POULTRY NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 25311, 14 June 1935, Page 5

POULTRY NOTES

CAGE BIRDS I Comments on any matter appearing in this column, or contributions of notes, of general interest, for publication will be gladly received All correspondence to be addressed to "Feather," c/o Southland Times, Invercar gill J (By “Feather.”) ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENTS. “Three Intending Members,” Invercargill.—All birds require grit in some form or other. One of the best for pigeons is the very fine grit from blue stone, the material that is. used in the top-dressing when bituminized roads are being put down. The grits about our unsealed streets are as good as anything. The floor of the pigeonhouse should have a layer of sand '-ontaining fine shell. This keeps the. feet of the birds clean and they like picking at the shell. I was delighted to receive your letter relating to the tormation of a juvenile bird club. Provided a few more letters come to hand containing the same enthusiasm as yours conveys you can be sure the club will be organized, and we will make a success of it, too. GENERAL NOTES. Mr G. D. Holloway has been appointed by the Southland District Council to attend the first annual conference of the New Zealand Poultry Producers’ Federation. The Christchurch district council of the New Zealand Poultry Producers’ Federation considered remits for the first annual conference of the federation to be held at Wellington on June 25 and 26 at a meeting on Monday evening. Mr W. Turner presided. The New Zealand Poultry Board advised that it had been decided to reimburse all cohtributors to • the New Zealand Poultry Association’s organization fund. As the board was unable to reimburse all such contributors in full this year it was decided that payments on this occasion be made on the following scale: Contributions of 5/- and under to be paid in full; more than 5/and up to 10/-, 50 per cent.; more than 10/-, 33 1-3 per cent; with an assurance that a further payment will be made next year to all contributors of amounts exceeding 5/-. It was decided to support the nominations of Messrs T. H. Evans and G. S. Bates for reappointment to the New Zealand Poultry Board. Many remits were received from branches, and it was agreed to send on the following resolutions, among others, to the annual conference:— “That the Government be asked to legislate on the grading of eggs for New Zealand, the grades to be: First grade, IJoz and over; second grade lioz to ifoz. Under lloz eggs to be sold as pullets.” “That owing to the increase in the export of eggs and to the low prices at certain times of the year for table poultry, the chief Government poultry expert be sent to Australia to look into these two branches of export which are being carried out successfully in New South Wales.” “That the conference be asked to make representations to the Municipal Conference for a reduced fee for dogs kept for the exclusive purpose of protecting poultry, this to apply to flocks of more than 200, and that the conference approve the action of the Poultry Board in endeavouring to have legislation passed on the worrying of poultry by dogs.”

‘ ‘That, failing the introduction of a grading system, the Poultry Board be requested favourably to consider the adoption of a Dominion mark scheme for the stamping of eggs.” “That all eggs placed in cool store be stamped ‘chilled’ before being placed in store.”

“That the time is opportune for the appointment of a second Government instructor for duty in the South Island.” “That the Poultry Board approach the Government with the object of securing a restoration of the grants which were formerly made to the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club and the Auckland Poultry Keepers’ Association for egglaying competitions, which are of great value to the industry and which have been threatened by lack of finance.” Birds which form the habit of sleeping on the nests instead of on the perches should be checked at once, as the practice encourages insect pests, which, if not ' seriously attacked, do untold harm to the birds and incidentally reduce production alarmingly. Blocking up the front of the nests before the birds go to roost is the most satisfactory means of dealing with the trouble. This involves a certain amount of work, but it will be amply paid for in the health of the birds and the upholding of the egg returns. In the opinion of an authority in close touch with the industry faulty brooding is responsible for more mortality in chickens than all the disease put together. Naturally, he added, bad brooding induced susceptibility to most diseases incidental to baby chickens, but it was difficult to convince many poultrymen that their brooding methods were responsible for their troubles. If young birds are purchased it is wise to find out how they have been fed. The best of young stock may receive a serious setback if an abrupt change is made in the system of feeding. Change can be made, but it must be gradual. . ■ •

Every hatching season vast numbers of eggs are wasted through unsuitable incubation houses. While an even temperature is absolutely essential to success, it is even more important that there shall be a constant supply of fresh air to the eggs in process of incubation. Unless the air in the incubator room is fresh the air in the incubator cannot be fresh, because the whole supply must come from the room itself, and attempts to incubate successfully must fail if this cardinal need is not observed. To attempt to make an incubator room as near airtight as possible is wrong, yet that is what many do in their efforts to prevent any risk of draught. There must be both intake and air outlet. A satisfactory form of intake ventilation is by means of strips of perforated zinc let into the sides of the house just above floor level and fitted with shutters to allow of control when the wind is too strong. The outlet should be in the roof or well above the top of the incubator. Another important matter, is the degree of humidity to be maintained in the incubator so as correctly to control the evaporation which takes place within the egg during incubation. A .well-known English expert, J. N. Leigh, maintains that the heavy losses from “dead in the shell” are mainly due to defective control of this evaporation, which can be restricted or increased by the provision or withholding of an artificial supply of moisture. Excessive evaporation in the egg is the most common cause of “dead in the shell,” and it is very noticeable that these losses are especially heavy when there is a marked lack of moisture in the atmosphere. As a result of over-evapora-tion, the membrane on the inside of the shell becomes so dry and tough that the chicken is unable to break through. Many experiments have been carried out to determine how best to prevent over or under-evaporation under the varying atmospheric conditions, but control of moisture is still dependent on the skill of the operator.

At the Christchurch Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Club’s Show there was very keen competition in all sections. Following is the list of the championship awards:—

The New Zealand championship for utility heavy breeds other than Orpington, Wyandotte, Sussex or Plymouth Rock was won by L. F. Soper with a Rhode Island Red cockerel. The New Zealand championship, for Norwich canaries, clear, ticked 'or variegated, non-colour-fed, was won by G. Street. The South Island Association’s east coast championship awards were: Old English Game, any colour, R. H. Johnstone; Utility Ancona, R. Pearce; Utility Langshan, N. Dove; Sebright Bantam, Miss M. Fraser; Japanese Bantam, E. H. Oldridge; Homer cock, ringed, 1934, G. W. Robertson; Yorkshire yellow canary, clear, ticked or variegated, non-colour-fed, J. A. Morris; Budgerigar, J. R. Smith.

Club cups were awarded as follow:— Open poultry—Black Red, A. F. Bailey; any other colour Old English Game, H. Watkinson; White Leghorn, M. W. Hawkins; Brown Leghorn, W. Cummings; Leghorn, any other colour, R. Pearce; Minorca, Mrs A. Allred; Black Orpington, B. Kelly; Silver Wyandotte, J. Gunn. Bantams.—Modern Game, W. H. Turvey; Old English, H. Mackie; Black Rosecomb, Verner and Forester; Pekin, Miss M. E. Cummings, Sebright, Miss M. Fraser.

Utility Classes.—White Leghorn, M. W. Hawkins; Brown Leghorn, C. Kerridge; Ancona, Smith and Lang; Minorca, M. W. Hawkins; Plymouth Rock, R. J. Vallance; Wyandotte, J. Gunn, Orpington, E. J. Poswillo; Rhode Island Red, J. F. Soper; Sussex, A. W. Pritchard; duck, J. Calvert; duck, open, G. J. Suttie.

Pigeons, fancy—Black, clean-legged self, Macquarrie and Smith; any other colour self, T. W. Richmond; Homers— Old cock, S. Browne; old hen, H. A. Pearson; young cock, G. W. Robertson; young hen, P. C. Crooke. Canaries.—Yorkshire, J. A. Morris; Norwich, yellow, G. Street; Norwich, buff, G. Street; Norwich, unflighted, G. W. Duggan; Budgerigar, J. R. Smith. POULTRY-RAISING. X—Ailments (Continued). Lice are an almost ever prevalent trouble, and though it seems impossible •to wholly eradicate them it is very necessary to keep the pest in check. The symptoms are signs of irritation, restlessness and ill-condition. Sitting hens when badly x afflicted often leave their nests before hatching time. The trouble is even more accentuated among young chicks, the lice attacking the throat and the top of the head. With the adult fowl the lice are found under the wings, about the vent, and on the head and neck; they are deep down amongst the feathers, and any treatment to be effective must reach them. Dust thoroughly with a good lice powder. Take the fowls from their roosts at night, hold firmly by the legs, head downward, and sift the powder from a box with a perforated lid through the loosened feathers. Repeat the operation every week for at least three weeks. An application at this season will act as a check before springtime. Before putting hens down to sit give them a dusting. Powdered sulphur is recommended. For young chicks use an ointment of sulphur and lard, rubbing this under the throat and on the top and back of the head. One teaspoonful of sulphur in the feed for twenty chicks or a tablespoonful for twenty adult fowls is good. Repeat every day until the lice disappear. For the hen with chicks put a few drops of kerosene on her wings, and in hovering the chicks they will get sufficient on them to destroy the lice. Do not be afraid to use the sulphur treatment. A small quantity vzill not hurt the fowls even in the bleakest of weather.

Mites are parasites that breed in any cracks or crevices about the poultry house, or anywhere where filth is allowed to accumulate. The mites attack the fowls at pight, sucking their blood; they are a danger to fowls of all ages. The mites return to their harbouring places during the daytime. The free use of kerosene is highly recommended; apply to roosts, nests and all cracks and crevices; spray the walls with kerosene. A good preparation which will destroy both mites and lice is made by shaving half a pound of laundry soap into half a gallon of water. Boil until the soap is dissolved, remove from the fire, and whilst still hot stir in two gallons of kerosene. This makes an excellent disinfectant, adding ten parts of water to one part of the emulsion, afterwards adding one pint of crude carbolic acid or creosol to ten quarters of the mixture, and stirring well. Poultry houses should be whitewashed frequently to kill disease germs as well as insects that lodge in cracks. A formula for whitewash has already been published in these columns.

Pip is a symptom of disease, and is not a disease of itself. It is a dry condition. of the tongue associated with diseases of the air passage, such as catarrh, bronchitis, roup and pneumonia. It is caused by the rapid passing of feverish breath over the tongue when the body is subjected to an increased temperature. The end of the tongue becomes hard and dry, and eating becomes difficult. Give the affected fowl soft food for a day or two, and twenty, grains of salts on two mornings in succession. Wash the mouth with boric acid solution, and paint the tongue with glycerine, or olive oil twice a day. Rheumatism is more noticeable in the legs, though it affects all parts. The causes of the disease are exposure to cold and dampness, the feeding of too much animal matter and not enough vegetable matter. Sometimes, the trouble is due to heredity. Rheumatism is distinguishable from leg weakness in that among the first symptoms are the jerky walk and swollen joints. Inflammation and pain in the joints and muscles cause the bird to sit down, trying to straighten the limbs hurts the bird. The first treatment is to put the fowl into proper housing . conditions, free from draughts and dampness; give plenty of green vegetable food. For internal treatment use iodide of potassium, fifteen grains to a quart of drinking water. Give the fowls a small drink at a time so that they will get the drug fresh. Rub the swollen parts with extract of witch hazel two or three times a day. Other inward treatments recommended are a teaspoonful of baking soda to each quart of drinking water; and twenty grams of salts as a dose one day followed by fifteen grains of bicarbonate of soda to each pint of drinking water the following day. Scaly leg is caused by a parasite, and is highly contagious. The parasite works in between the scales of the shanks or toes. The scales are irritated, pushed apart, and filth begins to accumulate. This filth and the parasite gives the leg an ugly objectionable appearance. There is enlargement of the feet and legs; a slight roughness at the beginning of the trouble afterwards •developing a spongy substance raising the scales until they are nearly perpendicular. The joints become inflamed and walking is difficult. Treat by washing and brushing the legs with warm soapy water, removing all scales that come off easily; dry the legs and apply a coating of balsam of Peru or an ointment containing two per cent, carbolic acid. Oil of caraway and vaseline, in the proportion of 1 to 5. is also recommended. If a large number of fowls are affected make up a mixture of half a pint of kerosene and one pint of raw linseed oil. Put into a quart pot, and take it to the poultry house at night, dipping the legs of the affected birds into the pot and replacing the birds on the roosts, repeating the process in three days’ time. Be careful not to wet the feathers, and to see that the birds are settled on the roosts.

otherwise if they tumble about in the dust on the floor they will increase the trouble, by picking Up dust and dirt on the oil before it has soaked in and dried up. Another ointment that has been proved effective is made up of one ounce of sulphur to ten tablespoonfuls of lard or vaseline, rubbed into the rough part every other night for a week and then one further application threeweeks later. Another dipping method is by part filling a pail with water, and adding a floating half inch of kerosene. Take each fowl and dip both legs, holding them in for half a minute, repeating the operation in four or five days. As with the other dip, care must be taken to keep the feathers dry, and to replace the fowls on the roosts. EGG-LAYING CONTEST. PAPANUI. The contests for 1935-36 are now in progress at Auckland, Palmerston North, New Plymouth and Christchurch. The leading pens in each, section at Papanui will be published weekly in the poultry column of the Southland Times. Any matters of outstanding interest at other competitions, or answers to inquiries regarding same will also be published. . The 31st competition organized by the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club was commenced at Papanui on April <• Following are the returns (leading pens) for the week ended June 5. Single Hen Test. For Light or Heavy Breeds. H. Williams (7) 55 S. J. R. Dick (A. 0. (6) 54 L. J. Glasson (6) 54 R. Watkins (B.O.) (7) 53 E. F. Butler (6) 52 Mrs B. B. Andrews (5) 51 White Leghorn Single Hen Test. (Each entry three birds.) H. Williams (18) 157 A. Crawford (18) 154 A. C. Goodlet (16) 148 Miss H. Keddell (12) 144 E. Tilley (17) 143 L. J. Glasson (16) 142 J. W. McGlinchy (17) 141 Black Orpington and Austral Orp. (Each entry three birds.) A. H. Fowles (B.O.) (16) 158 L. Brumby (A. 0. (16) 141 B. Cotterell (A. 0. (16) 139 G. D. Hollyman (A. 0. (16) 136 L. P. Hawke (B.O.) (11) 128 W. A. Coombes (B.O.) (10) 106 Any Other Variety Light or Heavy Breeds. (Each entry three birds.) E. R. Buckley (R.1.R.) 131 A. Dalziel (Lan.) (12) 124 J. P. Stevens (Lan.) (6) 90 A. W. Adams (S.W.) (5) 52 A. D. Fabian (Min.) (10) 47 A. W. Pritchard (8.L.) (8) 42 R. signifies Rhode Island Red Lan. signifies Langshan. S. signifies Silver Wyandotte. Min. signifies Minorca. B.L. signifies Black Leghorn. Single Hen Test, Light or Heavy Breeds. (Each entry six purebred pullets.) H. Williams (33) 299 D. A. McKie (A. 0. (34) 270 W. Turner (22) 267 G. H. Bradford (25) 249 L. G. Ansall (21) 245 J. Brennan (22) 242 Flock Teams’ Contest. (Each entry six birds.) Mrs B. B. Andrews (28) 269 Miss H. Keddell (27) 229 W. E. Ward (22) 227 E. P. Anderson (22) 219 J. Liggins (15) 203 M. Holroyd (13) 178 Single Duck Test. (Each entry three ducks.) H. A. Lucas (P.) (18) 169 Miss N. Dale (1.R.) (20) 167 Mrs C. J. Collings (K.C.) (19) 164 T. Ashworth (K.C.) (20) 160 W. A. Pollard (1.R.) (19) 123 P. signifies Pekin. I.R. signifies Indian Runner. K.C. signifies Khaki Campbell. JUVENILE SECTION. With the arrival of winter on Sunday last the silver-eyes have taken up their quarters in our gardens. So far there is a much lesser number than we had last year, but they will increase as the season wears on. This is the correct time to commence feeding the birds in earnest. Earlier in the winter it is advisable to give them just sufficient to keep them interested, otherwise they will neglect their work of insect eating. With snow or frost on the ground the insects bury themselves deeply, and the birds are now entirely dependent on their friends for food. During the week I have seen tomtits, grey warblers, greenfinches, fantails and silvereyes in the public gardens. Lwish to remind my juvenile readers of the suggestion to form a bird club, with the object of running a show at the end cf July. This club would be solely for girls or boys up to sixteen years of age, and I am sure we could make it quite interesting. If you are willing to join up write a letter to ‘Feather,’ care of Southland Times. Budgerigars will live well in single nairs in cages, and may even breed; but they are an ideal aviary bird. They are very sociable, and several pairs can be put together; indeed, they do better when in groups. Their feeding is simple. These attractive Australian parakeets will be more fully described in a subsequent issue. Birds kept in outside aviaries must have special care from now on. It is often necessary to drive them into their inside quarters at night. Make sure they are free from draughts or dampness in the house. Outside conditions are the healthiest provided the birds are not allowed to catch cold from want of proper care. Goldfinches are still going about in flocks. They remain in numbers longer than any other birds, and it is usually mid-spring before they select their partners. They are very pretty at this time of the year, their gay colouring showing off to advantage. The prices put on pet cats at the Christchurch Show in most cases were £lO, a few were marked at £5O, and one tabby was ticketed £l5O. The prices indicated that the owners wished to avoid selling their pets. Hie Kookaburra. This amusing Australian bird is usually known as the laughing jackass. A number of them were brought to New Zealand in 1866 and a further lot in 1880, but they have not thrived here. There are a few along the east coast of the Auckland province. At one time they were frequently seen and heard about the Town Belt in Dunedin, but being tame and confiding birds they fell easy victims to the shanghai and the “sportsman’s” gun. The kookaburra is a fair-sized bird, in length about the same as the redbilled gull which is so common on our beaches; but there is no resemblance in shape or appearance between these birds. A kingfisher and a gull are entirely different. The kookaburra is stoutishly built, with a broad head, a keen and very knowing eye, and a broad yet long bill. His legs are fairly short and the feet are adaptable for perching. When on a branch of a tree h’ has an upright carriage, as his legs are placed well back. Though his body is upright the head is pitched forward in the ceaseless watching for

insects, lizards, and spiders of all sorts. The general colouring of the bird is brown, black, and white. The top of the head is brown and reddish, the crest feathers being edged with white;, a whitish band over each eye joining at the back of the neck; below this a dark brown band, followed by a broad white collar. The upper surface of the body is brown, and towards the tail white with brown bars. There is also a greenish blue intermingling at the base of the tail. The tail itself is black, all the outside feathers tipped with white. The under surface of the body is greyish white and light brown. The kookaburra, though belonging to the same family as the kingfisher, is not attractively coloured, but what he lacks in this respect he makes up in his comical manners. He is best described as a “hard case.” He can be trained to snigger, chuckle, or laugh heartily, and he seems to enter freely into the fun of mimicry. In its native country the bird feeds on lizards, snakes, small mammals and birds, and large insects. Snakes are seized behind the head, taken, to a perch on a tree and battered until they are dead, or they are dropped several times from a height to the ground. The nest is placed in a hollow tree or in a white ants’ nest in a tree. There are four or five eggs laid, roundish oval, and white. The bird thrives well in Australia, and is regarded with favour on account of its destroying snakes and other vermin; it has a few black marks against it, however, because is sometimes kills native birds and it has been accused of taking chickens and ducklings from farmyards. The kookaburra is an excellent pet, very companionable, and always ready for a good laugh.