THE POULTRY RUN

Southland Times, Issue 18945, 19 May 1923, Page 11 (Supplement)

THE POULTRY RUN

(By “Leghorn.”) Entries close to-day for the Christchurch Poultry, Pigecn, and Canary Club’s Show. It will be interesting to poultry-breeders in general to know’ that the local Show will be held at the end of next month. One o! the most comprehensive prize-lists ever issued will be available in a few days, and judging from the enthusiastic manner in which the Show is being worked up, cne cf the largest exhibitons ever staged locally will be presented to the public. Since the lapse of the egg-laying competition* fanciers have turned their attention to the fancy sections, and from time to time items of interest will appear in this column. The popular art union will be again in evidence at the Show. The business people have been more generous than ever towards the local club, and everything points to it .being a most successful Show. Various northern breeders have taken up their abode in Invercargill, and hopes are strongly entertained of their welcome assistance. The first Poultry Show in these quarters eventuated at Otautau. The quality of birds was fairly gcod, and competition keen. Several local fanciers were successful, and are now getting their birds ready for forthcoming Shows all over the South Island.

The annual report of the Wairarapa Egg Circle shows very graphically how that industry, in common with most others, has been affected by the slump (says the Age). The circle was formed in 1910, and in the first eight years of its operations it sold more than a quarter of a million dozen eggs fcr its members and netted for them 1/4 per dozen. In the succeeding years the average price steadily rose to its peak at 2/44 per dozen in 1920-21. In the follow l ing year it 2/04, and in the year just ended it showed another very serious drop .3 l/7f, which is the lowest level for some years past. Owing to a variety of reasons the cost of wheat has not fallen in sympathy with that of other commodities, and the egg producer, therefore, reaps a much lower profit for his eggs at 1/7 < today than he did a few years ago at a penny or two less. As a result the circle expects to see quite a number of its members falling out of the egg-prcducing business. The Christchurch Star reports that Mr J. B. Merrett has received an invitation from the King of Spain to attend the World’s Poultry Congress at Barcelona next year. The Spanish Government has voted £3OOO to entertain delegates and conduct the congress. The invitation includes a visit to the Palace at Madrid and a tcur through the beautiful regions of Andalusia, Valencia and Castile. Chatting the matter over with Mr Merrett he informed “Growblack” that the Otago Poultry Producers and the directors of the Canterbury Co-operative Poultry Producers, Ltd., favour his going with the shipment of eggs to London in September next. A number of egg-producers in the North have also expressed their willingness to support his going. Should this eventuate he intends having three months in America early next year attending Cornell University, then attend the. exhibition in London, and be present at the World’s Poultry Congress in Spain cn his way home. Business relations may prevent his getting away this year, in which case he will postpone the visit to March next. Exercise is, beyond question, the best conditioner for poultry, and breeding birds cannot have too much.

Boiled tar is an excellent thing for covering home-made fowlhouses, coops, etc.,'but it must be boiled, and to such a consistency that it dries in less than a minute when exposed to the air. Cracks up to a quarter of an inch wide may be sealed in this way.

When you see a hen losing its comb colour you Ynay take it that there is something wrong. Isolate it from the rest of the pen and try to diagnose the complaint. Remember, “a stitch in time saves nine,” and timely treatment will often nip a serious complaint in the bud. A hint for back-garden poultry-keepers who have an open run is to dig in some oats. After allowing them to start growing you will find you can turn the ground over for the next fortnight, and the birds will still find sprouted oats. It is not only an easy way of getting sprouted oats, but it cleanses the ground at the same time. An experienced man could go to a flock of fowls, and, on being permitted to handle them, could select the fowls that are laying, and also the likeliest layer (remarks the Poultry Bulletin). A few hints on selection may here be acceptable to those who never rear any pullets, but prefer to purchase them from others. The objection to this method is that when a bird has passed its pullet stage, or first year, very little proof of its age can then be gathered or given. Now, as to its selection: Never purchase any birds because they happen to be cheap, unless you are sure they are healthy and come from healthy stock.

One of the most common ovarian trouble of poultry, is the miscarriage of yolks of partially formed eggs, resulting in their escape into the abdominal cavity, instead of being passed on through the oviduct, and regularly excluded. In many instances internal laying proceeds indefinitely with nothing to indicate to the casual observer that anything is wrong, except the hen’s unproductive visits to the nest. The escape cf yolks into the abdomen, instead of into the oviduct, may result from the failure of the funnel of the oviduct to function properly at the time the yolk sac is ruptured. The normal perictaltic action of the oviduct may also be reversed after the egg is partially formed, forcing if back and out at the upper end. This sometimes happens ever after the shell has been formed. Internal laying also occurs where the eggs are diverted into a sac, which develops at some point along the oviduct, or the egg may escape into the abdomen through the rupturing of the walls of the oviduct. It is possible for internal laying to go on for a long time without any noticeable effect on the health of the bird, and in some instances accumulations of egg material weighing over one pound are found. Under some conditions the presence of this foreign matter in the abdomen may set up an inflammation, resulting in peritonitis. In other cases the bird dies without any apparent unfavourable symptoms aside from the mere presence of the foreign matter. A writer of poultry notes on the other side whose nom de plume is “Breeder” has the following suggestions for the novice which are well worth noting:—“You can generally depend that the man who constantly writes about Nature (with a big N) is concealing his ignorance by appealing to a certain class of phenomena. Poultry under domestication are in quite different surroundings from those in a state of Nature, the wild or feral jungle fowl. The aim of the successful designer of poultry accommodation is in the direction of sanitation and comfort for the birds whose goings and comings are restricted. To compel unfortunate poultry to pass their lives in the miserable hovels, generally vermin infested —which do duty for the average back-

yarder—is not in accord with modern professions of kindness to animals. Wet floors, draughty hovels, and yards which are frequently insanitary quagmires cause untold misery to the birds, and many losses to their owners. Proper accommodation, suitable for our climatic conditions, entails a fair outlay, but it is justified from every , point of view. One of the reasons that eggs are scarce and dear in autumn and winter — when the weather is cold and often wet—is the inadequate housing provided. Here you find the ‘Nature’ chainpion who does not observe the ways of Nature. Jungle fowls do not and would not lay in cold wet seasons. They resort to shelter until better weather prevails. Moreover, they are natives of countries where cold, wet winters are not—only the usual tropical, warm, rainy seasons. Because they have been badly housed in all temperate and cold climates is no reason why that should continue. EGG PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY. The fact that fresh eggs were being retailed in Wellington, just before Christmas at Is 2d a dozen, and gradually increased in price to 3s a dozen by the middle of March, has caused considerable comment by the consuming public, and many are asking themselves if this great difference in price over such a short period is justified, and whether the extreme fluctuation in prices was based on the law of supply and demand.or on manipulation of the market. Whatever the answer, the fact remains that the great variation in price during the period mentioned was far too great to be of much real benefit to either the producer or the consumer.

What is required is a more uniform price throughout the year as an inducement to keep the public eating eggs. This can only be brought about by poultrymen breeding more of their pullets to produce autumn eggs, or by a proper system of co-operation among producers for the purpose of coolstoring some of the summer surplus in shell for table use during the less productive seasons. It is only when poultrymen realise the necessity of making the best use of the refrigerator (as is done by the dairyfarmer) as a means of holding any summer surplus for use during the scarce season that consumption will materially increase and the market become stabilised. True, much has been done in this direction by placing in the freezer egg-pulp for winter use by confectioners and other large consumers of eggs; but this in itself is insufficient if the desired reforms are to be brought about. The table-egg trademust be considered as well. By adopting this course the winter prices would be reduced, but the summer prices would be increased. Such an Increase in the price of the abundant summer eggs would be a great factor in making the business the profitable undertaking it should be for those engaged in it, and also in inducing people to take up poultry-keeping. Mufch is being said in regard to the'importance of establishing an export trade in eggs, but it is questionable if any market in the world offers better possibilities at the present time than the local trade, if the latter is catered for in a.more intelligent manner. By all means let the industry test the oversea market, chiefly for the reason of ascertaining whether there exists a profitable outlet for any future surplus of supply that may be brought about. The marketing of not only the egg product but the table bird as well is the most vexed problem facing the poultry producer to-day. The problem will never be solved under the present general system of disposal. What is wanted is a sounder system of organisation and loyalty among producers than exists to-day, as a means of bringing about the disposal of poultry under co-operative effort.—N.Z. Journal of Agriculture.