POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3994, 30 September 1930, Page 31

POULTRY NOTES.

By

Terror.

“ Student.”—The fireless brooder is simply a box of suitable size to hold the required number of chicks to be brooded. Whatever tbe size (width and length) the depth should be lOin, and under the lid should be placed a cushion (resting on corner supports) and padded with hay inside scrim or muslin, so that the chickens’ backs at night time reach it—i.e., the cushion should be so arranged that it may be raised as the chickens grow. A entilation holes must be provided. The heat required is generated from the chickens’ bodies. The chickens should be kept in for a couple of days, and then taught to reenter the brooder by being pushed in until they learn where to go for warmth. I have never recommended the fireless broder in these notes, though I know that many claim to have used them successfully. One can get warm in bed by covering one’s head ■with the blankets, but I fancy the use of a hot-water bottle is the more sanitary way of getting warmth, either in bed or in the brooder.

Leg weakness is not considered by veterinarians as a disease, but rather as a symptom of paralysis, worms, coccidiosis, rickets, or anv disease that may weaken the bird. When leg weakness .appears in a flock the weak birds should be isolated at once and the remaining stock removed to clean soil. Everything that can be done in the way of providing sanitary houses and a clean grassy range, combined with balanced growing rations, will help to prevent or reduce the losses from leg weakness. Feeding cod liver oil to young chicks has been found a means of preventing

leg weakness among brooder house flocks. It is not so necessary after the chicks are feathered out and on range. Feeding bone meal and ground limestone in the growing mash helps to provide the mineral elements which chicks need while developing bone and feathers. Sour milk seems to be one of the most useful feeds to enable chicks to grow rapidly and become resistant to disease. It seems as if there was much lese disease reported in farm poultry flocks in the days when less whole milk was sold from the farm. Then the making of butter at home provided both skim milk and buttermilk for the poultry, and small flocks of henhatched birds had a lot of milk to drink. In some instances large flocks of brooder chicks have practically no milk in their ration, as the whole milk is all hauled away by trucks to the creameries. Poultr-, 7 farmers who also sell whole milk will often find their birds more profitable if they buy commercial milk products for use in their poultry rations.—Witness and Canadian Homestead.

WORLD’S POULTRY CONGRESS. The Poultry Congress, which opened in July at the Crystal Palace, London, was an event of great interest throughout the poultry world, and Home papers now coming to hand have devoted a great deal of space in describing its wonders and in publishing the speeches made by the celebrities in attendance at the various functions held.

The editor of the Poultry World points out that the lessons learned from the conference have been many. “In every direction men of science and men who have the knowledge derived from practice have crossed swords, and each has learned from the other. The practical men get results, but, as Dr F. A. E. Crew said: ’ You practical men know how to get results, and you get them, but you do not know how they come. It is the work of tjie scientists to find out how things happen so that the practical men, having this knowledge, may put it to practical use and so solve more easily the economical problems that confront them.’ This the discussions in the conference halls has helped to bring about. The exchange of ideas on things that are as yet unknown as well as those in which the problems have been solved has extended the knowledge of all who have attended the congress. They will go back to their farms and homes in this England of ours and across the seas, and the result will be that poultry and egg production of the world will receive a greater impetus than it has yet felt. The neatest, the tidiest, the completest, the most finished, great, wonderful, magnificent, the finest ever—these were but a few of the many expressions of approval which we heard fall from the bps of visitors from overseas. The artistic Belgians, Frenchmen, and Italians, together with the hard-headed, practical men from America, Canada, Australia, and other parts of our great Empire, all spoke in the highest praise' of the thought, energy, and enterprise shown in the staging of a congress which from beginning to end scintillated and sparkled with the dazzling brilliance of a manyfaceted diamond.

. “ ‘ The Old Country may be conservative. you Englishmen may be thought to be slow, but let me tell you that in this congress and its fitment you have shown yourselves as alive and as capable of hustling as any of the younger countries. In America we are hustlers, we are gamblers, we take the chances. We are not alone. We have under-estimated England. No more will any man in my presence be able to say, that you are slow. We reckon we can do things in the States. We are used to handling big exhibitions—fairs, as we call them. —but. by gosh, you have given us something to beat ! Frankly, I must say 7 you have set us an impossible task.’ This man is one of the big men—possibly the biggest man—in the American poultryindustry. Needless to say, we blushed as we listened to his eulogy.

Concern at the present low- price of eggs was expressed at a meeting of poultry keepers of Manawatu, when the opinion was expressed that until those engaged in the industry organised themselves on sound lines, poultry farming in New Zealand would not find its feet. It was alleged that determined efforts were being made by pulp makers to manipulate the market, thus depriving producers of from 5s to 7s 6d per crate. “I do not see why poultrymen should be so dependent on wheat,” said Mr R. W. Hawke, M.P., at a meeting of poultry producers at Christchurch. Several speakers had complained of the high price of the wheat, and of the fact that a duty had Jto be paid for its entry into the country. “ There is no reason _ why they should be so wedded to it, for pollard, bran and barley can all be used. * No duty has to be paid on them, and consequently it is possible to buy in the cheapest market.” Egg producers are urging early action by the Agricultural Department for the introduction of regulations governing the grading and selling of eggs. The situation of the market was described as “ chaotic ” at a meeting of the executive of the Wellington and Suburban Poultry Keepers’ Club last week, and a resolution w 7 as carried requesting the Wellington council of the New Zealand Poultry Association to call a meeting to discuss the necessity for marketing regulations.

A Wanganui motorist, while coming Town the Parapara road the other day, aoticed a hawk which had collected three duck eggs and was standing guard over them (states the Herald). From an inquiry he made from the owner of a flock of Indian Runner ducks which were in an adjoining paddock, he ascertained that unless the eggs were gathered early each morning they were usually lost. The farmer believed that stoats were responsible, but when informed that hawks were responsible, he set about discouraging them from frequenting his property. “An industry which at a time when trade generally is suffering from a worldwide depression can put up such an exhibition as this and draw thousands of people from all points of the compass is one that deserves wider recognition than has been given to it by the daily press. With one or two exceptions, the London press took little notice of the congress. Amidst all its challenging voices about Empire Freetrade, Safe-

guarding, and Cobdenism, one wonders if it cares sixpenny worth of cold gin or a twopenny what happens to an industry that does take men and women back to the land, and which is doing its level best to lessen those £20,000,000 which are going out of the country yearly for foreign eggs, and which should and could be produced at home.” —Government Banquet.—

At a Government banquet, described a " .’ In ‘Posmg and brilliant function,” the Right Hon. W. Adamson presided over a gathering of more than 500 guests, representing many countries far and distant.

The Earl de la Warr (who had taken the chair after the first loyal toast had been duly honoured and Mr Adamson had been called away to the House) proposed “ The Congress,” saying it was a great honour, as the congress represented owners of millions of birds the world over, some who kept thousands and others only tens, but all united in one common cause and one idea of perfecting the production of our poultry. Poultry keeping took men from the city, which was no substitute for the fresh air and fields, and put them back on the land. The desire to be back on the land was fundamental to man, and we are all feeling it. Poultry keeping assisted men and women to enjoy the fresh air. Contact with the land made for the happiness of man. Through poultry keeping a man was led to believe in himself, and it was conducive to the prosperity of tbe country. He urged the teaching of poultry keeping in connection with tbe gardens attached to our elementary schools. The congress would be the means of dispelling ignorance and increasing knowledge. Mr F. C. Elford replied, and said he was delighted with the overwhelming success of the congress. Those who had worked deserved the success achieved. The World’s Poultry Science Association had that afternoon decided to accept the invitation from Italj 7 to hold the 1933 Congress in Rome. Mr Kocb, of Denmark, would be the president, and he had his sympathy. The association was responsible for a great deal connected with the congress, but not all, neither of the progress which had been made by the industry. The poultry industry made big business, and it was for the Governments of the world to help it along. Governments helped many things, but not poultry, which would return their money a hundredfold by keeping the people on ~the land and building up prosperous communities. The inspiration of the congress would last for years. Men and women met and learned to know each other. It was something to shake hands with 60 different countries and to speak heart to heart, spreading friendship and goodwill among the people. The congress was a great power for peace. Governments and people should all help it to go on.

—Papers Read at, Conference. — The following are summaries of some of the papers read at the conference:— "Vitamin D: Its Limitations in the Production of Hatchable Eggs (by R. M. Bethke, Ph.D., and D. C. Kennard, Ph.D., 8.5.).- —Four years’ work at the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station on the

relation of nutrition and management to hatchability of eggs, involving several hundred birds, show that the ration of rhe laying hen, or pullet, must carry tbe factor, or factors, found in legume hays, alfalfa, leaf meal, green feed, or milk, in

addition to vitamin D or its equivalent, to produce eggs of good hatching quality. Tn five separate experiments it was observed that eggs from groups of birds fed a basal. all-mash ration composed of ground grains, grain by-products, meat scraps (50 per cent, protein), bone meal, oyster shells, salt, and cod-liver oil, or its equivalent, direct sunlight or ultra-violet light irradiation, had a hatchability of 30 to 40 per cent. Supplementing the above basal ration with clover, soya bean, or alfalfa hays, alfalfa leaf meal, or green feed (blue grass range), invariably resulted in a 25 to 30 per cent, increase in hatchability. The substitution of liquid or dried skim-milk for the meat scraps in the basal-ration also increased the batching qualities in the eggs. The results show conclusively that vitamin D. although a determining factor in hatchability, must be supplemented with the factor, or factors, carried by green feed, legume hays, alfalfa leaf meal, or milk to produce high-quality hatching eggs. Keeping Chickens in Confinement (by D C Kennard, Ph. D.. and R. M. Bethke, 1 h-D-, the Ohio Experiment Station). - I he new accomplishment of successfully keeping chickens in confinement is considered as it applies to chicks, growing pullets, and layers. These accomplishments and the remarkable developments resulting therefrom are credited to the modern methods of feeding and management of chickens, made possible bv the recent understanding of the role of certain vitamins and direct sunlight in poultry nutrition. Application of these discoveries has brought about all the year hatchinobrooding, and production of pullets and broilers. Experimental data from tests conducted by the Ohio Experiment Station during the past seven years with chickens of all ages are briefly presented. These tests indicate that the outdoor range is not essential for success, provided the confined birds are properly fed and managed.. While the practicability of keeping chickens in confinement is indicated by experimental evidence, and is being successfully demonstrated by many poultry keepers on a large scale, it is suggested that a more advisable procedure for most poultry keepers who are obliged to resort to some method of confinement would be to confine the chicks until they are past the need of artificial heat, then grow the pullets on a suitable range maintained exclusively for the purpose, and again confine the pullets as layers. - This procedure would avoid the contamination of the range by mature birds, and the pullets grown on the range would be less subject to the vices of feather-eating and cannibalism. It is emphasised that keeping chickens in confinement is no easy road to success. Greater skill of feeding and management is required which, in many ways, means learning, poultry keeping anew. For this reason it is suggested that perhaps the majority of poultry keepers should regard confinement of their chickens as a last resort in case of necessity. On the other hand, where conditions warrant or require that the chickens be confined, it

may mean success instead of failure. For commercial poultry keeping on a large scale methods of confinement are more practicable than attempting to range the birds.

Chemical Factors Governing Egg Formation (by G. Davis Buckner, Ph.D. J. Holmes Martin, Ph.D., and W. M. Insko, jun., M.S., Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky).—The conditions governing the formation of eggs in hens are briefly discussed and attention is called to some of the chemical reactions entering into the nutrition of the hen and the formation of eggs. The hydrogen in concentration of the separate divisions of the alimentary canal and their contents are given and discussed. The percentage of calcium in the venous blood leaving the intestines of laying hens is larger than that of the arterial blood going to the intestines. The percentage of calcium in the blood of the left ventricle of the heart of the same hen is intermediate between these two values. When laying, hens that were fed a yellow corn-skim-milk-calcium-carbonate ration were deprived of the calcium carbonate. The average number of eggs laid, the average weights of the eggs and egg shells, and the average content of calcium in the blood became smaller as the experiment progressed. This decrease in the concentration of calcium in the blood may be associated with the lowered hatchability of eggs produced under the same conditions. The hydrogen ion concentration of the mucosoee of the various sections of the oviduct, of the albumen found in the albumen-secreting section, and of the uterus have been determined. The difference in the acidity of the mueosce of the various parts of the oviduct suggests its association with the secretion or formation of the shell membrane and egg shell. Reilly’s Report.—Poultry is in short supply, and trussed poultry commands a ready sale. The egg market has been disturbed owing to the fact that one retailer is advertising guaranteed eggs at Is Id per dozen. During the week we sold:—Hens—2 at 12s. 4 I Is 2d, 210 s 6d. 210 s, 5 9s. 2 Ss 6d. 2 7s lOd 3 7s 6d. 8 7s 2d. 42 7s. 5 6s lOd, 18 6s Bd, 6 6s 6d. 8 6s 4d, 8 6s 2d. 11 5s 6d, 3 4s; pullets—--4 10s 6d, 5 10s 2d, 8 10s, 7 7s 2d 14 7s. 8 6s 6d, 23 6s 2d, 6 3s 6d. 2 3s 4d: cockerels—2 10s 6d, 2 7e 2d, 2 7s, 2 6s 4d. 5 6s, 3 5s 6d. 2 5s 2d. 3 4s 6d. 2 3s "8d ; chickens—24 6d; ducks—3 8s Bd. 3 7s 6d, 4 6s Bd, 19 6s—all at “per pair.” Eggs: “ R.C.P.M.” eggs at Is Id to Is 3d per dozen.