POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3292, 18 April 1917, Page 38

POULTRY NOTES.

By Teshob. Poultrymen complain about the lar#c number of eggs broken in transit over railway or through the post. The Poultry Conference took up the matter at Wellington last week. One speaker declared that he had lost an enormous number of valuable eggs through the carelessness of railway employees —whether this was duo to the shortage of hands or the taking on of inexperienced men through the war, the speaker did not know. "Perhaps you packed the eggs badly," murmured a poultryman. "Packed them badly !" echoed tho original speaker, with scorn, "not likely.

I have had years of experience. I haveBent cases of eggs to Australia and not one was broken." The speaker wont on to eay that recently ho had consigned eomo eggs to the South Island, and a week or so later the consignee was written to by tho Railway Department to tho effect that tho eggs were stinking. The eggs had been dropped by a railway servant a week before the letter was written. "You can imagine what they were liko seven days later," said tho narrator, feelingly "Go slow" was the advico given by Mr J. B. Merrott at the annual conference of tho New Zealand Poultry Association at Wellington on the 7th in reference to tho proposals frequently made that returned soldiers should be urged "to raise poultry and produce ■ eggs." He mentioned a case in tho South Island where money had been advanced for that purpose, and very soon lost. "As a matter of fact," said Mr Morrett, " returned soldiers as a rule know nothing about our industry, and unless they do they will be well advised to keep away from' it." Tho speaker urged that the Government should appoint one of its officers to attend to the duties of instructing returned men, for it was only with proper instruction that they could hope to Succeed. In the course of his retiring address, the president (Mr H. M. Boddingtcn) also referred to this matter. Ho stated: —"Criticism has been levelled at the executive for not taking a more active interest in agitating foil the settlement of returned soldiers as poultry farm-jra. If the critics would only give the matter serious thought, and consider the exorbitant prices ruling for all building materials, they could hardly come to any other conclusion, that delay in this matter would not be 'dangerous,'" but advisable."

Poultry-breeders are beginning to appreciate the necessity of having deep litter into which to throw all grain fed to their birds. Those who have had a year or two's experience have found, too, that the litter, if in the form of straw, should bo cut to moderate lengths in order to render it easy to work. by the fowls; but, judging by appearances, many breeders do not yet realise the necessity of preserving the litter perfectly dry. So long as the litter is dry it may remain under the feet of the birds till it is reduced to dust, and still be, to all intents, "sweet," for the droppings amongst it will also be dried, and, consequently, cause no offence; but in wet weather, notwithstanding that there may be no leakage from the roof, litter soon gets damp (the cause being the heavy moisture in the atmosphere); and damp litter is foul litter, and altogether unsuitable for fowls to scratch amongst. Damp litter around a farmyard dunghill is quite a different proposition from damp litter in a scratching shed, for, whilst in the firstmentioned there may be nothing nocuous to poultry, the other is a veritable nestbe:!, for diseases to which birds are prone. Directly the litter is noticed to be damp it should be removed and fresh material supplied. No matter if it has only recently been supplied, once damp it is injurious, and nothing will tend more quickly to cut down the egg supply. Remove damp litter just as readily as you would remove a sick bird! —"E. P."—You should write to the Government Agricultural Department for their latest book on poultry-keeping. It gives all the information you require, with plans for buildings, etc. If you are very anxious to buy a book you cannot do better than purchase Wright's book on poultry. Most of. the leading booksellers keep it m stock.

—At the Bendigo (Victoria) egg-laying competition in .the single bird test a record has been put up by a white Leghorn, which laid 315 eggs in the year. Another white Leghorn (tire second bird) laid 313 eggs. A black Orpington produced 307 eggs, a record, it is said, for the breed. The birds were fed on the wet mash system. The mash was composed of four parts of pollard and one part of bran. A liberal supply of green lucerne chaff is mixed with the meal, and the whole was moistened with liver and meat soup. At midday a small quantity of liver or animal food was. fed. and the evening meal consisted of wheat, hulled oats, and maize. Lucerne, rape, and clover were grown to a considerable extent, as Mr Mitchell (the competition manager) is a thorough believer in the necessitj' for a regular supply of green food. The eggs are gathered twice a day, and a correct record of the returns from each pen is carefully entered up. Every pen is numbered, and a slate is affixed to the front with the owner's namo and address painted on it. Tho result up to date in egg-production is given on each slate. No replacements are allowed in the single test. The health of the competing birds was excellent. Out of 266 birds there had been only nine deaths, all of which were duo to ovary troubles. This speaks well for the suitability of Iho district for poultrykeeping, as well as proving that the care and management are on correct lines. —lt is reported that threo pens of the so-called Chinese Langshans are competing in the light breeds at tho Hawkesburj (Victoria) egg-laying competition. If this is, tho case, there is certainly something wrong in tho " state of Denmark." Birds which can be entered as light breeds should not be known as Langshan.% the standard for which is 91b for cocks and 71b for hens

About Germs. —-In these modern days all sorts of nev,- things, are being discovered. Tho scientists, are out on the warpath after the different kinds of germs, and they are so keen oyer the hunting as to have rooted out quite a lot of nev,- ones, to which they have given long and awesome names. Tho ordinary man worries very lifctlo, if at all, about germs.. He leaves it to the men whose business it is to hunt them down, believing that if he feed intelligently and clothe and properly attend to himself his body will be guarded against germ infection by the natural resistant powers which belong to a vigorous physical organisation. That is a sane method to adopt. If Nature creates the evil germs, she also provides tho beneficen; one as fighters and protectors, and they do their work effectively so long as the man lives intelligently and keeps himself in good physical condition. It's the same way witli fowls. The poultry-keeper who will take the trouble to select his breeding stock for health and constitutional vigour and intelligently feed, house, and generally attend to his birds, need not worry himself about gorm diseases. By doing those things he will have put up the natural protection

against natural enemies. The germs were in existence long before there were any scientists, and they are still here. The only difference is that they are now being hunted down one by one, located, and named, by the scientists. There were no doctors in tho eurly_ days, and the sick people and animals either died or got well qji their own account. —that is to say,_ if they were lit and well, tho protective germs in their systems killed the invading germs, and they got well. When the protective germs were slack and weak they wore killed by tho invaders, and the man, or other animal, died. So far as fowls are concerned, they naturally possess strong recuperative powers, and if they are carefully bred and intelligently fed and attended to, will do so well that the poultryman need not worrv himself about germs.—" Hardshell:"

A good method of getting rid of mites is to have movable perches with a few cracks in them, which will serve as breeding and hiding places for the vermin. Unless the house is completely overrun with tho insects, they will all make for tho crevices in porches, no doubt for the reason that they are close to the fowls. Once a week remove the perches, pour kerosene over .them, stand on end, and apply a lighted match to the lower end. The blaze will flash to the upper end of the perch and go out without in the least injuring the wood, although the fierce heat which is generated will kill tho mites. —ln summarising the poultry products in tho United States of America a writer in an exchange says: —"The value of the market poultry products (eggs and. table poultry) produced in the United States during 1915, was nearly 7Q0.000,CG3c10l (£140,000,000), and the vaiue of the same products in the State of Minnesota was over 37,000,003d0l (£7,400,000). During the past season table eggs,- have sold at from 50 to 75 cents (2s Id to 2s a dozen, and the better grades of table poultry have realised high prices. For several years breeders of standard-bred fowls have sold eggs for hatching' at from 2dol (8s 4d) to 50dol (£lO 8s 4d) a setting of 15, and single birds from a few dollars up to lOOdol (£200), according to their individual excellence. In view of these facts, it is plain that tho breeding of poultry is by_ no means an unimportant branch of agricultural industry. The town and village poultry-keeper cannot afford to neglect it if he desires to make the most of his opportunities to add to his income and improve hi.-; standard of living; the farmer cannot afford to neglect it if he wishes to round out his agricultural operations in a manner that will materially add to.the total profits. to is unquestionably true that the best results in jsoultry-keeping can be obtained only through the use of purebred fowls, bred according to the Amer.can-standard of perfection. - These so bred are not only moro attractive and interesting, but they are more uniform, and produce a more uniform product." Otago Egg Circle. —Messrs Fraser and Co report:—"The market has firmed again, and we have secured 2s 3d per dozen for all first-grade eggs during tho week. Pullet eggs are. now coming to hand moro freely, and are slow of -sale. The circle continues to make progress, and since we reported last wo have had several, inquiries in re joining, and have made another member." Messrs Beilly, Gill, and Co. report:— "As usual after the holidays we have to report a slack week, all poultry coming forward realising prices similar to those ruling previous to the holidays. Eggs have been short of requirements, and we have _ a difficulty in securing anything like sufficient to meet our requirements. We have been able to secure 2s 3d per dozen for our guaranteed fresh eggs, and preserves are realising Is 6d to Is 8d according to quality."