POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3205, 18 August 1915, Page 61

POULTRY NOTES.

r>y i ERROR. The Dunedin Fanciers’ Club balance sheet for the year just ended shows that receipts from all sources balanced expenses within 6d The total receipts amounted to £347 3s sd, the principal show items being: —Members’ subscriptions, £27 3s: entry money. £ll3 Os 6d ; door money, £129 ss. The expenses included £B3 14s fid. prize money and bank charges; judges’ fees, £lB 15s; rent, £ls 15s Id; show wages and sundries, £ls 15s Id; and rent, £25. The sum of £lB 13s 3d has been written off as plant depreciation. Collections and auction sales brought in £4l 9s. and sundry cred'ts. irrespective of the show proper, added thereto enable the club to hand over £45 7s to the Sports .Queen Carnival Fund. —-It should interest poul try-breeders to know that to maintain size in eggs one essential is to select fair-sized eggs for setting purposes; also that oven if the eggs set are on the small side, if the rooster used in the breeding-nen is himself the progeny of a hen which laid fair-sized eggs, then his chickens may reasonably be expected to lav larger eggs than they themselves were hatched from. The male bird, let it be, remembered, influences all the progenv, while the female birds influence onlv those bred from eggs of their own laying. The New Zealand _ Utility Poultry Club’s eleventh epfjr.Dying competition— April. 1915. to May 31. 1916, six hens to a pen—completed its seventeenth week on Aug-ust Ifi as follows: Heavv breeds: 1. K. Willi's, Now Brighton (B.O.) .. .. 407 2. Ooon«r & Wainscott. Sprevdon (R.1.R.) 365 3. W. Bloomfield, Auckland (T 8.0.) .. ~ 318 Indian runner ducks; 1. W. Knight, Hutt 368 2. Glencoe Ranch, Karori 845 Light breeds: 1. Jack Green, St. Albans (W.L.) .. .. 389 2. Glencoe Poultry Ranch, Karori (W.L.) 373 3. 11. S. Woodnorth, Winton (W.L.) .. 365 4. Waikato Egg Farm, Hamilton (W.L.) 363 5. A. G. Brailey, Hillraorten (W.L.) .. 857 5. Verral Bros., Swannanoa (8.L.) .. .. 357 6. Dalmuir P. Yards, Waltham (W.L.) .. 346 7. Calder Bros.-, Oamaru (W.L.) .. .. 345 The 49 pens in the light breeds (294

birds) have laid in the 17 weeks a total of 13,938 eggs; the 11 pens of heavy breeds (66 birds) have laid 2806 eggs; and the Indian runner ducks (eight pens, 480 birds) have laid 1843 eggs. —lt is the height of folly attempting to keep turkeys anywhere save where the conditions are favourable, as they are more easily influenced by their surroundings than any other class of poultry. Damp is fatal to them, and if one is living in a wetspot, upon heavy clay land, or in a very exposed position, then any branch of poultry-keeping rather than turkey-raising should be gone in for. Unless the soil is dry and the position somewhat sheltered, the rearing of turkeys should not be attempted, because failure is bound sooner or later to ensue. The growing turkeys should be provided with an abundance of shelter, either natural or artificial, under which they can go during w r et or very hot weather. Intense heat is almost as bad as cold. Unless the weather is settled the birds should not be allowed to wander far away from home, as a sudden rainstorm has been known to play havoc among a flock of young turkeys. When there is an abundance of natural shelter, the same precautions are unnecessary; but, at the same time, for this reason the birds must not be neglected. When turkey chickens are about eight weeks old the process known as “shooting the red” takes place, during which time the birds t?ro in a rather critical -condition, requiring special care and attention. Their annetitos fail, their feathers lose their brilliant lustre, and they have a generally nrscrablo- appearance. Loan nfcat must be provided liberally, and they should be given some stimulants. They must b" kept away from wet crass, for during this ncriod they arc.very liable to colds, and the least carelessness may have the most serious consequences. Once the process is ovt safely they are a hardy as ordinary chickens, and require no particular attention. A TIP FROM ANDREW LANG. Though tbc writer has never scon the name of Andrew Lang in English show catalogues or laying competitions, he anpears to have distinctlv sound notions in regard to the poultry business. This conclusion : s arrived at by reading the following advice to those who may bo shy of making known the fact that they have good stuff to sell : —“ When the goose lays an ecg she just waddles off as if she was ashamed of it—because she is a coos*'. When a hen lays an egg —ah ! Slhe calls heaven and earth to witness it ! The hen is a natural-born advertiser; hence the demand for hens’ eggs exceeds the demand for goose eggs, and the hen has all the business she can attend to.” This writer referred the matter to the advert’Vrg department for expert criticism, and found that the manager was a firm believer in. as friend Lang remarks. “ Calling heaven and earth to witness it.” So imnressed was he with Andrew’s gumption that he wanted to order a complete set of his works, “ for.” said he, “ a man who can write that may b n expected to write anvthinrr. We like the casual advertiser.” he continued: “wo respect the big advertiser, but we fafi-lv dote on the constant advertiser.” Getting interested : n h : s subject, he added some advice, sound, in itself, though a little malanronos, perhaps, in its e’aoiee of similes. “ Advertising is just like vermin-huntipEr—there is hist- one good time to do it, and that is all the time.” After all. they are words of wisdom. You cateh sa”v> 'mstomers the first time, but you catch all the customers if you do it ail the time. INDIAN RUNNER DUCKS. Indian runner ducks do not find water essential to a successful life, except for drinking purposes (says an Finglish authority), as thev take only about two plunges a day, their greater time .being taken up in foraging. Their upright carriage and peculiar running gait enable them to forage far and wide, anrl they will n'ck up half their living in this wav. Thev are full grown in from eight to 10 weeks. Get a start, and you will alwavs keep them. Do not food the ducklings until thev are about 48 hours old, when they first should tie given all the water they will drink. Their food should bo given them about five times a dav. and not too much. Bocfscran given them after they are about two weeks old is a good thing. Go not give any green feed unt'l they are about two weeks old. When thev have reached this age feed onlv about three times a day. Care shonkl be taken in order to have nroper and drv quarters, as this is the most important thing in raisin" ducks, leg-weak-n~cs be in g the result of tlamn nuarters Du-'kbngs should not be allows! to have across to water except for drinking purposes until they arc well feathered. - CHEAPENING THE FOOD-SUPPLY. The great value of lucerne hay for poultry is not appreciated as it should be. Chaffed and steamed overnight, it may constitute the bulk of the morning mash. With the increasing attention being given to lucerne by farmers, lucerne hay is now procurable at several cent res in the Dominion. Used as above described, it should prove the best of all means of reducing the present high cost of feeding. Clover hay chaff is almost as good as lucerne hay chaff. Ensilage may also bo fed by the farmer who has a supply of a good sample of sweet silage. It can be chaffed and mixed with a little pollard or bran into a mash of a crumbly consistency. Skim-milk is an oxcelent food for poultry, and. where possible, should bo used to moisten the morning mash. It may .also bo given for drinking purposes. Butter-milk may also be used to advantage. Care should bo taken in feeding these by-products of -milk to keep the utensils clean in which they are fed. For growing stock boiled potatoes and vegetables may bo used in the morning mash. For fattening purposes, brewers’ grains mixed with a little pollard and bran are very good. A.s a tonic and a moans of giving a good colour to the yolk of the egg, there is nothing better than watercress. The farmer in particular should remember that not only will a good range ensue proper development of the stock, but the birds will thereby be able to pick up a good part of their living. With the high cost of food it will pay well to protect this in every way. especially from sgiulJ birds; therefore all food should, if possible. bo fed in the house, and the mash ho given in troughs. If fowls arc to secure the greatest benefit from any class of food it shoulej be made as appetising as possible. The troughs should be kept thoroughly clean, white the litter in which the grain is fed should bo occasionally changed.