POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3961, 11 February 1930, Page 31

POULTRY NOTES.

By

Terror.

“ South Dunedin.” —As you imagine that only one of your birds is guilty of egg-eating, you should watch for the culprit. You may either catch it in the act or notice yolk on its beak, or see other fowls chasing it for part of an egg’s contents hanging from its beak. Having found the bird, you should wring its neck and make a meal of it. I have over and over again described methods of curing birds from egg-eating, but it is only worth while trying cures when the habit has been acquired bv a number of birds. One way which is often successful is to change the position of the nests after renewing the hay or straw contents. It is necessary to do the latter, because when egg-eating has started the nesting material soon becomes soiled with yolk and albumen. The nests should lie put in a darkened place Other methods are described as follows: — Boil an egg until it is hard, and then carefully remove the broad dome as neatly as possible. Take out the contents of the egg. and in lieu thereof put in a paste composed of asafeetida and ginger, with flour paste as the base of the confection Ask your local chemist, to mix for you two parts of asafeetida and one part ginger—tell him what it is for. lest ho think it is intended for human use. Mix the resultant product with a little flour paste which is more on the fluid side. Deposit the finished product in the excavated egg. and neatly attach the lid. The best way to do this is to fill the lid with a hard paste to which an adherent (seccotine or a like preparation) has been added. When the lid is dry a fresh coating of seccotine may be smeared on the hard level surface thus formed by the stiff flour paste, and the two sections of the egg can be joined. Another way is cleanly to cut off the dome of the egg and _to leave the coagulated albumen (white) in position. excavating the larger section of the egg. which on filling with the drug compound, may be readily joined to the lid. Catching the culprit, and with a fine rasp removing the point of its beak up to the “quick” is a method adopted bv many poultry keepers with success. It is not cruel, and it appears to teach the birds to leave eggs alone.

“ Sore Foot.”—The trouble is undoubtedly what is known as bumblefoot. How it is caused and the treatment necessary to cure are described in the following:— An abscess is a circumscribed collection of pus (matter, corruption) in the tissues. Cause: Continued irritation of a wound or bruise or infection with pus germs. Abscesses may occur in anv of the tissues of a fowl's body. If deep-seated

or of large size, do not attempt treatment; kill the bird. The more common form is foot abscess or “ bumblefoot.” This results from neglected corns, bruises of the feet, wounds with thorns or other sharp substances, jumping from high perches to a hard floor, small, narrow roosts, or anything causing a continued irritation, cramped position, or bruise of the foot. The ball of the foot is swollen, inflamed, hot, and painful. The fowl walks with a limp, and holds up its foot as if in pain. Treatment: In the early stage, when there is merely thickening of the cutis, the surface should be pared with a sharp knife, and then touched with a drop of strong acetic acid, and repeated daily, keeping the bird on a soft bed and not allowing it to perch. Painting the part with strong iodine tincture also answers in some cases. One part of salicylic acid to eight of vaseline is also a very effectual application. When ulceration occurs it is advisable to carefully dissect out the growth, apply nitrate of silver, and be careful to prevent dirt or irritating matter getting into the wound. An occasional poultice is serviceable, and also the application of carbolic acid. To prevent the bird pecking the poultice it is sometimes necessary to fasten the limbs together and leave the patient in a recumbent position until it is removed and the dressing applied. Zinc ointment and compound tincture of myrrh are likewise useful applications. Turkey Rearing.—-Success in rearing turkeys is generally achieved only when the birds have a free range, and where the stamina has been maintained by the use of the best unrelated blood. Nature should be followed as closely as possible. The most popular breed of turkeys is the American bronze-wing, which gives a large carcass, and is the hardiest of all breeds. The standard weights of bronzewings are: Adult cock, 361 b; hen 201 b. Management.—The farmer should not expect his fowls to pay unless they receive the same attention as the other farm stock.

The consuming public are fast coming to realise that fresh eggs at Is fid a dozen are cheaper than meat at Is a lb.

Market eggs frequently. Remember they decrease in value every day after being laid. Growth of Chicks and Glass Substitutes : Summary of Experiments.— (1) Chicks which had access to direct sunlight or sunlight passing through a screen “ glass substitute ” made equally good gains in weight, and did uot develop leg weakness, while others under identical conditions with the exception that they received light through window glass developed leg weakness. (2) A 30-minute daily exposure to direct sunlight, sunlight through a “screen glass,” and a fabric glass substitute caused chicks to grow at an apparently normal rate for 13 weeks without signs of leg weakness, while similar “unexposed” groups contracted leg weakness. The ash content of the three “ exposed ’’ groups was somewhat below normal. (3) Exposing chicks afflicted with leg weakness to direct sunlight, transmitted by a “ screen glass ” and “ fabric glass " substitute for 15 minutes and five minutes to ultra-violet rays from a quartz mercury vapour lamp daily for four weeks caused a marked improvement in the behaviour and general appearance of the birds, with a general disappearance of leg weakness and an increased ash content of the tilvas. (4) The efficiency of glass substitute in preventing leg weakness or rickets depends on its power to transmit the protective ultra violet rays, the amount of sunshine available, the season of the year, and its freedom from dust or other foreign particles. The many experiments made in recent years: show the value of direct sunlight. Many brooder houses have fixed glass screens throughout, consequently the chicks never get direct sunlight,’ but always sunlight without any of the important ultra-violet rays. 'Glass fabric is splendid for brooder houses, used alone or alternately with common glass. It must be kept free from accumulations of dust and dirt. Reilly’s Report.—Largo consignments of poultry coming forward, hens and pullets realising low prices; good cockerels and ducklings realising good values. Pullets forwarded are small, and are not realising anything like the values they realised in February last year. Turkey gobblers eagerly inquired for. During the wees we sold:—Hens—l4 at 7s fid, 12 at 4s lOd 13 at 4s 6d, 17 at 4s, 14 at 3s JOd. 38 at 3s Bd, 130 at 3s fid, 52 at 3s 4d. 50 at 3s 2d. 206 at 3s. 25 at 2s. 11 at Is fid; cockerels—lo at 9s lOd. 9at 9s 4d, 16 at 6s 6d. 18 at 6s, 8 at 5s 6d, 13 at 4s 8d 12 at 4s 6d. 11 at 4s. 12 at 3s 6d. 12 at 3s 2d 12 at 3s. 10 at 2s 6d. 12 at 2s 4d 12 at 2s 2d: chickens—s at 2s. 3at Is lOd. 3 at Is 4d. 2 at Is 2d. 4 at lOd; pullets—l2 at 15s, 6 at 9s 6d. 9 at 9s, 18 at Bs, 9 at 7s fid. 9 at 6s 6d, 5 at Gs 2d, 9 at 5s 6d. 9at 4s 8d: ducks—B at 5s 6d. Bat ss. 7at 4s 4d: old ducks—4 at 2s lOd, 8 at 2s 6<l, 5 at 2s 4d; small ducklings—l 4 at 2s 2d, 7 at 2s; all at per pair. Eggs.—Eggs have advanced in price, and C.P.M. eggs are finding a ready sale at Is 6d. Our further account sales from London show that the net prices to our consignors work out on a basis of Is 3jd net. This price is very satisfactory, and poultry farmers should in future send much larger consignments to England. We are now endeavouring to work forward sales on behalf of our consignors, and anticipate being able to secure about Is 4d for next season’s output.

DO YOU KNOW THESE TERMS?

Beard—ln chickens, a group of feathers pendant from the throat, as on Houdans and some varieties of Polish: in turkeys, a tuft of coarse, bristly hairs. 4in to 6in long, projecting from the upper part of the breast. Disqualification—A deformity or one or more serious defects that excludes a fowl from an award or score. A fowl so excluded from competition is said to be disqualified and is unworthy to win a prize. Faking—An attempt on the part of an exhibitor to deceive the judge at a poultry show, except the dubbing of Games and Game bantam males. Pinion feathers —The feathers attached to the segment of the wing that is most remote from the body.

Hackle feathers—The long, narrow feathers growing on the neck. Squirrel tail—A fowls tail, any portion of which projects forward beyond a perpendicular line drawn through the juncture of tail and back.

Under-colour—The colour of the downy portion of the plumage— not visible when the plumage of the fowl is in natural position.

M ry tail—Tail of a fowl turned to one side—permanently so.