POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3555, 2 May 1922, Page 21

POULTRY NOTES.

By

Terror,

fcar.dy. Sandy soil is no detriment: it is an advantage. It gets dry quicker after storms, and does not absorb the droppings and become foul-smelling so quickly as good loam does. -- There are still many people, particularly in country districts, who keep poultry who do not realise that the future of poul-try-keeping is dependent to a great extent upon the continuation of careful and scientific breeding, without which the painstaking work of years may become a dead loss. It is well onteugh to say that “a hen is a lien,” and that a hen lays eggs no matter what her colour or shape or breed may be, for the fact remains that until the practice of careful and scientific breeding of poultry became a recognised undertaking, the female of the poultry yard laid her litter of eggs, hatched out a handful .of chickens, taught them to scratch for a living, and then considered that for the time being her life work was done. Certainly no one who. has made any study of the subject can fail to see that since man has begun to make a careful study and experimentation of poultry-breeding the value and desirability of the different breeds of poultry have increased enormously. And these things have not “just happened.” If man had not snent his thought and energy upon the worthy problem of improving domestic poultry we should be some millions poorer and not so well off as far as wealth and efficiency are concerned. What is badly wanted nowadays is still better efficiency on the part of the country holders of poultry stock, for though it is from their birds that, the greater part of the eggs produced come, their output could be increased tremendously provided more up-to-date methods were adopted. For one thing, if the farmer's birds were only provided with winter (or bad-weather) quarters he would* certainly have a better yield when eggs are dear The town poultry-man has such quarters for his birds, but, unfortunately, lias, a t a rule, to confine his bird* to them all the year round—too much of a good thing,—for though if, ensures eggs aT all seasons, it does not ensure maintenance of constitution with the consequent good hatches and strong quickly-growing chicks.

rhe liberty of the farmyard with the pickings it provides, together with the privilege of roosting anywhere, are ideal conditions m fine weather, but something better and specially provided is wanted, when continuous wet and cold prevails. The country pnill try yard, in short, ought to provide the bulk of the eggs coming into the m *V l '.aets both summer and winter, and. in addition, should itself be the market from whence the town poultry-men and the owners of big plants should be able to obtain oirds of constitution when their own intensively-kept stocks require fresh blood. Ihe farmer should see to this, for there is money in it. Feeding and Laying.—Concerning restless layers, those who have Bad some experience will tell you that the good laying bird is very active, quite unlike the poor layer, which is lazy, and lounges about nearly all day. The good bird is of restless disposition, and it may possess an appetite that scorns insatiable. Of course, a prolific layer is naturally a gross feeder, because it cannot lay eggs in quantity if the raw material is not at hand. If you harp birds that do not possess Ihe good qualities here detailed you may depend upon it that they are not good layers, and it is your duty in these times to use them, for table . purposes, a course which ultimately you will find most profitable. If can you should keep the breeding hens from laving till June or July. This w» mean better hatching aAd stronger, easier-reared chicks. Where Hcudans are kept purely for utility purposes and without regard to the breeding for abnormally large crests, they are found to be good layers and good table birds. At one time they were renowned as all-the-year-round layers, and would no doubt have continued to uphold that reputation. but tho fancier judges who favoured the “monstrous in everything” spoilt the breed. —lf you have not as yet cleaned out and thoroughly disinfected all incubators and brooders used during the past season, delay no longer. Make a good job of this cleaning and disinfecting, for it is one of the best means of ensuring healthy stock next season. It is believed by many people who are corn pete nr. to judge ihat much of the “dead-in-sheU” and weak-leg, etc., chicke’p troubles are due to the use of insanitary incubators and brooders Contentment is an economic factor in, profitable poultry keeping. A contented flock will eat less and lay more than one which is discontented. Worry means loss. Keep the hens contented. Temporary Shortage and Consequent I-ligh Prices for Eggs in England.—During February The Grocer summed up the situation as follows: —“There is a decided scarcity of eggs at the present time, solely owing to climatic conditions. A return to milder weather will speedily bring about a change to lower prices, which should be generally welcomed. Certain sources of supply which exported freely to this country , during the winter have finished for their season. Arrivals from the Argentine, Australia. the United States, and Canada have ceased. Supplies from the Continent, particularly Denmark, are held up through severe weather. While production, both at Home and in some countries abroad, has increased during recent- years, prices, although lower tlir.n die average in the last rear or two. are still maintained at an abnormally high level. Russia, our former chief source of supply, is out of the market. Not until that country can export, or other sources make good the deficiency, can prices return to the normal level.” Black Head in Turkeys.—Geo. A. Cosgrove writes in the Rural New Yorker that a remedy for blackhead in turkeys has been discovered by two doctors in San Diego (Cal.). As a preventive the dose for 20 turkeys is a teas.poonful of ipecac in the mash twice * a week. For a sick bird the rlose is 10 drops of fluid extract of ipecac Ihree times a day for three days, then (wire a dav for two days, then once a day / For three days. Keep the Laying Hens.— Recommendations by Agricultural Experiment Station. University of Wisconsin.

periment station, university oi n iscousm. Culls.- , 1. Poor layers and all old hens. 2. Cripples and hens with broken-down abdomens or frozen toes. 3. The sick, quiet, inactive hens that spend much time on the roost. 4. Ail “crow heads” with long, slim heads and beaks. 5. The large, ooarse-headed hens with sunken eves. 6. All very short, stubby hens with feathers extremely heavy for their breed. 7. All late-hatched immature pullets and those that are early hatched but much undersized. 8. All hens that moult, before August 1. 9. The persistent sitter. 10. All lions with solid, fat abdomens. 11. All hens having bad habits (cannibals, feather-pullers, eggt«?aters). 12. All cockerels not needed for breeding purposes. Keep.— T. Strong, healthy, vigorous hens with short., neat heads and strong beaks. 2. The hens with long, deep, rectangular bodies and parallel top and bottom lines. 3. The hens with large, bright eyes, active appearance, and short, well-worn toe nails. 4. The hens with dusty, worn feathers, especially worn tail feathers, but having a bright, healthy look. 5. The hens that moult late. 6. The noisy, happy, friendly hens. - 7. The early risers and those late to most. 8. The vigorous hens with the faded beaks md shanks. 9. The hens with the soft, pliable * abdonens. 10. The hens with the thin pelvic bones pread wide apart. 11. The early-hatched, well-grown pullets. 12. Large, strong, active, quick maturing :ockere!s of desired variety, type, and highirodnoing mothers. Reilly’s Central Produce Mart, Ltd., •eport : —A very light- yarding. Prices were ligher owing to the small supplies forward. A e are holding a special sale of pullets on iVednesdav. May 3. and recommend buyers o take the opportunity of securing some Coed utility pullets. Fggs: The market is teady. Stamped 2s 9d, 2s lOd. Preserved slow sale) Is 9d per dozen. Hens realised is to 6s: cockerels realised 3s 2d to ss; lucks realised 9s per pair.