POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3418, 19 September 1919, Page 46

POULTRY NOTES.

By Terror.

to the arguments put forward on behalf of separation of the canine and feathered sections of the Dunedin Fanciers' Club, and consequently I think it is only fair that I should give the arguments on the other side. Poultrymcn say that, if the dog section pull out and are allowed the deg plant, the present members, the bulk of whom are new men, would derive benefits to which they are no more entitled than are the members of the feathered sections, inasmuch as the plant they wish transferred was procured with money they did not subscribe to. Then they hold that to keep faith with the dog exhibitors who don't want to join the proposed new club they woidd have to continue on with a dog section in their own future shows. Further, with regard to prizes only partly won by breeders, these are held by the Dunedin Fanciers' Club in trust, and must continue to be so held till they are won outright—possibly in some instances —by owners who prefer to remain members of "the old club. The poultrymen contend also that if the dog section is allowed to sever connection with the club and to get a share of the plant, then there would be a precedent established which the canary and pigeon sections might take it into their heads to follow, with the result that the Dunedin Fanciers' Club. would automatically cease to exist. It ' is evident that if the kennel section push for divorce at the annual meeting of the club, there will be opposition, and in view of such the New Zealand Kennel Club will in it.s turn have to seriously consider whether it will or can allow affiliation to tw6 clubs in tho same territory. I am asked: " What causes and how to treat Egg-binding is very often caused through the birds being too fat internally owing to improper feeding or lack of exercise. Sometimes the egg becomes bound inside, and sometimes the oviduct protrudes. In the former case the trouble will bo noted by tho constant, useless visits to tho nest and frequently straining when in the run. In the latter case it will, of i course, be obvious. When" it is due to inside trouble it can often be removed by oiling the fingers or greasing them with fresh butter and passing them up the vent_ to ; touch and disturb tho egg. If it is slightly moved the oiling of the passage will probably effect its expulsion in a few minutes. Another plan is to hold the vent over the spout of a kettle of boiling water, which, by softening the oviduct, bring. 3 about expulsion. The egg can, however, often be removed in a still, more simple manner—viz., by feeling outside the abdomen till you find the position of the egg, and then pressing against it and towards the vent. A slight pressure merely assists the bird's own efforts, and over and ever asain I have seen eggs thus expelled, the birds immediately beg'Jmrng its cearch for food, and evidently perfectly free of any feeling of discomfort. Where the oviduct is protruded it la less _ troublesome to get at the egg, as the skin containing it can be lanced quite easily, and tho protrusion replaced, but there 13 in tticse cases often danger of a recurrence of the protrusion when subsequent cegs are ready to be laid. A silk stitch may sometimes be necessary, but the chief thing is to keep tho patient quite quiet for a few days and feed lightly on a non-forcing diet, so as to give the organ a chance to settle down firmly in its proper place. In v.Ty bnd puses or where it is repeated, unless the bird is a very valuable one, it is usually better to kill her at once and have done with it. A piood plan in rending out stock to clients h to stamp the bird with your rubber stamp, thus guaranteeing that* the stock is from your yards, and * that you are not afraid to have your name associated with it. The birds," if white or light in colour, mav be stomped nn tho inner pirtion of tho web of the flight or primary wing feathers. If the birds are dark, the stamp enh be placed on the body, just under the wing, whe ro the skin is generally free from feathers. —The comfortable housing of fowls plays nn important part in tho poultry business! Give sufficient room in both houses and yards. ard never overcrowd. A plain house is all that is required. A nicely-ornamented poultry-houflo and yard mav. look all very well, and if its owner is not .-mxious to make his hobby pay, he is iustified making nn additional outlay in this respect Bnfc if the poultry-keener has to Wi to the profit made out, of his fowls for a living he cannot afford to throw nway anything in ornamental houses and run?. ' One' thins that will imnrove the poultry runs, both as regards looks n.nd utility, is to plant trees and shrubs in them. The shad"" and .shelter nrovided «r« welcomed by the inmates of tb R ywd, both in wint<>r and summer." The chief advantage of artificial incubation over the nnturil method m--y be brefly summed up as follow: (1) The poultrykeeper can hatch his rgorp ar r ,-. Zv firne, and so is independent of broody b<m S . ' (2) •Modern incubators are W"? trouble, an incubator of 59-egg enpacifv dee? the work of four bens at a tinrv (3) No broken o<r<rs durinor incubation. Fvcv ben. even with the best intentions, is liable in do this, while some are terrors in this respect. (H) No hen-forsaken nests, a misfortune, which is liable to happen in cold weather. (51 L n «-"« labour when dealing with numbers. (61 Chicks are born free from parasites. And now for the other ride of the picture—the disadvantages of artificial over nattirnl incubation:—(l) Initial outlay. ?ood incubators are not cheap, many good second-hand machines nre advertised in these pages from time to time. If you can get an experienced friend to look them over for you, you may sometimes pick up some o-ood bargains locally. (2) Both incubators and foster-mothers require careful attention and some skill on the part of the. operator. (3) We always find that there is a larger

percentage of dead in shell, and cripples in artificial incubation. Some peoplo think that incubator-hatched chicks are not so strong as those which are hatched by hens. There is, .however, no truth in this supposition. The question depends more upon the condition of the breeding- stock than tho method of incubation. The following hints may be of assistance to beginners. A pullet will show rosocoloured veins on the surface of the skin under the wings, and these veins change to blue with age, and then gradually disappear. Lonjr and silkj'- hairs also appear on a pullet. This is not present when the bird is two years old. A pullet that has not started egg production will have the bones of the pelvis almost touching. Thess bones gradually widen as the fowl continues laying, and increase in width until the bird is two years old. Another point can be noted in the toes and shanks. In a young bird the skin of the toes is supple, and the scales thin and brilliant in colour. As the bird ages tho skin gets coarser and stronger, and the nail of tho last toe, which does most of the work when the bird is scratching, gets worn. There is also a difference in the cyelide. These acquire wrinkles as the bird "rows older, and there is a slightly shrivelled look on the face, which, with ago, becomes more and more pronounced. What is a good ration for a hen ? "The question," says an American writer, "answers itself if one rjives it a thought. \Vo will ask ourselves this question. What is an egg composed of? Seventy-four per cent, of tlie egg is water. Now, how necessary it is that a hen should have water every hour of the day—nice clean water! It is impossible for a hen to lay many eggs without water. When the housewife opens ah egg in a saucer and examines it the egg is not so nice as she would like to see it; the white of the egg is watery, the yolk is pale, and she thinks the hen is sick, but that is not so. When the white of tho egg is "watery, it shows that we are not feeding a well-balanced ration. The lack of protein in feeding causes it. Fourteen and. a-half per cent, of the egg is protein. That is" the white of the egg. "We must find a ration rich in protein. That we can do by feeding plenty of clover and wheat bran and .wheat middlings. What is the result? The white of the egg is thick and attractive. Ten and a-half per cent, of the egg is fat—that is. yellow. If the yellow is pale we can colour it by feeding. If you feed too much buckwheat the yellow of the egg will be pale. Feed yellow maize and wheat, two glutens, and in that way a beautiful hue is given to the yolk. How often do we pick up an egg in the winter with the shell so brittle that it won't stand'shipping? Sometimes you find an egg with nothing but tissue —-no shell at all. What is the matter with that hen? The shell is composed of lime, and laying an egg every other day it is a mighty "drain on the hen's system to produce the shell; she must have lime enough to cover the egg with a shell. Clover is rich in protein and it is rich in lime; but h\ addition to this we slake a little limo and rut it in the shell-box, and the hens will go there if they require it; and yon will be surprised, if you try it, at the difference in the results. What is the result of this kind of food? We will break an egg in a saucer and see. The white of tho is thick, heavy; it is attractive, nutritious; the yellow of the egg is tho golden hue that was desired, and the shell is firm and strong, and will stand shipment. There is the perfect egg.'' Messrs Eraser and Co., produce merchants, and commission agents, 146 Crawford street, Dunedin, report: Eggs: Market-steady; fresh Is 5d to Is s|d. Egg Circle ejrgs Is od. Poultry: We held our usual sale on Wednesday at 1.30, and tho following prices were realised : —Hens — 4 at 2s Bd, 30 at 3s Id, 16 at 3s 2d, 3s at 3s 4d, 4- at 3s'sd; cockerels—2 at 3s 6d, 4- at 3s lid, 16 at 4s, 1 at ss; turkeys—gobblers 3 at Is 3Ad, 3 at Is 3d; hens— 2 at Is 2d, 4 at Is 13d, 5 at Is Id per lb live weight; geese, 2s fid to 43 6d; ducks, 4s to ss. Reilly's Central Produce Mart (Ltd.) report:—Buyers are keenly interested in all poultry coming forward, and extreme prices are obtainable for all good lines, especially for cockerels, geese, ducks, hen and gobbler turkeys. Stamped and guaranteed eggs have * also been in keen demand, and we have had no difficulty in securing Is 6d, ordinary case eggs realised Is 5d We exnect higher prices.- Poultry: Hens realised" 6s 6d, 6s Cd, 6s lOd, 7s, 7s 2d, 7s 4d, 7s 6d. Bs. and 8s 6d per pair; cockerels—6s 4d, 7s 2d, 7s 6d, 8s 4d, 9s 6d per pair; ducks, 10s per pair.