POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3912, 5 March 1929, Page 33

POULTRY NOTES.

By

Terror.

“ Southland.”—The diarrhoea is the result in most cases of eating food which has been left to sour in the run or house, and sometimes is caused by drinking from stagnant water, though climatic changes may bring it about. Remove all litter and nest material and carefully remove all droppings regularly, or all the flock will go the same way. A well-known prescription for this trouble in fowls is to mix 6oz of olive oil with 2dr of medicinal creosote, and give in the proportion of one teaspoonful to every three birds once daily in soft food. Give a supply of granulated charcoal in a shallcw box, and - thin .barley water to drink. This should contain one teaspoonful of ammoniated tincture of quinine to each pint and a-half.

The schedule for the Dunedin Specialists’ Young Bird Show, to be held on March 22 and 23, js to hand. It consists of a single sheet, and includes all necessary information, as well as entry forms, perforated so that they can be easily detached. Special prizes are arranged for all classes. Entries close' on March 9 at 9 p.m. at the rooms of the secretary, Mr W. V. Stunner, optician, Octagon,, Dunedin.

Early Moulters.—Don’t be discouraged because your birds start to moult early. It is true that the opinion which now prevails amongst some authorities, especially those interested in competition birds, is that the late moulters are the only birds worth having. In the interests of the last-mentioned authorities it may be so, because nothing can discourage them more than to have a bird amongst the leaders at a competition suddenly go into moult and stop laying. They want birds which will continue laying when the early moulters knock off. It has been found, however, that the early moulters, after their enforced rest, start their winter laying earlier, and that the late moulters suffer through the winter being upon them before they have time to refeather. This is, I believe, a fact, and that as a consequence it pays,- generallyspeaking, to breed from the early moulters, as their progeny will be more'likely to lay when prices are worth while. The authorities favouring the late moult are (some of them) men whose opinion should, and do as a rule, carry weight, and one has only to read the following by Professor Rice (New York Department of Agriculture), who has facilities for scientific experimenting, to see that it is a bit daring to say anything in favour of the early moulters, as I have ventured to do in the preceding paragraph. “ One of three factors,” says the professor, “ in. the selection of high-pro-ducing hens is that highest producers moult late. The first physical character and the most valuable of all in selecting hens for breeders that are high producers

is lateness in moulting. The hen that h born to lay a large number of eggs and is well fed and handled will generally follow the line of least resistance and continue to .lay, and thus fail to perform the natural process of moulting. This is because she has so much reserve power that she continues to lay, and as a result her feathers do not die and loosen.” It is reported that at all Australian egglaytng competitions for the year 1929-30 only first-grade eggs will count. Whether these first-grade eggs are to weigh 2oz each, as at our Papanui competition, or slighlty less, say Igoz, is not stated in tfie report before me; but in view of the difficulty* in obtaining the 2oz egg in Australia it is possible that something slightly less than 2oz is .determined on. Changes in Secondary Sexual Characters.—The comb, wattles, and ear lobes enlarge or contract depending on the ovary. If the comb, wattles, and ear lobes are large, full, and smooth or hard and waxy the bird is laying heavily. If the comb is limn the bird is laying only* slightly, but is not laying at all when the comb is dried down, especially at moulting time. If the comb is warm it is an indication that the bird is coming back into production.

Temperament and Activity.—A good layer is more active and nervous, and yet more easily handled than a poor layer. A high layer shows more friendliness and yet elusiveness than a poor bird. A low producer is shy and stays on the edge of the flock, and will squeak when caught. A good layer is always ready- for its food, but that fact does not denote a good layer, for a poor layer may be a glutton for. food. The one must have food with which to form eggs, the other is possibly putting on flesh, and its nature craves for the wherewithal with which to do so.

Experiments with Fowls.—An interesting experiment carried out at the Animal Breeding Research Department, Edinburgh University, was a study of the role played by the thyroid gland in fowls. It was- found that the removal of this gland had- the effect of changing the character of the plumage, hen feathers being replaced by cock feathers. Contrary* .to results obtained from previous experiments, it was found that these thymectomised hens did not produce shellless eggs. Early Maturing Pullets.—Early hatched pullets will soon be coming to maturity’ and starting to lay. In fact, many of these pullets are no doubt already laying. What is the best procedure with these birds? This will depend on the birds themselves. The birds that are early maturing of any hatch are, as a rule, the best birds of the lot, and have made not only a rapid sexual development, but also a rapid body’ growth. When this is not the case and sexual development has taken place before a sufficient body growth has been made, poultrymen sometimes feed heavier of grain than they have been feeding and cut down the meat scrap in the ration from 5 to 10 per cent. Others believe, however—and this seems to be a growing group.—that such earlymaturing pullets should be permitted to go on laying without any holding back whatever. There’s no question but what such early’ developers should be taken off range as soon as possible, and put in their permanent quarters. This enables the poultryman to treat these as he likes: either hold back for a couple of weeks or .feed for eggs, and at the same time give the rest of the flock a better chance to develop because of the removal of these layers.

“Artificial light when properly used is a most effective means of controlling egg production for. profit,” declares a leaflet from the Poultry Department of Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. It further states that Professor James E. Rice, of the Poultry Department, may be quoted as saying that artificial illumination, if correctly used, is our most effective means of controlling winter egg production, but if incorrectly used it may be a dangerous practice. The times of using lights may be in the moruing or evening or both morning and evening, or for the purpose of a midnight, lunch, but the morning and evening plan is recommended by some as being the best because it comes nearest to natural conditions, while others favour the morning artificial light, stating that it can be turned on automatically- and it is not necessary to dim it as with night lights. It is recommended that the 12-hour day be used for breeders recovering from the moult, a 13-hour day for high-bred mature pullets or high-pro-ducing fowls that have recovered from tbe moult, and a 13 or 14-hour day’ for late August or early September (February or Marsh in New Zealand) moulters and for. mature pullets not of the highest production quality and that are not to be used for breeders the following spring.

Reilly’s Report.—A good yarding of poultry on Wednesday. Considering the quality of the birds forwarded, prices must Le considered fair. A number of pullets and one-year-old hens were on offer and these brought fair. values. At the moment we have an inquiry for a line of first-class black Orpington pullets. During the week we have been able to place a number of white Leghorn pullets on a basis of 21s per pair. During the week we penned and sold:—Hens: 9 at 7s 6d. 14 at 7s 4d. 15 at 6s Bd. 17 at 6s 4d, 18 at 6s 2d, 10 at 6s, 15 at 5s 6d, 19 at 5s 2d, 13 at ss, 13 at 4s Bd, 15 at 4s 6d, 2 at 4s 4d, 12 at 4s 2d, 96 at 4s, 30 at 3s lOd, 25 at 3s Bd. 47 at 3s 6d. 19 at 3g 4d, 8 at 3s; cockerels: 2 at 12s 2d, 2 at 12s. 3 at 8s Bd. 3 at 6s 2d. 2 at 6s, 9 at 5s 6d, 2 at 4s 6d-,-2 at 3s 6d; pullets: 20 at 21s, 16 at 18s, 18 at 17s, 18 at 16s 6d, 17 at 14s; small, 2 at 10s 6d, 4 at 10s. 5 at 9s. 9 at 7s 6d; ducks: 5 at Bs, 5 at 7s 2d, 8 at 7s, 8 at 6s Bd, 16 at 6s 6d. 7 at 6s 2d. 11 tit 6s, 14 at 5s lOd, 6 at 5s 6d, 10 at 4s. pigeons: 11 at ss; bantams: 2 at 3s (all at “per pair”). Oue hen and 10 chicks at Us. Eggs: These have been moving at Is 9d to Is lOd per dozen.

24th PAPANUI ECC-LAYINC COMPETITION. Leading Pens 46th Week ended February 19 x . (322 days). TEST I.—J. H. SHAW MEMORIAL. CHALLENGE. —Light and Heavy Breeds.— Week’s Weight

„ , „ Eggs, oz.drs. ToUL Black Orpingtons—T. D. Dalziel .. 4 H. J. Ballin .. 6 9. 9 13. 1 218 156 White Leghorns— L. J. Knowles .. 7 13.11 276 Master Liggins .. 5 10.13 25G B. V. Crouch . . 6 13.13 256 Green Bros 4 9. 2 254 E. J. Ross . . . . 5 10.15 250 A. C. Goodlet . . 6 11.14 248 TEST 2.—WHITE LEGHORN SINGLE HEN (Owner Enters Three Birds.) Week's eggs. Total. T. W. Betteridge. No. 1 6 '277 J W. Thomson. No. 2 .. 6 , 270 H. Williams, No. 1 . . 5 267 J. Gold. No. 2 . . . . 6 266 Green Bros. No. 1 7 266 M. Wilson. No. 3 . . 6 264 Tracey King, No. 2 . . 6 262 —Single Hen Test.— (Owner Enters Three Birds.) TEST 3.—ANY OTHER VARIETY LIGH1 BREEDS EXCEPT WHITE LEGHORNS. Anconas— Week’s eggs. Total E. H. Mitchell, No. 2 . . 4 177 S. H. Mitchell, No. 1 . . 5 174 R. Pearce, No. 3 . . 5 172 TEST 4.—BLACK ORPINGTONS. Week’s eggs. Total. J. M. Campbell, No. 3 .. 4 256 J. M. Campbell, No. 2 . . 0 236 A. R. Leckle, No. 2 .. 5 227 A. M. Espie, No. 2 2 220 TEST 5.—ANY OTHER VARIETY HEAVY BREEDS. —Other than Black Orpingtons — Week's eggs. Total. J. R. Griffen (L.S.), No. 1 5 232 B. G. Corlett (W.R.), No. 2 2 221 D. P. O'Hern (W.W.), No. 1 5 205 E. V. Crouch (L.S.), No. 1 4 204 J. C. Wilson (L. S.), No. 1 5 201 TEST 6.—FLOCK TEAMS. SIX BIRDS. —Light and Heavy Breeds.— Week's Weight Eggs. oz.drs. Total. H. Harrison . . 27 53. 3 1452 H. Beck, No. 1 2S 59.11 1350 F. Hawes . . 29 60.14 1339 J. Bobbitt . . 29 61.14 1297 S. Skurr . . .. 26 54. 6 1289 G. J. Verrall .. 25 54. 2 125? TEST 7.—SINGLE DUCKS. (Owner enters Three Birds.) Week’s eggs. Total. Pekins— J. W. Thomson, No. 1 ., 6 267 Mrs Little, No. 2 3 215 J. W. Thomson, No. 1 . . 7 213 H. A. Dawber, No. 2 . . 5 206 Indian Runners — C. E. Barnett, No. 1 .. 1 294 J. W. Thomson, No. 3 . . 7 292 H. A. Dawber, No. 2 . . 6 287 J. W. Thomson, No. 2 .. 6 278 R. W. Hawke, No. 3 .. 4 276 ' A. G. F. Ross, No. 3 . . 6 258