POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3413, 13 August 1919, Page 45

POULTRY NOTES.

By Tkibob

In this week's illustrated pages will be found two pictures—one showing a pen of winter layers, and another the quarters in which the birds are housed. Both pictures are Bent in by Misa Dobbs (incorrectly appearing under the illustrations as Dodds), of Anderson's Bay road, who claim* to be a specialist in the production of winter layers, yet has only been in the business for a little over two years. Misa Dobbs s books show that »he it getting most couraging results from her 120 birds (white Leghorns of Mills-Gill strain). m During the months of June and July (winter months) she secured from a pullet pen of 80 birds 1346 and 1625 eggs respectively, and she reckons that with the sale of eggs and settings she is clearing £3 per week! The 80 pullets in question were incubatorhatched, and are all perfectly tame, Misa Dobbs showing me that she could pick up any bird by merely stooping to do so. They were reared in artificially-warmed brooders, made by herself; and as evidence that she both hatched and reared successfully she can claim 240 chicks from 300 eggs —i.e., 80 per cent. In addition to her laying birds. Miss Dobbe has two breeding pens, and she tells me that she intends going in this season for the production of day-old chicks, for the benefit of those who desire to escape the hazardsof hatching chicks from their own stock. Two years back Miss Dobbs had only eight fowls, and it is evidently more the result of close attention to details, intense interest in her stock —in fact, general aptitude—than to the possession of prior experience that she owes her undoubted suooess. Not only have Miss Dobbs's birds provided for herself, but they have also provided the capital wherewith to extend operations; for in lieu of the eight birds she started with she* now has her increased Stock and the necessary buildings (built. by herself) and appliances to accommodate them, without call upon ouptside capital. Miss Dobbs feeds a hot mash every morning to her birds, and in cold weatherfrequently gives a second hot meal. They always have a dry mash before them, are fed meat (cooked and uncooked alternately) daily, and their last meal is always of grain. They get green feed daily, and considerable use is made of lucerne—a small patch of which is grown on the premises. That the birds are kept on a highly intensive system will be evident when I explain that the 80 pullets comprising the laying pen are confined in a shed 20ft long by 12ft wide. A dropping board surmounted by two perches run's the whole length of the back of this shed, so that the 80 birds have the whole of the floor space (save_24o square feet) as a scratching floor. The nests are kerosene tins laid on their sides on a form outside the building, so that the eggs can be gathered without entering the shed. The birds are of good stamp, and one has only to handle them to ascertain that they are well cared for. —Birds kept in close confinement depend entirely upon their attendant for three essentials to their own well-being and to enable them to yield eggs in a profitable manner. These three essentials are exercise, unlimited green food, and animal or insect food. On free range these things can > be obtained to an appreciable extent, particularly in tho spring and early summer, but in an enclosed area of limited extent they must bo supplied. To make birds exercise in a shed it is only necessary to throw all their grain food into litter (6in deep), so that thev must work for ife Green < food should be hung up so that they require to reaoh or jump for it. Grit of some sort should be placed in boxes well above tho litter. ' . A correspondent '■-■>■ to the .Poultry World (England) testifies to the efficacy of coal tar as a cure for scaly leg. He tested the tar cure on an 18 months old buff Ornington cockerel that had developed scaly leg badly. The tar was used fairly warm, and the bird's legs were pipped into the liquid. In a couple of weeks the coatin p- of tar came off, talcing, with it all the rough scalo and leaving the shanks quite clean. The application of carbohsed vaseline induced a new growth of clean scales, and the bird was completely cured. The system of hopper feeding is advocated by supporters of dry food. The receptacle provided contains enough for t a week's supply for each pen, the quantity beins: regulated through an opening in the bottom of the hopper. This allows the food to fall into the trough as required. This method is, no doubt, labour-saving, but it allows tho birds to over-feed. In nearly every flock it will be found that some have a tendency to eat too much. This is certain to make too fat for satisfactory egg production. The hopper svstcm might do well for fattening hens, but in other respects' the regular two or three meals a day system proves most satisfactory in the end. - A correspondent in an American poultry, journal recommends the following! "Of ail the remedies I ever tried to keep the chickens free from lico borax water 5a the most effective and easiest to apply. The lico seem to breed around the vent and in the fluff, and I used to powder my hena there about once a month. Last

spring I wet them with borax water Instead' of using- insect powder, and they were free from lice all summer. In the late fail, after they had moulted, they had lice again. Another treatment with the borax water, and they have been free from lice all winter. Boraa ia aheap, and lib will mako enough borax -water to treat 1000 hens, —Keilly's Central Produce Mart (Ltd;) reports t A great scarcity of poultry of all description* is aver market, though wo were fortunajK* fh having a fairly gpod yarding' forward for our sale on Wednesday, which realised the following price»f— Hens —6s od, 6s lOd, 7s. and 8s 6d a pain. Cockerels—6a, 8a 2d, 8a Ad, 8s Bd, 8s 10d> 9s, 10s, 10a Bd, lis. Us 6d> 12s, and 12s 8d a pair. Eggs—Until Thursday we were ablh to secure 2a 3d per dozen, but on Friday morning firms broke the price to 2s pay dozen, with the result thai as we had an over-supply of eggs we had to reduce our price accordingly. Messrs Fraser and Co., produce mgr» chants, auctioneers, and commission agents, 140 Crawford street, Dunedin, report p Eggs—Fresh, Is lid; stamped, 2s. We have a good demand for all classes tjl poultry. The general impression is that .the railway will not carry live stock, but thi* is not correct. We recommend consfgn> ments of all lines. The prices nominally are—-Hens, 3s od to 4s J cockerels, 3s 3d to 4s 3d; ducks, 4s to ss; geese, 5s to 5s W each. Turkey gobblers, Is 4d; hens, Li od per lb live weight.