POULTRY NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 24313, 19 December 1940, Page 16

POULTRY NOTES

By A. PEAT Culling needs courage. Some persons hesitate to throw out a bird they are not quite sure about and think that it might develop into a good layer, so it is left. Possibles are no good in a flock, for every hen or pullet retained must be a “probable.” Hesitation over a bird is a mistake, for it will probably be only a passenger. If there is any doubt about a bird it should be thrown out at once, for it is far better to throw out a good bird by mistake than to retain several that are doubtful. . Several different species of lice, infest turkeys and cause constant irritation which may be the cause of loss of condition of the birds and will cause broody hens to desert their eggs. The best method of control is by placing a little commercial nicotine sulphate (40 per cent.) along the perches on which the birds roost. This should be done on a perfectly still night immediately before the birds go to roost. The heat of the birds’ bodies causes the fumes to rise through the plumage. An alternative treatment which may be used when it is difficult to treat the perches, is to catch the birds and place a few pinches of sodium fluoride in the plumage at various points and ruffle it evenly throughout. It has been demonstrated by experiments at the Western Washington Experimental Station that when pullets are fed hulls and fibre contained in oats in the mash and whole oats in the hoppers, they do not have the desire for feather picking and cannibalism. This habit has proved very disastrous in a number of flocks, and a preventive is gladly welcomed in New Zealand as well as in the United States. This large addition of oats does not upset their ration, but produces fine pullets. FIRST SELECTION OF COCKERELS A number of poultry keepers like to rear their own stock birds, either breeding from their own pens or buying special settings of eggs to produce fresh blood. By this time of the year chickens, from whichever source they are bred, should be ready for selection and few breeders realize it is the best time to pick many faults. The differences between good and bad birds are more easily distinguished now than later in certain points. Other advantages are that the birds do better when there are only a few together and it is always advisable to make your selection from birds of the same age before they are all mixed together. Never be tempted to keep on an undersized bird to see if it will catch up. It may possibly catch up in size b • the time it comes to maturity and no longer look like a cull, but it will be the first to go down under the adverse conditions and may easily start a serious outbreak of colds or disease. There is always some reason for the slower growth and pool - condition. If these birds are killed and opened up some fault will be found; sometimes a tumour is discovered or a deformity, enlarged heart, perforated gizzard, thickened or inflamed intestines as the result of coccidia or worm infestation 1 , or some disease.

It quite definitely does not pay to keep these small birds. The selected birds must also be typical birds of the breeds I they represent. It is not possible at this early stage to pick out exhibition speciI mens, but birds with major faults must ! be discarded no matter how good their parents are. The comb shape and size will be established. If it is a rose comb variety, then cull out birds with single combs. This is quite a common fault among Wyandottes. Side sprigs are also apparent and birds possessing such deformities on their combs should not be kept, although some breeders of commercial or utility birds use them. Leg faults can be picked out at an early age. These include crooked toes and twisted shanks, knocked knees, extra toes and feathered legs in clean-legged breeds. Discoloured legs must also be culled, that is, white shanks in yellowshanked breeds, or dark shanks in place of light shanks. One partly dark or green shank is a very common fault in yellow-legged breeds. Handle the birds to make certain that their breast bones are straight. Run the hand down the back and hips to feel for any deformity. Slight cases of roach back may then be felt, which would not otherwise be noticed. Choose birds with well-developed combs and wattles, but beware of the too early maturing bird. Keep the vigorous active cockerel which is a strong crower and will not screech every time you touch or handle it. Another big advantage of culling now is to get the unwanted birds in for the Christmas sales.

A good cockerel will have a strong, wide, well-built head with a short strong beak. The eyes must be full, round, bright and prominent. The body should be deep and wide, carrying the width from the shoulders to the tail covered with firm flesh, and should be heavy for its size. The bones must be strong and straight with tight feathering all over the body. The skin must be supple and silky; this is very important. Comb and wattles should be red and well developed. Cull out the birds with the weak narrow heads and long overhanging or crooked beaks, sunken, dull or deformed eye, shallow, narrow, thin or light body, small or deformed bones, loose or patchy feathering, dry and shrivelled skin, and pale and shrunken comb and wattles.

CAGE BIRD NOTES By MANU Anyone who is thinking of keeping birds for a hobby should seriously consider that group of birds known to fanciers as British finches. This group I comprises many birds, but the only ones |we in New Zealand are concerned with are those which were introduced here in the early days. Goldfinches, red polls, greenfinches and chaffinches have all been successfully established in this country, but the beautiful and well-liked bullfinch is known only in one or two localities, while that lovely songster the brown linnet is almost unknown.

These birds form a collection which can be a constant delight to their owner. Who could wish for a more beautiful bird than a goldfinch? Crimson, black, yellow, brown and white all blend in this bird to make it a sight worth seeing. As another recommendation the goldfinch has a sweet, varied song and if kept in good health it will only stop singing to eat

and sleep. Hemp and niger seed in small quantities are almost essential to the well-being of this bird. The greenfinch, wrongly called green linnet, is a good all-round pet. He has a nice song when in good health and his green and yellow plumage is very pleading to the eye. This bird is quiet and' inoffensive and does well in an aviary with other birds. As tit-bits a greenfinch enjoys hemp and sunflower seeds.' Chaffinches are also attractive birds both for song and plumage, although they never become as confiding as a greenfinch will. The spring song of this species is very vigorous and can become even monotonous. A cock chaffinch owned by me sang so often and so loudly that I was about to liberate him. Suddenly he stopped singing and I was at a loss to explain this until I discovered a beautiful nest in which the proud and quieter chaffinch was a principal shareholder. Chaffinches are easily catered for, and they will eat fat, bread, and other scraps with relish.

The red-poll is a very small bird, full of energy and with quite a pleasant song. Cock wild birds have a lovely crimson breast, while the hen has only the red crown on the head. Cage, and even aviary, kept red polls almost entirely lose this colouring. These birds seem to thrive on almost anything and breed quite readily. All the above birds will live quite happily in cages, but their beauty and evident happiness in a garden aviary are well worth the cost of building one. An aviary can be a distinct asset to any garden provided it is carefully built to blend into the surroundings. Some growing shrubs and grass will delight the birds and they can be kept in health with a mixture of canary, hemp, rape and niger seeds. A small aviary could house, say, a pair each of goldfinches, chaffinches, greenfinches and red polls, and these birds will get on very well together. If they have been in the aviary for about nine months before the breeding season there is no reason why any of these birds should not breed and their owner will get further joy out of seeing their lovely nests and eggs and satisfaction in having successfully cared for them well enough to bring them into breeding condition. EGGLAYING_CONTESTS MASSEY COLLEGE (36th week) Light Breed, Single J. Annan (W.L.) 6 185 F. Longbottom (W.L.) 6 182 A. Mumby (W.L.) 5 176 *A. Mumby (W.L.) 6 176 *S. Morris (W.L.) 5 174 Heavy Breeds, Single W. Larsen (A. 0. 4 182 Mrs Willers (A. 0. 5 165 K. Mullins (R.R.) 6 163 S. Street (R.1.R.) 4 158 F. Houghan (A. 0. 4 154 Light Breeds (6 birds) J. Wilson (W.L.) 23 1124 B. Wilkinson (W.L.) 28 995 W. Stent (W.L.) 36 917 Heavy Breeds (6 birds) W. Larsen (A. 0. 26 1076 J. Wealleans (A. 0. 22 835 S. Stephenson (A. 0. 21 726 AUCKLAND (37th week) Light Breed (3 birds) W. Spencer (W.L.) 18 589 Mrs Chappell (W.L.) 19 554 *E. Wells (W.L.) 18 541 Mrs Munlay (W.L.) 17 523 E. Walker (W.L.) 16 516 Heavy Breeds (3 birds) J. Nixon (R.1.R.) 17 614 R. Pleasant (B.O.) 19 591 Mis Wright (B.O.) 12 . 559 J. Nixon (R.1.R.) 11 542 *G. Booth (B.O.) 12 540