POULTRY NOTES

Otago Witness, Issue 3672, 29 July 1924, Page 28

POULTRY NOTES

By

Terror.

■ — “Disgusted.” —Without fuller information I cannot say offhand why your birds are losing their feathers, but 1 imagine they are oeing overfed, and that their blood has become heated. Reduce their ration, and if you are giving meat stop it for a while, and when again serving it give less. Dose the birds with Glauber s salts a teaspoonful to each quart of water, —and as a tonic give some Douglas mixture. Professor R. C. Punnett, lecturing at the World’s Poultry Congress on “Mendelian Research in Poultry,” spoke, inter alia, of heredity and fecundity, sex-linkage and plumage characters, characters shown in reproduction, and the connection between colour and eggs. In the course of bis address he explained that such scientists as himself. Pearl, and Goodale disagreed on the subject of sex-linkage—a matter in which accurate diagnosis is of first importance. “It is clearly,” he said, “a matter for further experiments, and the first point we shall attempt to decide is whether any factor affecting fecundity is sex-linked in its mode of inheritance.” Knowing, presumably, that many practical poultry breeders and poultry scribes are sceptical as to the value of scientific research, the professor asks the question, “What is science?” and anwers as follows: —“Science was beginning to be recognised for what it really was —the making and organisation of knowledge to subserve the practice of everyday life. The breeder was beginning to feel the need of such organised knowledge to guide his practice, and at the same time to realise that its acquisition was a matter of accurate and laborious experimental inquiry. If this knowledge is to be gathered it must be by trained observers provided with adequate facilities. The existence of the Poultry Institute is the outward and visible sign of the spiritual change that has revolutionised the breeders’ outlook. We hear little to-day of those semi-contemptu-ous referenes to the theorist, so rife hut a few years ago. Should you find vourself deceived by one who claims his advice is based upon scientific work, do not rush to +l ’7 conclusion that science is to blame. Science is never at fault, but her interpreters may be mistaken. It, is for us to make you feel that definite aims lie behind our experiments, the achievement of those aims will lead to increased economy in production, which is the keynote in the progress of every industry. I do not think I can do better than by explaining what it is we hope to do in the near future at. the National Poultry Institute.” There can he little question that tho foundation of the poultry industry is not in the 300-egg hens or the superlatively ornamental cock, but in females who can lay around 180 eggs per annum, and “pass tho quality on to their progeny.”—Edward Brown, F.E.S. Tt is estimated that there are 37,000,000 head of poultry in England. Make Use of Sunshine.—On this sub•ject Dr A. R. Alexander recently said in the Breeders’ Gazetle something of especial interest to chicken-raisers, though he had apparently in mind live stock of every description lie says, inter alia: “Good, old sunlight God gives us free, gratis, and for nothing. It. has been proved by experimentation that he direct rays of the sun cure rickets as well as prevent it. The ray responsible is called the ‘ ultra-violet ray,’ and it is also known as the tanning- ray. It is tho one that browns the skin of the semi-naked camper, who rejoices in the feeling of renewed vigour, health, and 1 pep ’ conferred by the

sun. It is the raj- that all young growing farm animals need and should have. It must fall upon them direct, and should bo enjoyed every day, especially in winter, when the days are short. ihe research men also state that sunlight fails to tan the skin when it passes through window glass, for the glass is not penetrated by the ultra-violet ray. Even the modern hoghouse with its lavish provision of windows is therefore not all it has been thought to be as a sanitary and ‘ healthy ’ place for young animals. It is cheerful, light, and warm; but pigs or other animals will be likely to contract rickets therein unless they are allowed to run out daily in the sun. That is as true of little children. The modern sun parlour or porch, enclosed with glass, has heen considered a grand place for the youngsters, but its glass bus deprived them of the life-giving cr ricket-preventing and curing violet rays. Give the pigs and children cod-liver oil and a complete ration by all means, but see to it that on every day when the sun shines its untrammelled rays are allowed to imbue them with its beneficent influences and effects. Cheap treatment, that; but wondrously effective in the light of the recent discoveries of scientists.” It appears from the foregoing that the ultra-violet rays must fall direct on chickens if they are to have the desired effect, as they do not penetrate glass or calico screens. However, there is still another modern discovery by which rickets in chickens may be avoided, and it is by the use of cod-liver oil in the mash. It has been shown by experimentation that chicks fed on a ration rich in vitamine D do not have leg-weakness when raised in confinement, as this vitamine apparently lias the same effect upon ’chickens as the ultra-violet rays of the sun. Cod-liver oil is mixed with the mash at the rate of one pint to 501 b, and in order that the chicks may get enough of the oil at least 50 per cent, of the ration must consist of the cod-liver oil mash. As the oil does not retain its vitamine potency indefinitely after being mixed with feeds, it is advisable to do the mixing every week or ten days until definite data can be secured as to the length of time the mixture can be kept without deterioration. The best way to mix the oil with the mash is to first mix the pint of oil with 101 b of mash, thoroughly rubbing them together with the hands, and afterwards mixing this with the oilier 401 b. Those who only rear a few chicks at a time will not require to mix so much as EOlb of mash at a time. An ounce of oil mixed into, say, 3!h of meal will perhaps be sufficient in many cases. Whether the cod-liver oil is used or not, the chicks should always be served liberally with finely-cut fresh green food. All (his talk about ultra-violet rays and cod-liver oil is only of interest to those who of necessity rear their chickens in sheds, etc. Those who can give their fowls plenty of outdoor exercise, with range over green pastures, do not find their chickens suffering from rickets or leg-weak-ness, nor from many other troubles incidental to chicken-rearing on the intensive system, such as toe-picking and featherf m . i ß< ; U bation should be stored in a temperature of 50deg to fifideg. The place should be dry. Dampness hastens decomposition. The eggs should not be held longer than two weeks. At the Connecticut Agricultural College test's held showed that in a hatch of 1100 Rhode Wand Red eggs 71 chicks were obtained per ltd eggs when the eggs were three to live days old at time of setting, whereas eggs in ~ this identical lot which were 11 to days old at the time incubation commenced produced 63j chicles per 100 eggs. Both the “infertiles” and “dead in shell ran higher in the older eggs. Two weeks should be the time limit for holding eggs intended for hatching. good plan to transfer the eggs from a restless hen a few days before they are due to hatch. But be careful to see that the machine is at the proper temperature and running steadily. The hatching of a chick can easily be watched in a glass-fronted incubator, and a very interesting sight it is for anyone with patience to see it through. One wonders how anything so delicate as a tiny chick can make such a long struggle; but no help must be offered. People—most people, probably—feel very much tempted to give some assistance to a chick that does not come out at its normal time, and seems to be in difficulty. If, however, it cannot hatch unaided, the best thing to do is to kill it, for a bird pulled out of its shell starts life at a disadvantage, and is weakly right through. Frequently it dies in the first few days, and that is the lesser evil If it lives, it is apt to catch colds and other ailments because it has not the stamina to withstand them: and these are passed on to the healthy chicks sometimes with disastrous results to a whole brood. It is not, of course, the act of removing the shell that injures the chick—unless this is done too soon, causing it to bleed, it is tho fact that, for any reason at all, the bird was not strong enough to do its own iob. Occasionally a she 1 is cracked downwards, and the beak striking against the floor of the incubator is unable to go hither- but even in these cases the chick must have boon struggling for perhaps 1? hours before the hatch is complete, and the trouble discovered. By that time its strength is exhausted, and the kmdest thino- to do, even for itself is to lull it The "vast majority of chicks, however, coma to no such untimely end. xliey pass safely through ihe success-ve stages of incubation, change from a formles embryo into a perfect little bird, and emerge triumphantly on the twenty-first day. The real test of an incubator's efficiency is, not the percentage of chicks it hatches, but the number of rearable chicks it produces. Very often an incubator that has been run at too high a temperature, and with insufficient moisture, will hatch a good percentage of the eggs, the chicka from which will nearly all die off wit Inn the first week or two. If some of these dead youngsters are opened they will piobablv be found to contain a hard, diy, and crumbly yolk. When hatched all chicks are provided with a yolk-sac and yolk, which should be gradually absorbed by the bird, and which is sufficient to keep it alive for some days without- any other food. When the. egg has been ‘ dried out too much in hatching this yolk becomes hard and indigestible, and is not absorbed as it should be. The non-absorption of the yolk compacts the bowels, and prevents the proper digestion of other food. The yolk soon commences to decompose, sets up internal inflammation, and the chick dies. —Before putting eggs into your incubator, get the thermometer you are going to rely on for ascertaining the correct temperature

tested. It may be registering incorrectly, and if so it may be, if not adjusted, the cause of heavy loss. Turning and Cooling Eggs.—Eggs that are being mcubated artificially should be turned twice daily from the second to the end of the eighteenth day of incubation. When turning is neglected, especially at the beginning of the period, the chicks do not fluff as well, they are not as strong, and there are many more dead-in-shell chicks at the end of the hatch. The hen turns her eggs several times during the day and night. If eggs were not turned at all, they would not hatch, for the yolk is lighter in weight than the white or albumen of the egg, and would rise and come in contact with the shell membrane if the egg were not turned over and the position of the yolk reversed. When turning is neglected the embryo chicks do not absorb the yolk so well. Cooling of eggs is not practised as much as it used to be. In some types of incubators and in some cool cellars the eggs are sufficiently cooled during the process of turning. In hot weather it may be more advisable to cool. However, do not cool until the end of the fifth or sixth day, and then only once a day to the end of the eighteenth. Excessive cooling causes excessive evaporation of the moisture content in the egg. White-shelled eggs can be tested on the seventh day. Brown eggs are more easily tested on the tenth day. Those that are infertile appear clear when placed before the light. Clear eggs except for blood lilies are also lifeless. Live germs appear dark in colour, and are easily recognised. —To get the best growth out of chickens they must be kept free from vermin. Liceinfested chickens will not develop into profitable specimens. Dust the sitting hen every 10 days with a good insect powder. After the chicks are two weeks old they should be dusted occasionally. Thoroughly wash out incubators, brooders, etc., before putting them to use, and repeat the cleaning before using them a second or third time. Reilly’s Central Produce Mart report a. fair yarding of birds for our Wednesday s sale. Prices were firmer. We sold at the following prices:—Hens—7s 4d, 6s 4d, 4s 4d ; pullets, 6s; cockerels —4s 4d, 6s 2d, 7s, Bs, 12s, 13s; ducks—6s, 6s 6d, 7s, 7s Bd, 8s 4d, 8s 6d, 8s Bd, -9s 6d, 9s 8d; all at per pair. Turkeys—ls, Is l£d> Is 2£d per lb. Eggs—Owing to the cold weather, consignments have fallen off during the week, and eggs remain firm at Is 10d for stamped, Is 9d for cased. Good Bulk Honey is wanted.