POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3016, 3 January 1912, Page 35

POULTRY NOTES.

By Tehhob.

The “cloud-burst” over the NorthEast Valley oil Eve. amidst its more serious consequences, played havoc with pouitrymen’a interests. Substantial . pouitryhouses were in many instances mot ed" from their foundations and the birds therein drowned, and frailer structures were reduced to loose lumber, and hens and chickens were washed away by the flood. ' In the course of a walk up the Main road after the waters had subsided ample evi- 1 donee was to be seen in the form of dead fowls and chickens lying about the streets, that poultry-breeders had had a particularly bad time; and what with their loss and the added fact that the season has, generally speaking, boon unfavourable to successful chicken-rearing, there is every probability that the winter egg wild be a “fair” price. The late Mr Lewis Wright, in his book on “ Poultry,” said that laying hens should be fed in proportion to what sno is capable of turning into eggs; hence we need to sort out fowls into ages and laying quail- , ties, and even to feed the same birds differ- ' cntly when in full lay from what we do j when resting. In a fair-sized eggs we have 2oz to be provided daily, besides the 'hen s own needs of life and health. Xho non j being regarded as an egg factor or machine, | if she has to produce a constant supply of j sho must b<3 fa'd with foods- that will • enable her to do it. Let- us look at thoj composition of the hen and an egg. A hen lias approximately 25 per cent, of protein —that 'is, flesh. 20 per cent, of fat, and 8 per cent, of ash; and an egg 12 per cent, of protein, 12 per cent, of fat, and 2 per cent, of ash. totalling 57 por cent, of flesh, 32 per cent, of fat, and 10 per cent, of ash or* mineral matter, so that a perfect food for cgg-production should contain those elements. No single grain or combination of grains or seeds will provide all that is required; therefore it is necessary to select the most nutritive properties in the various cereals—wheat, maize, peas, oast, otc.,-«-and add meat and milk to pro vide’ the required amount of flesh-formers, fat and mineral matter, and these must lie scientifically blended to obtain the desired result. It is onlv by the aid of a knowledge of the feeding values of the various i foods that this can be properly done. For the guidance of those who care to study the feeding values of various foods to enable ] them to feed their flock with economy and efficiency, I give below a table of analyses of the principal foods need in poultryfeeding : ANALYSES OF POULTRY FOODS.

REQUISITES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF GOOD EGGS. Au requisites for the production of good eggs and marketing ■ them in good condition the following may bo mentioned:— 1 Hens ’that produce not only a goodly number of eggs but eggs of moderately laro-e size (weighing 2oz each on an average). Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottus, Rhode Island Reds, Orpingtons, and Leghorns, or Minorca* that are used on egg farms arc varieties that may be'expected to do this.

| 2. Good housing, regular feeding and watering, and. above all, clean, dry nests. 3. Daily gathering of eggs, and, when the temperature is above SOdeg, gathering twice a day. i 4. The confining of all broody hens as soon as discovered. 5. The rejection as doubtful of all c'-g’s , found in a nest that was not visited the previous day. Such eggs should bo used at home, where each may be broken separately. 6. The placing of all summer eggs, as soon as gathered, in the coolest place avail--1 able. 1 7. The prevention at all times of mois- > ture in any form coming' in contact with, the eggshells, i 8. The disposal of young cockerels before they begin to annoy the hens. Also the selling or confining of old male birds from the time hatching is over until cool weather' in fall. 9. The using of cracked and dirty as wel' as email ejjgs at home. Such eggs, if consumed when fresh, are perfectly wholesome, but when marketed are disoviurinated against, and are likely to become an entire less. 10. The marketing of all eggs at least once a week, and oftencr when convenience allows. 11. Keeping eggs as cool and dry as possible while on the way to town and while in country stores. 12. Keeping eggs away from musty cel•ars or bad odours 13. The use of strong, clean crises, and good fillers. 14. The shipping of eggs to the final market at least once a week and as much oftened as possible. The loss in ibis country due to the actual spoiling of eggs constitutes an enormous waste, which could in a large measure be saved wore eggs given reasonable cave from tire time of laying until they reach the consumer. 1 The ideal condition of the egg trade is to bring the intelligent dealer who wants quality and will pay for it into close touch with the producer. Every factor in the egg trade that prevents this is detrimental to the progress of this important branen of intensive agriculture.

PUREBRED v. MONGREL BARNDOOR FOWL. We find plenty of people who proclaim that the miserable barndoor fowl is the eggproducer par excellence, and that her second cousin by marriage, the handsome purebred breeding for show points, I may point out fowl, is of no use, having been spoiled by tjjat there a.ro a number of pure breeds quite ahead of the mongrel in tilling the egg basket. Supposing, then, you want fowls for egg-production only, it will bo as well to give a little consideration. As your object at present is to stock egg-producers, you must select between sitters and nonsitters. In the following tables you have (1) the merits of the laying powers of sitters, (2) non-sitters.

WHAT ARE THE GENERAL EARLY SIGNS TO ENABLE TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE SEXES OF CHICKENS? In tho lighter sorts, such as the Mediterranean breeds, the cockerels’ comb and wattles show the sex at an early date. In nearly all varieties tho comb serrations of the female are smaller, thinner, and more finely pointed; the head and beak are longer in shape, thus giving the chick a distinctly “feminine” cast. An infallible sign is the way the little birds feather on tho wings. The cockerels arc sparsely feathered on the shoulders, and instead are covered with a kind of Huff; the flights are pointed, their legs arc. thicker, heads larger; in short, generally speaking, they are heavier in bone. The future egg-providers, on the contrary, have the wing feathers fully formed, and being able to ueo them better, fly into the maw of any prowling cat if housed in insecure and badly-made coops. Later on, as “the bump of combativonoss” is developed in the cockerels, they will be found “sparring” with one another.

i RHEUMATISM. 1 This disease is met with frequently in wet seasons such as the present, and on ground that is not sufficiently drained it makes its appearance through damp. In the human subject we have rheumatism, ac,ute articular rheumatism, chronic rheumatism, and muscular rheumatism. Now, it would be impossible to subdivide r-o clearly with fowls. Broadly speaking, rheumatism in fowls is an inflammatory affection of the joints, and it shows itself in damp places; but damp is not the actual cause. *> • Symptoms. Contracted toes, swollen joints, and generally very hot; great I distress whilst walking. I Treatment. —Hold the legs in hot water (try your hand first; if it doesn’t take the skin off your hand it is about the right temperature!). A little mustard added to | the water helps. Hold the bird’s legs in j from five to ten minutes; thoroughly dry. j Then rub with embrocation. Also give a liver pill daily. These will also act on the kidneys. If young chicks, a pinch of Epsom sglte in their drinking water. Give tonic medicines, and feed liberally, and keep on dry runs. In all oases, in using the embrocation bo ! careful not to get any above the knee joint jor on the feathers. Birds that suffer much j from rheumatism are not safe to use as I stock birds, as some birds are predisposed ;to the disease, and there can be little | doubt but that this predisposition to the disease is passed on to their progeny. All birds Suffering from any of these I diseases should have a dry run, and a warm j bed of bay to lie on at night, as they will ! not bo able to perch whilst suffering from i these diseases. i Just at this time of the year large num-

bens of chickens will bo suffering—in most cases from the lack of experience of their owners, —but if you will follow out tho advice given in this article, you will find that you will got them all right in u very short time. PRESERVING EGGS. Certain essentials for best results: (1) No cocks to be used in the poultry yard. (2) Egg absolutely' fresh before being dealt with. (3) As low a temperatu.re as possible from the first, short of freezing. (4) Exclusion of air. (5) Quick removal of a broken or damaged egg. Water-glass now acknowledged facile princeps. Silicate of soda. Proportions, Ito 15, with water that has been previously boiled, and cooled; Ito 10 forms a stronger preservative to keep eggs from nine months to a year. Th© same watorglaes may bs used year after year if no accident has happened to it. Its principal action is to seal up the pores of the egg. This may cause egg to crack when boiled unless a p nlio © be made at the thick, end into the air chamber befoic belling. Any* thing metal must not be used. Eggs pro* served in waterglass are for practical pur* poses as good as fresh for several months. . When taken out of the preservative, tlva eggs, if rubbed with a cloth, lose a the outer shell, which gives them tha chalky appearance of a newly-’aid egg. Lime Pickle.—This can either be with or without tartaric acid, saltpetre, etc. Tho lime water is made by putting a large pieco of quicklime into a-bucket of dean water. Stir all up-till white as milk. Allow to. settle. Pour off the e’ea.r liquid. Put in the eggs, and sprinkle a tablespoonful of fresh quicklime on the furfa'.© to form an ice. This ice should be renewed every . time tho surface gets broken from any cause, Eggs embedded in the thick lime sedi- • ment which falls to the bottom as* the liquof) is made have been known to be quit* fresh at the end of two years. Eggs are said to have been preserved fog a few months by enclosing them in a not tied at both ends. The net is then hung - up in a cool, airy collar by one end, ana reversed every day or so. Eggs will keep good a few weeks if they do not touch each other, laid on an open shelf. So. again, if embedded in bran or saw. dust —bran for preference. Embedded in common salt (sodium chloride), they keep well for a few weeks. The following have been tried and failedi (1) Rubbing them with lard, butter, oils, or fats generally. These turn rancid. (2) Rubbing them with vaseline. This tastes the egg badly. (3) Coating them with varnish, gum. or glue. (4) Burying them. A commercial way is to break the eggs into tins and treat them like preserved meats, hermetically sealing them. Another way is to cook, thoroughly dry and reduce to powder.

MAN. AND THE ROOSTER. (By Mrs L. B. Snider.) The rooster, as you may have heard, Is an ungainly, awkward bird. Whose looks and manners are absurd. (And so is man.) lie struts and crows for all he’s worth. And' acts as though he owned the earth, But he provokes a deal of mirth. (And so docs man.) To stuff his craw is his delight; He gobbles everything in sight, And never gives the hens a bite. (Just like a man.) Sometimes he’s in a generous mood, And when lie finds a scrap of food The hens in his domains are wooed, To boat the band. But though he tries to play the gent, He doesn’t fool them worth a cent. His object is too evident—(And so is man’s.) When danger threatens, Chanticleer Is paralysed and dumb with fear. And never even ventures near. (How like a ream!) But when the mother’s watchful care Has saved the brood he’ll strut and sweak “Me ami Maria killed a bear.” (And so will man.) While his old hen is on the nest. He’s dressed up in has Sunday best, And goes out flirting with the rest. (Just like a man.) But when at last the egg is laid. He calls his wife a Lazv jade. And crows: “Behold what 1 have made!’ 1 (And so does man.) He loves to sit upon the fence. And try to make a big pretence. But hasn't got a grain of sense. (Nor has a man.) —Michigan Poultry Breeder, CENTRAL PRODUCE REPORT. ’ cssrs Reilly, Scott, and Gill report that they he’d two sales of poultry during the past week. Only moderate consignment* came to hand. For all young birds a good demand was experienced, ducklings making 5s to 3s fid each, ducks 2s fid, younjp cockerels 2s 3d. 2s 9d, and 3e; old hens Is 3d, Is 4d, Is fid. Is 3d, and Is lid ; goslings 2s 9d, 3<?, 3s 3d, 3s fid. 3s 9d, 4s, and 4s 3d each. Eggs arrived freely, and stock* have been accumulating, rales being slow. Case eggs to li= and Is Id, stamped and guaranteed Is Id, Is 2d,, and Is 3d j>er doz. Wo can confidently recommend consignments of good young ducklings, ffoslings, and cockerels; also, goed boiling liens, fair values being assured.

■ S- * O aS o o 3 B Food. 2 o •S OII * to o 6 i5 a £ S r d JiS < - S u* 124 117 1-8 70 2 4 17 1 to 0-3 11 104 57 70 2 1-5 1 , 79 14 12 9 0 50-4 19 •2*7 1 , 5-0 14 9 2 68 5 2*2 1 , 6-6 14 ft i 77 2-4 0-0 1 , 15 9 14'3 227 2 52 5 0-4 2-4 1 , 2-5 Millet 14 12 7 8'3 57-5 9-5 3 1 , 5-2 12-5 10 4 08 3-3 1-3 1 , 78 Buckwheat 14 9 la 58'7 15 IS 1 , 6-9 8 10 21 45 14 2 1 I , 0-2 9 ft 17'3 19-8 33 5 8-6 0-1 I ■ 6 14 15-ft 4 44 16-6 0 1 , 85 Middlings .. 12-1 107 15-6 712 4 137 CO-4 0-3 40 3-3 41 1 1 „ 3-9 .,0 5 Malt Culms 10-2 23-2 , 17 48-5 107 57 1 ,, 2-2 Cooked Flakes,. 117 13-8 2-4 08-5 2-1 I 0 1 »i 5*2

TABLE I. Breed. Laying Quality. Colour of Egr. Size of E g. Brahma Cochin Dorking Game .. Langshan Orpington .. Plymouth Rock Wyandotte .. Fair Fa'r Fair Fair Good Good Good Go od Brown Brown Cream Cream Brown Brown Brown Brown Medium Medium Medium Small Medium Medium Medium Medium TABLE II. Breei. La> ing Quality. Colour of Egg. Size Of EggAncona Andalusian .. Hamburgh .. Houdan Leghorn Minorca Good Good Fair Good Good Go d White White White White White W lute Large Large Small Large Medium Large