, and Indian game. i>en«. In dttc'ks and duck accommodat'on the Miltor, poultry farm can, I think, make tho boast that it 1 olds the leading position. X shown about 230 young "ducks— Avles-

burys, Pekins, and Indian runners. Each species has separate accommodation, and joimg and old birds are also divided according to sex. One lot of 57 young drakes presented a very handsome picture as they swam and dived in the clear water of a running stream ; and, as they subsequently waddled ashore, gave evidence of rapid growth and undeniable quality. Mr Carr does all the carpentering, plumbing, etc., on the farm, as well as generally attending to its management, and he is undoubtedly the right man in 'he 3'ight place. His concern i? evidently, as it should be, not so much the quality of his stock as its well being. I have to thank Mr Carr for courteous attention and much valuable information. , Next week I shall speak of Mr D. Patton's birds, and open up my report upon Balclutha yards. ♦