The Poultry Yard

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 886, 1 February 1930, Page 34

The Poultry Yard

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GEO. B. AMBLNR.)

EARLY HATCHED PULLETS ALTHOUGH only February, there are many early hatched pullets which have been laying for several weeks and will continue, probably, for another two months and then want a rest. By that time we may get some colder weather, and if they start to moult then it will take much longer to come through, so to obviate this it will be a good plan to start them as soon as possible.

All the birds which have been laying now for over a month will need a moult this season, and this includes the July and August hatched. If they are moulted now, they should come through well before April is out, and then will commence to lay and should go on right through the winter. Eggs are going to be very dear round about June, so what we want to do is to have all our birds laying then, or as many as possible. Suppose these birds were left to go on laying, they would surely stop in April and hardly any of them would begin again until the spring. This means no eggs in June, unless you have some younger pullets coming along. All the growing stock must be well cared for. and growth promoted rather than eggs. A well-developed bird will lay longer and better than a halfgrown specimen, which has been forced to lay before itr time, and these usually go off as soon as we get any cold weather. The October batched stock should all be laying by the end of March, and with ordinary care will continue right through into next spring. These are the birds which pay best, because they are producing something wnen the most money can be taken. Of course, it is impossible to hatch all during this month, so we must make the most of those hatched both earlier and later. The wonder Is that some birds ever lay at all, when their conditions are considered. If fowls are required to lay they must be well fed and properly housed. I know of one small household where they keep a few fowls, which are fed on boiled potato peelings, mixed up with pollard, the whole made into a sloppy mess, which sticks to the fowls’ beaks every time they touch it. When corn is given it is a mixture, half ol' which is not fit to eat, and much of it is never picked up at all. Then I am asked why they never get any eggs. The surprising part is that the birds keep healthy enough to exist, because the run is never dry, and they usually are very foul with their own excrements. Unless people will adopt sanitary measures the stock cannot thrive, much less produce eggs, which, after all, is the object of their being kept. What a number of people are led away by the breed of fowls, without any regard for the strain! I also know that thousands of fowls change hands every year of some professed strain which have never had any blood in them of the name they carry. This, of course, is deception, and should not be tolerated, hut there are black sheep in every fold, and the poultry industry is not free. Still, there are hundreds of honest men about, and they will last when the others have gone under. The White Leghorn is an acknowledged layer, but it is not every bird of this breed which will fill the egg basket. When wanting fowls of this breed, select those of a very activo disposition, with a bright, clear face and bright eye. You cannot have all birds to lay every day in the week, and no flock will all be- alike, but when breeding only hatch from the best known layers, and you can soon raise a strain of your own. Do not always go for the most handsome, for

often beauty is only skin deep, and they turn out frauds when you come to count up the number of eggs laid. Your later broods must be pushed along quickly now, for the November and December hatches will not make much headway unless well cared for. These youngsters do not make headway like the October lots, because, being late, they are rather out of the growing season, but when well fed and kept dry, with a frequent change of run, they soon pick up and the pullets should be laying before the middle of June. When there has been a big lot hatched out the feeder is rather inclined to tire before the late ones get well under way, and then the chicks suffer, but a little of the earlier attention will soon make them move. We have had a considerable amount of rain lately, which has not been good for heavy lands, and the growing chicks have suffered from colds. To take these in time is all right, and nothing further has happened. After the spell of dry weather the wet has found out all the cracks in the roofs, so that these should be filled up before the autumn storms come round. There has been a difficulty in keeping pace with the things which wanted doing, but still we must do the necessary, and in between feeding see that the houses are kept in good order. Before long we shall get some dry weather again, and then any houses which were not washed through must be done, and thus made sweet for the winter. This wet is not good for insects, which infect the houses, but unless you have been busy the first few days of heat will soon show- the haunts of the parasite. Keep on keeping on. There are better and easier times ahead.

PLENTY OF FRESH AIR REQUIRED In housing the pullets during the growing period, ventilation is a matter of paramount importance. The growing pullets spend the greater part of the day between sunset and sunrise in the houses. They roost closely together. Birds need a lot of fresh air at all times, and especially during the growing period. Air once breathed should be removed at night by proper ventilation. Lack of air will ruin the health of the birds and stunt development. With the hot weather now here, arrangements must be made for a constant supply of fresh, pure water. Growing chicks need much water in order to develop normally. Water regulates body temperature during the hot weather. Without water chickens cannot make rapid or economical growth. Plenty of water so that every chicken can have all that it desires at any time is necessary. IMPORTANCE OF GREEN FEED Chicks on free range, after spring is well advanced, frequently suffer a good deal of inconvenience from lack of succulent green food. The poultrykeeper is apt to feel that, with the chicks running at large, they must be able to obtain an abundance of such material, whereas the weeds, grasses, etc., usually reach a stage of maturity early in the summer, when there is little succulence in them, and where the chicks will eat them only in limited quantities. Green stuff is one of the cheapest feeds for L chicks when it is grown to good ad-

vantage, and there is nothing that is so good for them or that will keep them in so healthy a condition. For that reason, even though the birds may be on open range, it is often desirable to make some special provision for succulence. Lucerne and rape are popular for this purpose during the summer months, also lettuce, the latter being specially desirable where the chicks are confined and must have their green feed can-led to them. The average range supplies a limited amount of animal food, but rarely sufficient for the needs of the chicks. It usually is desirable to provide some meat, though this may not be necessary if the chicks have all the milk they care to drink. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS Mrs. F. (Great North Road). —The feeding- of your fowls appears to be all right, excepting the boiled potatoes, "which l would advise you to use more carefully. Potatoes are very fattening. You could improve the coloui- of the yolks or the eggs by adding a little Douglas mixture to the drinking water, the formula of which is as follows: —Sulphate ol iron, one-quarter of a pound; sulphuric acid, half an ounce; water, one gallon. Place the sulphate of iron and sulphuric acid in a strong earthenware oar, pour in the water and stir well with a stick. Leave it for a day or two .Protected by a wooden cover, then run it off into bottles and cork well. Dose: A teaspoonful to each half-pint of drinking water; or in similar proportions in the water used for mixing the food, every third or fourth day. The drinking vessels should not be made of metal.

A.G. (Mount Albert). —A good dry mash for your pullets may be made up as follows: —81b wheat meal, Sib ground oats, 21b pea meal, 21b meat meal, 10lb bran, slb lucerne meal. When your birds are six months old increase the meat meal by 21b and reduce bran by 21b. With regard to methods of feeding, access should be given to the dry mash hopper for one hour at the beginning and end of each day, and a scratch feed of mixed grain:—Clipped oats 401 b, wheat 401 b. kibbled maize 201 b; about loz a head, served in the scratching litter at midday. Fresh water in abundance should be always before the bii'ds, with ample fresh pulled green stuff and plenty of good grit. S.F.R., Mount Albert. —Yes, the writer sold the sire of your cockerel, but it is impossible for me to say what your bird is worth as “Like does not always produce like.” Then again, I have no knowledge as to how the bird was mated. I would advise you to wait until nearer the breeding season before trying to sell him. I do not think you will get the amount you anticipate. The bird may be worth all the vendor states, but obtaining that amount is a different matter. The first time I am your way I will call and see you. Novice, Devonport. —l am pleased to hear of your success with dry mash and would refer you to reply to A.C., Mount Albert, in this week’s Sun. I note your remarks regarding worms. You will find how to treat birds suffering from worms in “Utility Poultry Farming in New Zealand,” which book you say you have. Red mite soon accumulate and in many instances are carried from house to house by sparrows. Yama if painted undiluted on the ends of the perches should destroy them. You are evidently very systematic in your methods of poultrykeeping, which fact, no doubt, has a lot to do with the success you have attained. I would, however, advise you to dig over your outside runs two or three times a year. I will make inquiries regarding Black Leaf, and advise you by post. A.M., Taupiri. —Your birds have certainly laid remarkably well, particularly the Black Minorcas, and, according to your balance sheet, show a profit of 12s 6d a bird. You, however, do not show anv liabilities other than food. There is nothing set off against cost of rearing, or depreciation of houses and runs, etc. Were you poultry-farming for a livelihood there would also be the cost of labour. These are items which need taking into consideration when making up a balance sheet. A.N., Mangere, Writes: I buy this sample of food as a complete poultry meal, but I am not getting very good results, and should like to know how to improve. Answer: The sample sent for examination contains a rather large percentage of barlev meal, a small amount of ground oats and sharps, a little meat meal and bran. The probable reason you are not getting many eggs with its use is that it contains too much barley meal and too little meat meal for birds in confined runs, and if you take one part by weight of the meal in question, one part good sample sharps, and to this add half-part meat meal, it would be better adapted for fits purpose.

GENERAL NOTES

I have received a schedule of the third annual test of the Taranaki Egglaying Competition. The test, which commences on April 3, is for single birds —pullets or ducks —also threebird team test for light and heavy breed pullets. Accommodation is being provided for 59 pullets and 12 ducks.

The sections are divided as follow: Light breeds, White Leghorns, Brown Leghorns, Black Minorcas, A.O.V. light breeds. Heavy breeds, Black Orpington, Light Sussex, Rhode Island Red, Wyandottes, Rocks, A.O.V. heavy breeds. Ducks, Fawn a.nd White Indian Runner, White Indian Runner, A.O.V. ducks. The prize list is a valuable one, including Gibbons’s Cup for heavy breed team, Williamson Cup for heavy breed pullet, Thplin Cup for White Leghorn team, Chrystal Cup for White Leghorn pullet. Renwlck Cup for* best light breed utility exhibition standard pullet, Well-wisher Trophy for best heavy utility standard exhibition pullet, Well-wishers’ trophy for best New Zealand utility standard exhibition duck. Society’s trophy for duck laying most eggs, society’s trophy for light breed pullet, other than White Leghorn. A long list of trophies donated for winners of autumn, winter and summer tests is also offered for competition, as are certificates for both ducks and fowls laying over 240 eggs. It is apparent that the competitors in the Taranaki test are more fortunate than those in any other competition in the Dominion, as ail cups and trophies are to be won outright. The entry fee is £1 15s a bird or team with a member’s subscription of 10s. The competition will again be held in the grounds of Mr. Don Stewart, the well-known judge, who is also president of the association, and being in the hands of such an enthusiast as Mr. Stewart, competitors can rest assured the welfare of their birds will be attended to. Both Mr. W. A. Hanson and Mr. F. Skinner have accepted invitations to judge the poultry and pigeon sections at the Auckland A. and P. Association’s summer show.