POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3414, 20 August 1919, Page 45

POULTRY NOTES.

By Teehob.

M. E.—l don't think there need be any doubt but that you are giving- too much moisture. In a moist climate you would, 1 think, get better results without the moisture-tray. Too much moisture toughens the membrane inside the shell to such an extent that even strong chickens find difficulty in breaking through. You will be well advised also in having your thermometer tested, for if it is registering either too high or too low, your experience • would be just the same. Two days before hatching it is a good plan to spray the eggs morning and evening with water at a temperature of 104 deg Jf. For this purpose an ordinary scent spray may be used. The effect of this treatment is to moisten the then brittle membrane lining the shell, and so facilitate the hatching of the chickens. With an excess of moisture right through the period of incubation the membrane does not become brittle, but tough and strong. —Mr Merrett, in the course of a lecture delivered in Oamaru last month, gave some interesting particulars relative to the development of the poultry industry in Australia. He said that at the request of the Minister of Agriculture, he had visited Hawkesbury, the largest -Government poultry farm in New .South Wales. In New South Wales they went in for poultry on a large scale, farms of from 2000 to 3000 birds being fairly common, with incubators oapable of handling from 5000 to 15,000 eggs. The whole business was run on a large plan. Feed was cheap, the prices of eggs good, and an open avenue lay ahead of the industry. Australians had a protected market. _ All importations were excluded. A great assistance to poultry-raisers in New South Wales was the Hawkesbury College, which had a thoroughly up-to-date plant and a splendid stock, and afforded an opportunity for the education of all poultrymen. The annual conferences were held there, and were attended by some SCO poultrymen from all parts of the State. A great feature of the poultry industry in New South Wales was the interest taken by the State in starting re : turned soldiers upon poultry farms. He quoted what had been done at Banks-, town. When the settlement was started it was considered the allowance would have to tie made for 40 per cent, of failures amongst the inexperienced soldiers, but the actual failures, including those who had given up the life, were : not 5 per cent. The Government was so satisfied with the settlement's success that 350 soldiers were now sto be provided with sections', exclusively to be devoted to the raising of poultry. For this purpose the Government had voted £300,000. The lecturer said that, as an essentially commercial man, he had been greatly interested in the marketing conditions of eggs a"nd poultry on the other side. Though Sydney had municipal markets, he found that for convenience and quick salesmanship their methods of sale could be surpassed in New Zealand, chiefly because premises here were on more up-to-date lines. The marketing of eggs had not advanced so far as in New Zealand, as they had not progressed as far as New Zealand in the matters of stamping and grading, but these features were now being introduced, and more united action was being taken by producers to govern their own markets. Quoting figures, he said that one firm alone in Sydney bought 400,000 dozen eggs a» year, which was more than the output of the Canterbury, Oamaru, and Otago Egg Circles combined.

I am often asked how many eggs should a poultryman. expect to get per annum from so many birds? or what profit should be obtained from a good laying hen? Also, what does it cost to feed a bird per annum? I answer these questions to the best of my ability, always pointing out that a great deal depends upon the owner of the birds, his ability in management, local conditions, facilities for marketing, etc. Recently I have been asked a question, however, to which I should very much like to get answers from practical poultry-breoders. I don't anticipate that any two answers will be alike, but could I get a score or two breeders to answer tho I am satisfied we could arrive at ah approximation which would be valuable. The question is: "How much does it cost in food to get a dozen eggs?" The cost of food per hen where only six or 12 birds _ are kept will, of course, bo very email —i.e., 2d or 3d per dozen eggs; but when M) to a 100 are kept it will be 6d, 9d, Is or more. Answers, consequently, should denote the number of birds kept. There is sure to be a good market from now on for broodv hens. Anyone troubled with them should advertise them for loan or sale. Always do limewashing and painting or tarring on a fine day. Always keep a good supply of clean straw in the nest-boxes. This saves a great deal of time and trouble in washing eggs for market. Stout sacking or an old piece of oilcloth may be used as a substitute for roofing felt. Corrugated iron is a bad thing to use for the roof of a poultry-house; it is much too cold in winter and too warm in summer. To thrive well, poultry must have a plentiful supply _ of clean water. When water is given indoors, stand the water vessel on a shelf or platform so that it is a few inches off the ground. By doing this the birds cannot scratch dirt into it. Mustard is said to bo a great help to egg-production, but present prices are against its use. A test conducted in England some time ajro was stated to have given good results. A tcaspoonful of mustard for six hens added every day to the mash was tho quantity used in the English test, and the figures at the end of the year were said to be much in favour of the mustard-fed birds. The theory is this:

It is not the amount of food the hen eats, but the nutriment she extracts from it, that repairs the waste tissue, and generate heat and energy, as well as providing material for growth of bone, muscle, flesh, and feather. It is only when theso demands of the body have all been met that any surplus food is available for conversion into eggs. This being the case, obviously any agent that will promote and assist the extraction of nutriment must increase the egg yield, and if it can be proved to have no ultimate baneful effect on the constitution, may be used. —ln providing nests for laying hens there are (says an exchange) two plans: First, to furnish plenty of cosy laying quarters, and clean nests; and, secondly, to wire fence any parts into whioh the fowls should not stray. If the former plan be properly followed up there will be little need for the latter, though it may bo adopted where desirable. With many poultry-keepers the plan followed is to keep a certain number of fowls in a pen, and have the house fitted up with nests for the flock. It, however, frequently happens that, owing to ignorance or indifference, the number of nests with which a house is fitted is nothing like adequate for the number of fowls that are expected to use them. When too few nests are provided, what happens? Simply this: When a hen desires to lay, and finds the whole of the nests occupied, she either disturbs one of the occupants of the nests, or looks out for less crowded quarters. If she goes on with another hen, the eggs of both are frequently smashed ; if she decides to seek some other place in which to lay, a lack of proper nests leads her to select the bottom of a hedge or soma such place. Sometimes the would-be layer turns out the first occupant of the provided nests, but then the results are practically the same, though it is another fowl that goes and lays away, lhe moral, then, is that plenty of nests not only induce laying, but also help to keep the fowls from laying away. In this connection another word may be said, and that is, that once a fowl learns to steal her nest she can never be entirely broken Of the habit, so that in this case prevention is cure. Messrs Fraser and Co., produce merchants, auctioneers, and commission agents, 146 Crawford street, Dunedin, report: "E"-es: The market is over-supplied. l<resn eggs, Is sd; Egg Circle eggs Is 6d. Poultry: We held our usual auction sale on Wednesday at 1.30. AH lines of poultry are short of supply, and prices are high. The following prices were realised:— il en ?J seven at 3s 3d, 15 at 3s 6d, 18.ati3rM, 12 at 4s, three at 4s Id; cockerels-one at 3s 6d, four at 3s 9d, two at 4s 3d, one at 5s 7d; ducks, 4s to 5s each; geese 5s to 6s 6d Turkeys: We received a line ol turkeys from W. Allcock. Waikouaxti and the following prices were realised :—beven liens at Is 3d per lb, and one gobbler at Is fid per lb live weight. We recommend consignments of all. lines of poultry. The Railway Department will carry any lines of poultry to our market." Keilly's Central Produce Mart report. "Poultry is short of requirements. I here is a keen demand, and those having hens cockerels, ducklings, ducks, turkey Eons or gobblers would find a ready market in Dunedin The Railway Department is carrying poultry for consignors. At our sale on Wednesday cockerels realised from 5s W to 9s lOd a pair; hens from 4s 2d toys 8d per pair, the bulk of the birds being sold at 7s 6d per pair, gobblers realised Is 2R and liens lOd to Is per lb Eggs have been in over-supply. The market is still retreating,-and to-day eggs are being offered freely in this market at 2 s 4d to Is 6d per dozen."