POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2902, 27 October 1909, Page 34

POULTRY NOTES.

. 1 — A correspondent, signir'g himself "Constant Reader." asks whether the faot thattwo oxford- are ontinuall} fifihtinsr through the wire netting dividing two pens of 'cw!-, an;) th* po&-iit^Jity cf oncf thorn occasionally getting ovSPrhe Tencr* :-o as to cairy m hostilities at close quarters wiLl erTeci the fcrtilty of the €ijrga. In. repK I may =ay that though fijjhtins. ooeks a.r>e considered (jetx'* fertilisers, it is. better that thpy -sbouM have the disposition, to fig>hfr rather than th-9 tco frefjueret opportunity. I£ tha mai'a birda <!.?clare an armistice each, day about half an hour before the hens retire to roost, and have not compleifcelvi exhauster] thom«elve-» ii> tho ombat, JJ should say the fertility would b> al) /ight:. but for sa-fetv's sake I recomtjiorici the han^riiU! of ?<une hagsing or th« placing of a' 2>ft board dhsion against the lo»ver part of the wire fence. j — A got d Hiv of diminishing the ej?£ \ie!d ewin at rhe season of the year wherfowls .ro rao-t .jrcHfic, i 1 - to kuve tlv> fc-c<Hng and watering of the fowls to children cr ppi-on^ Lli»intercsted ir the results. When such an arrangement cannot be a\cid-oci the proprietor should at least at '•hci-t ihtenak vi-it the runs to in-sp-^t "oiuhtions, to. direct attention to i empty t.ms, accumulation cf filth, the presence of vermin, empty crops, sickly Lirds, <>:• to focd Uv>insr about unconeumrd. j Dear •"Terror," — I am taking the liberty ' of writing \or re ducks. I would like .to have ducks la\iii,g in June. When ' should tlmy be hatched to lay <it that time.? Do you opi>rove of keeping last year's ducks or not 1 ' I have a few that commenced laving in July oi August. I have se,*" th-nr e'-'g-. and have never had euch luck, out, cf 40 eggs getting 38 ioung ducklin,? a . I ha\c no water 'or them to swim in, but two cr fchr-ee xrtLs- pacWocks, and 1 • tiiev do not "at v>rv much focd. Thcv ,' pifk up a little sofi fooci in the morning, ' ard a little wheat at night. This a theii first gear's laying. Thoy are white, i and look very nke. Th-e duckling- ?o.Ti" ! out in 26 da\s, and out of aboui 200 X i have only lost one. Is there any book or. 1 journal you would advice me to got.— l am. [ etc., Oamaku.— fPractir-allv any duck will j lav in Jur.-^, no matiei w'>at tlio hrosd. Hud-- lutcne-1 c\<:-n a-, hue a- Fci luarv ha\-e laif*' in .Jui 'Jood 'ajiijEr -tuina o£ runnTii hatc-hed about now \v< ukl lav ir. ' auUmi' (Maioh or April). Tht i';-ulf3 inj^!iliO!i r tl vie .->o good that in the owner*. pit' i^- f -i / cannot recommend him to hunt for moio out,i<!e knowledge, I'ecau'-e tsuoh would probdblv lead to the following u"> of th"oiie- t'onounce-d by some as nronglvi , an a«i\ocate<J hv others. "Let well alon,'"" i is a good pi -•verb. The hatching ir 26 I (lavs d«'not<w \ i^orous 6foek. l'robablv , thov are crops'*. If my corrcspond-srif; | want-J pure stock and laver-s I shou!<l 3u-g-ge*t Indian runncrn or Buff Orpington j fluc'ir-. Don't keep la->t .fear's birds, exc.pti»i'» for -.tock purpo-p^. Young birds are tlie better lajers Young birds shouW I I-, fit to kill at 10 -eelw. Soft food, aimwers best with ducks. — TERROR.] — 7'hoio. chickens which have reached tho age of five weeks a"re generally out of danger, or, in other words, the mortality is less by a large percentage than when at an earlier age, or from two to four weeks

old, but there should be no flagging in the care of the chicks after this time. They must be fed rarefulrj' and on such food as will tfive nourishment and strength fco as to build up a well-nourished body, healthy, strong 1 , and vigorous, with stores of strength to lean upon when the drain of egg-production has come and the chills of autumn and cold winter are to be resisted. At the age of seven or eight weeks they may be weaned from five to Four feeding-s per day, and the early stages of feeding should be with a view of making bone, muscle, and feathers. The soft food may be composed of ground barley one part, wheat middlings two parts, wheat bran one part, and finely-ground oats two parts, io which may be added a pint of ground meat and bone to 10 or 12 quarts of the mixture^. If green cut bone rs being fed then th© prepared meat may be omitted from the mixture. One feed of tlijs^ food may be given daily until the chickens «re quite well grown, varying the time of feeding it. The other feeds may consist of coarse oatmeal, wheat, barley, and torn cracked, and green stuff; and ebout twice a week a good mixture for a change is fresh meat cooked and chonped. and mi«ed whh coarse oatmeal. Fresh ground bone should also be given two or three times a week. The food should be varied as nmeh as possible. Maize may be fed sparingly, for it is deficient in bono and mjscle devedoprrent, and the chickens musfe be fed for growth rather than fat. Ther?e rs great danger as the pullet reaches maturity in getting her over-fat. Thip is nirre the case with Rocks, Wyandottes, and the heavy breeds. It is sure to retard of'jr- production and proper development. Exercise is very important to health and growth, and should be encouraged at all times by keeping the pen well t littered. They should never b-3 deprived of pure water, and shade should always be provided either by trees or shelter. — Green bone or butchers' bones finely cut by a bone-cutting machine, fed soparately »B a midday treat, or mixed up in soft food, w an economical feed, and it is extremely doubtful if a more invigorating food for chickens or laying jffock can be found. Advice is asked on preserving cut green bone during the summer months. After leaving" the mill it should be placed in a convenient spot where there is plenty of fresh air, but very little sunshine, and 6pr©ad thinly on th** floor or a large table, when freshly-slacked lime may be sprinkled over the cut bone until well covered. It must be raked over several times until the lime adheres to every piece of bor>« <.:• meat. Now sift on maize-meal freely in same manner as lime, raking freely, and using enough meal to absorb all prease and moisture in the meat. It must be further disturbed for two or three da\s, and if necessary, more meal raked in, when it will keep an entire season without spoiling. The lime will not injure the fowls; in fa:t. better egg-forming material than meat. bone. meal, and lime cannot be givpn to poultry. It is astonishing how few poul-try-keepers (especially town and suburban) give a thought to this cheap, nourishing-, and efficacious food for fowls kent in confinement. — Re^snrly on the shores of Mada^as^ai' an e<rg vas unearthed that wa6 laid beforo the days of history. The egg is from the long extinct iGpyonis and is said to bo as large as one hundred and fortyeight hen's eggs, while the nutritive value of its contents is estimated to have beon equal to thirty-eeven pounds of meat. Hl3 race :s: s said to have died out through man digging up the" eggs deposited in the fraud for hatching — thus destroying the race. Ono eg? reijres^ntfd a week's supply of food for a family, and the hen that would Jay a dozen such eggs would keep him going all the summer. Wonder if they had any 200-egi? hens in those da.w? The museum authorities that obtained the r»lupaid £40 for it. What a finp pouiir\ farm a few hen-s of the 200-egg strain would make with eggs at the above price.