POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2856, 9 December 1908, Page 35

POULTRY NOTES.

— Every poultry -keeper aims, or ehould aim, to reduce his food-bill ; jet to obtain the maximum profit from his poultry. Profit does not necessarily arise from phenomenal egg yield, for that niay be the result of great expenditure in food. A grass run greatly helps to reduce food expenditure, particularly if there are two runs, thus allowing of periodical spells for both. A grass run provides not only green food in abundance, but also plenty of worms and insect life, all of which are eagerly devoured by fowls. For leanng chickens, nothing equals liberty to forage on a grass run: they grow and fatten on the soft young green shoots, and in racing ard scratching about obtain healthy exercise, which accounts for the difference in appearance between shed-fed and run-fed -I- k

The chicken thoroughly enjojs itself trying to catch flies and insect in the cia-M, and employs itself m doing so almost incessantly. Adult fowls albo obtain wonderful benefit fossicking amonget grass, and the result in egg yield is in every way satisfactory, for fre?h grass run means more eggs, richer eggs, and "Kjater fertility. The moulting s^-.ou is now on in many runs, and is approaching for all, and it cannot be known too well that fowls previously confined will go into a rapid moult almost 'mm«di»tely if allowed on to a grass run, and, further, that with an abundance of green food they get through ths moult far easier than otherwise. - ... . „ •, . — Leg weakness in chickens is attributaVo iv many cases to keeping them on a hard floor without opportunity for scratching exercise. Kept under such conditions the better the food and the greater the weight built up the worse ft :e: c for tho chickens' legs, which, of course, require to be made strong by exercise to ca.-.y a heavy body Whether it be in the brcodei or scratching shed, the litter should always ba of such aniple depth that grain thrown must be worked! for, and when work is compulsory thejegs will of necessity be strohg. — Speaking of the hopper system ot feeding poultry, an American authority, M- BF.GiO.cill, cays: — When it comes to the hopper method of feeding, here is where 1 will "have to be shown, as my experience in this way of feeding ar.d my best reasoning faculties are solidly against it The feeding of several kinds of feed in a salf-feeder must be based upon the theory that the fowls will balance their own ration, also determine the Pr°P« r amount to be^aten. Now, how shall we expect a hen to do either of these t.nngs.' \sk a dairyman to apply this rnetnod- to his cows, and what would be say? Try it with other farm animals, and what would be the result? - I do not say that this method may not be successful in fattening stock or possibly in getting a heavy egg yield for limited time, but for feeding breeding stcek to maintain, strong constitutions and success for a term of years I am decidedly sceptical as to the merits of hopper feeding. I gave this method a trial for something over a year while manager of a certain poultry farm, mainly on account of the tinft-savinjr feature of the plan, but the result* were entirely unsatisfactory to myself, and I abandoned it. It was not a fcuceess with me with eitnei old or young stock. It is my humble proprecy that the time is not far distant when the hopper-feeding method will be laid to rest in the grave-yard of exploded poultry fa.d=i.