POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3332, 23 January 1918, Page 51

POULTRY NOTES.

By Tekhob.

Providing the affiliated clubs approve it is the intention of the South Island Poultry Association to hold an art union this year on the same lines as last season. The thirty-ninth week of tho New Zealand Utility Poultry Club's egg-laying competition ended on the Bth inst., with Mr W. K. West's white Leghorns leading. This pen has 1113 eggs to its credit. Mr Calder's No. 1 team -is only one egg below the leaders. Mr W. H. Bower's six runner ducks lead in their section with a total to date of 1350 eggs. At same date last year the leading white Leghorn pen had laid 1193 eggs—a rather better showing than is made this year; but in the duck' section this year's winners are 115 eggs ahead of the best of last year's birds. Mr E. Oswald Reilly, well known throughout the Dominion as breeder and fancier, with strietly utility gleanings, has offered a guinea prize as a special for the best type of layer in. the utility classes at our next show- He is also giving a guinea prize for the best pair of table birds. With regard to the last-mentioned prize, I suppose there is no one better qualified to speak of the lack of good table birds on the market or who better realises how readily a demand for such could bo created. Mr Reilly has bred table birds in years gone by. He has marketed thousands, and has also woii prizes with them. I don't suppose that the production of table birds is an altogether lost art; but one would bo led to think so, as good specimens, are never seen at present-day poulterers' shops. Would it not be a good idea to arrange for a lecture by one of the Government experts—presuming they are qualified to speak of anything else than egg-production—on the most suitable crosses to produce table birds —i.e., birds which " on the dish "' could be carved on the " cut-and-comc-again" principle? Dealing with tho subject of table birds an Australian writer says: "Recent market reports called attention to tho poor condition in which many of the poultry aro sent to* market. This refers particularly to chickens and turkeys. It is a good thing for tho senders that there is not much discrimination shown by the buyers as regards quality and finish. _ Were it otherwise, then these poor specimens would have little, if any, sale. As it is, the poultrybuyers do not demand „ a high standard. They readily buy at good prices any young, heavy birds—i.e., birds up to five months old and, say, to 61b in weight. Turkeys are sold by weight, and it is manifestly ifoolish to sell frames bare of flesh, when that same flesh is worth up to at least a shilling a pound, and can be produced for 4d a pound. There is a lot of money in breeding table poultry; but proper methods are essential to success. Halfstarved, worm-infested stock cannot be but in bad conditon. The remedy is obvious. Healthy birds, however well fed, cannot put on flesh if running at large and harried by other poultry. Proper fattening yards and coops can be easily arranged and at small cost, and their adoption leads -£o success. Before attempting to fatten a bird it should have been properly grown. Use plenty of chaffed green food and feed on mash only three times a day . if the birds Will eat so much. When fattening-time arrives, reduce the green food, but continue about the same quantity of the richer mash. During the last fortnight leave off all green food and daily add a little sweet .fat. Goodquality beef or mutton tallow will do. Use half a pound for 20 or 30 birds daily." Small enclosed runs are always difficult to keep thoroughly sweet and clean, and it is seldom possible to keep fowls permanently upon the same site without running heavy risks of disease. If the snace ' is sufficient, it is advisable to divide it, even if this involves a reduction of Ftook, and to uso the halves alternately. Where this is done with an earth run, the portion that is now out of use should be well dug over and planted with, say, cabbage or broccoli. A grav'el or bare run may bo "renewed by tho removal of the surface and the laying down, ramming, and hand-rolling of clean gravel. The soiled gravel or earth that is removed may be placed in an out-of-the-way corner and left to the cleansing effect of the weather. Protein is an clement in foods which goes to support and aid the bodily system of the fowl, including the bones, sinews, blood, flesh, and feathers. There is protein in vegetables and in animal food such as insects or meat. Protein from animal sources differs from protein from vegetable sources, and is more readily and completely absorbed. Tho protein of meat, egors, fish, and milk is easilv and absorbed. Probablv less than 3 per cent, is wasted, Nvhile the waste from vegetable protein—peas, for instance —may exceed 10 per cent. In feeding lean meat, to poultrv the total waste (not. protein alone) would probably not exceed 5 per cent., and that indicates

that approximately 95 per cent, of the pro tein contained in lean, raw meat will b< assimilated. Put a fowl on a free rangt where insect life is abundant, and you wilj find that it consumes a largo quantity 06 insects (animal food); a very largo percent* ago of the protein contained in this animal food is absorbed. Fowls which get a good supply of animal food will thrivo better, make better growth, and provo more productive than thoso which aro fed almost exclusively on vegetablo foods. Tho lesson to be learned from tho foregoing remarks is that if fowls aro to do dwell they must have a continuous supply of animal food in tho shape of natural insects or meat.

Tho term "pip" is commonly used to describe a symptom that may be associated' with any feverish condition and with gerious diseases of tho respiratory organs. The skin of tho mouth becomes hard and dry, and a horny "pip," or scales, forms on the end of the tongue. Tho condition may ao» company simple colds and obstruction of tho nostrils, and is believed to be due ho . mouth-breathing" and tho failure of the ( mucus-secreting glands to properly carry on their functions. It may accompany feverish conditions due to disorders of the digestive organs. It may sometimes be a simple con* dition of tho mouth caused by irritating: dust or vapour.' Some writers believe that "pip" is of specific origin, but no one hay yet proved it. The hard scale, or "pip," should never be removed by force, as sucl?' rough treatment may be followed by seriouC and even fatal results. The free applica* tion to the mouth of a solution of 15 grain* ; of borio acid in an ounce of water i 3 frequently helpful, and usually after a few applications the "pip" will come away easily. "Pip """may accompany contagious disea--.es; but the best writers hold that of itself pip is ndt contagious. You can boil up beetroot and carrottops with other vegetables for the poultry mash. They cook better if cut up before being put into the saucepan. When fowls become gradually bald on tho top of their heads and appear denuded of feathers on the wing-joints _and near tho tail, it is generally a sure indication that they aro infested with vermin. To thoso poultrv-kccpers -who are particular to see that the birds' houses are kepb clean, this may appear hardly possible; nevertheless, it is a fact that even under the best conditions of housing fowls sometime's become troubled with insects._ I consider, in such circumstances, that it is tho rcult of an overheating diet, and one of the best methods of effecting a cure is to give v the birds cooling food. They should have . plenty of fresh vegetables, and some Epsom salts' should be added to the water with which their soft food is prepared. If you examine the fowls you will probably fine* whitish scales on the feathers bordering the denuded places. As a remedy you'should apply either of the following ointments: (a) Paraffin one part, water two parte, and a sixth of the quantity of lard oil; the water should bfl boiled first, and the other', ingredient? added, well «tirrin<r (M tho time and carefully boilins all together For three or four minutes, (b) Flowers of sul- . phur two parts, carbonate of part, vaseline eight parts, thoroughly mixed. \pply the ointment in a cold state, by tho most' available means, either tho fingers or in some such manner, to the affected part* of' the birds, tekine care that the fluff and skin are well saturated with the mixture Repeat the operation hi about, a week or 10 da vs. A* .the trouble mnv be communicated to other fowls, -all fallen feathers shou 1 ' 1 l">e burned. What a very simple thing trap-nesting is i You just place a band round your birds' leps. moke a net in which they automatically shu* themselves, when vou release them, record the colour or number of the band, and breed from your best layers. By following such a course you will m two or three years build up a laving strain equal to any in the country. That is the view which was taken by evervone vJhen tho trap-nest was first introduced; that is tho view which is held bv a areat many peonlo in this country nt the present t>mo. But some years aero Mr Oscar .Smart, the expert adviser to the Scientific Poultry-breeders • Association, pointed oufrhow verv erroneous this idea was. and fullv explained reason Experimental work carried out by Dr Raymond Pearl proved Mr Smart to be absolutely right. This test was carried, over a noriod ol years, and is of great interest. The females as breeders were classed (A) unregistered, or birds which laid 160 to 199' eggs in their pullet year. (B), registered, or birds laying 200 or more eggs in their pullet year. It had been noted that tho daughters of tho " registered [ hens which produced 200 or more eggs in then; pullet year did not usually make high records. 'The "200-ogg" birds which made up the registered flock came in most instances from "unregistered" mothers. Tho plain and definite result arrived at was that tho practice of simply selecting the best layers as breeders did not improve the egg-pro-duction of the- flock. It was proved beyond doubt that the daughters of phenomenally , high laying birds (200-egg hens) were not such good producers as. were birds similar in every respect, and given the same treatment. Results showed that on the average tho daughters of'birds laying- from 150 toISO eces in the vear laid much better than the daughters of 200-egg hens. The Co-operative Fruit-growers 'of Otacro (Ltd.) report: "Fair consignments of poultry came forward for our sale on Wednesday, all birds being sold at auction, and mooting very'keen competition. Stamped- - and guaranteed eggs are in excess of requirements. We ha*o been able to > secure Is 5d to Is 6d per dozen for our consignments, though prices are hard to maintain. The following prices were secured at our sale on Wednesday:—Hens realised Is 9d to 2s 4d; cockerels, 2s Id to 2s 6d : ducks, 2s 3d to 3s 3d; chicks. 3d to 9d •each; dressed poultry —hens 2s 3d to 2s 9d

each." , —Messrs Fraser and Co.. ngonts for the Otago Egg Circle, report: "The market is unsto-ady. As soon a, the schools open prices will firm. Fresh eggs.. Is 3d; stamped esgs, Is 4d. Poultry: All lines are wanted. Hens, 3s 6d to 4s; cockerels (young), 5s 6d to 6s; sreese, 6s to 8s; turkey gobblers, lO^d; hens, 9id."