The Poultry Yard

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1010, 28 June 1930, Page 30

The Poultry Yard

—— (Bjj

GRO H AMBLER.)

EGGS AND COLD WEATHER *I*HB cold snap that followed so closely tlie mild 1 weather will remind poultry-keepers that egg production cannot successfully be maintained during the winter months under what some people are pleased to call natural conditions that is, without scratching-shed accommodation. It is open to question whether it can be considered natural to let birds stand about in a small, exposed run. It is certain that when pullets, or hens, are condemned to spend the winter in such circumstances, they will not lay many eggs, and if the winter is a hard one probably they will not lay any at all.

As soon as the cold weather comes many people imagine that it is necessary to warm up the roosting houses, or to close them at night so that cold cannot enter. That is one of the common misconceptions among beginners. It can be abandoned, for even on the best conducted farms, where egg production is a systematised business, it is seldom found necessary to close the fronts of houses entirely, and even then there is an aperture under the eaves of the weatherboards. As for artificial heating, fowls do not need it. and it is a great mistake to start anything of the kind, even as a temporary measure. Good feeding and exercise should promote the right condition to enable the birds to resist cold. Most of the last season’s hens are now taking a rest after the moult, and we receive many inquiries as to how long this process lasts. Briefly, it is impossible to lay down any hard and fast rules regarding the duration of the moult, since it depends upon various circumstances, notably upon individual character and condition. ENVIRONMENT ANO FEEDING The combination has a powerful influence, and without adopting forcing methods, it will be found that an active life, induced by plenty of scratching exercise and generous feeding. will bring the hens through the moult satisfactorily, so long as they do not have more food than they will eat readily. It sometimes happens that a very industrious hen will moult as late in the year as June; she generally drops suddenly into a deep moult, losing practically all her feathers within j a few hours. In cold and wet weather that involves a serious menace to the hen’s life, and such a bird is worth tak-1 ing care of for breeding purposes. So flx up a cosy little house f6r her, and j keep her confined entirely until she is | properly clothed again. On a fine, j sunny and mild day she may have a run out for an hour, but do not expose I her to rain and cold winds. If you cannot fix up a separate house, keep j the hen confined to the scratchingsaea all nay; if she is likely to be too cold at night bring her into the kitchen and put her in a well-lined box covered with a sack. Occasionally it happens about this time that pullets which have been laying since the commencement of the autumn suddenly lose the use of their legs. They have what is known as layer’s cramp. Pullets so attacked are generally the best layers in the j flock, so they should at once be treated i with a view of getting them on their feet again. These birds, apart from the symptoms mentioned, usually show no other signs of illness; indeed, more often than not they look the picture of health, and their appetites are excellent. Immediately a pullet is observed to sit when feeding, and to show signs leg weakness, she should

be placed by herself in a warm, dry coop, on the floor of which is a good bed of soft litter. Her legs may also be put in moderately hot water for a minute or two, wiped dry, and then well rubbed with a good embrocation. As regards diet, soft food should be withheld, and such gain as wheat and oats be given, together with an abundance of good, sound vegetable food. USELESS OLD HENS Too many useless old hens are to be found in many farm flocks. While if frequently happens that a hen makes a better egg record during her second laying season than she did her first laying year, yet it is doubtful if it pays to keep over the second laying year more hens than will be needed to furnish eggs for hatching. Some records that I went through not long ago showed that about 25 per cent, of the hens made the heaviest record the second year, but those that did not do so in most cases made records enough lower the second year than they did the first year that it would have been profitable to let the whole flock go when about 18 months old and used pullets in their place. I am not saying that a flock of hens from good laying stock will not pro duce enough eggs during their second year to pay for the feed they eat or even make a profit, but I do say without hesitation that a flock of pullets would do enough better than hens coming two years old to justify discarding the hens in favour of the pullets. It seems easier to induce pullets to lay in winter than it is the older hens. Probably the older hens are not any more susceptible to cold than the pullets are, but the older hens come into cold weather while moulting, and they do not get into laying form until late in the winter. This, I think, is particularly true of hens of the larger breeds, unless they are given special attention through the moulting season. Pullets hatched from hens that are two years old which have not been er couraged to lay during the winter, al. other things being equal, come out of the shell ready to begin growing and getting ready to lay at an early age, without being specially forced to make them mature young. MAKING THE NESTS In flitting up a poultry-house the nest-boxes must be regarded as one of the most important details, and in making these it is desirable to put them in the darkest and most secluded corner of the house. In the case of open-fronted scratching-sheds they are generally fixed to the front just below the wire-netting of the open portion. I have heard it remarked that some laying failures were due to the nests not being sufficiently attractive, but it would be misleading to accept that as

an influential factor. If a hell is ready to produce eggs she will find some place to lay them, though in most cases a weP.-built nest in a dark quiet corner will appeal to her as a desirable place to resort to. If the nests are raised a foot or two above the level of the floor there should be an alighting-board along the front, whereas in the cases of outside nestboxes there is no advantage in having them more than s. few inches above the floor level. Hens sometimes have a tendency to make use of one nest and to ignore the others. The best way to avoid that is to place one or two china eggs iu each nest, for hens like to follow where others have been. Each nest should be well built with straw', or similar material, and it is a good plan to put half a spadeful of dry soil into each box, and mould it will into the corners. Whenever an egg is broken in the nest, all litter should be cleaned out and renewed.

GENERAL NOTES

Mr. J. Cummings, Christchurch, has received another importation of poultry from the yards of the late Lord Dewar. This importation comprises a trio of (pullet breeding) Brown Leg horns, a Black Minorca cock and a pair of Black Rosecomb bantams. The Leghorn cockerel, which was exhibited in England prior to being consigned to New Zealand, was awarded first prize at the Dairy, Crystal Palace and Club Shows. He is possessed of good head points, fine range of body and' sound colour. The trio has been specially mated by Mr. Bradley (Lord Dewar’s manager), and there is no doubt the resulting progeny will be w'ell up to standard. The Minorca cock, which is dubbed, is the 192!) Crystal Palace winner and has headed one of Lord Dewar’s breeding pens during the past season. He is a typical specimen, with clean face and perfect lobes; in fact, in a letter to Mr. Cummings, Mr. Bradley states that this particular bird has the best pair of lobes he ever saw on a Minorca. This cock, mated to the stock already possessed by Mr. Cummings, should be a valuable acquisition to his yards. The Black Rosecomb bantams, which are for Miss Cummings, are a splendid pair, excelling in tvpe. head points and flow of feather. Mi ss Cummings lias already one of the best studs of Black Rosecombs iu the Dominion and her latest importation should further enhance her reputation in the show pen. The Black Rcsecomb cockerel was exhibited and won at Christchurch Show.

The 29th annual show' of the Hastings Poultry, Pigeon and Cage Bird Association will be held in the Drill Hall on July 18 and 19. The prize oo 1S a va^ua ble one, no fewer than 12 cups and over 70 trophies and cash specials are being offered for competition. The North Island Poultry Association’s championships for Rhode Island Reds (fancy and utility) will also be competed for. The New Zealand Plymouth Rock Club, too, is holding its annual show in conjunction with the Hastings event, when its cups and trophies will be competed for. The Hastings Chib follows the example of the majority of specialist clubs in awarding a certificate of merit to all cup winners, also to best bird in each class with no fewer than three exhibitors and five entries. The judges are as follow; Fancv poultry and canaries, Mr. W A Hanson; utility poultry. Rhode island Reds (fancy) and ducks, Mr. J. H. Kissling; fancy pigeons, Mr. C. Vog-

SELECTING A BREED

then-; homing pigeons, Mr. J. T. Bruce. During the past three months a number of meetings have been held by poultry-keepers In different parts of the Dominion and, judging from tlie enthusiasm displayed, it would appear as though they were at last beginning to realise that the need of organisation is pressing. This cannot be emphasised too strongly, as there is no doubt egg producers all over the Dominion are suffering from lack of co-operation. The need for more effective organisation was never more important than it is today. There must, however, be solidarity among all poultry-keepers and to attain that solidarity they must present a united front held firmly by a common interest and a real understanding of each other. We want more cohesion and broad-minded pulling together tor the common good among the more or less scattered units in the industry. There is also need for more proficiency in both production and marketing, particularly the latter. From time to time we hear producers advocating an “eat more eggs campaign,” but that must go hand in hand with reliable grading and guaranteed quality, otherwise it is useless. The New Zealand Poultry Association in its decision to form provincial councils has adopted a forward policy which will be the means of bringing together the best brains in the industry and front which I am sure will evolve some scheme for the better marketing of our eggs. For this to be achieved it is necessary to make co-operation, efficiency and loyalty our watchwords. Mr. A. Nixon, Auckland, judged all classes of poultry at Hawera and has been appointed judge of all classes at Te Puke on July 1.

When selecting a breed it is well to remember the importance of strain. Often a beginner is tempted to commence with a breed because of its great popularity, and, having taken the step, finds occasion to libel the breed because his birds fail dismally in egg-production. In the majority of cases It is the strain and not the breed that is to blame, and the said beginner should persevere with another and better strain.

In some cases the beginner fails with a certain breed because the methods ot housing or feeding or management are weak. He would, however, fail just as much with any breed, seeing that the latter is not to blame. We can quote a good example in Black Orpingtons which are, undoubtedly, remarkable layers, but plenty of people take up Black Orpingtons and fail to obtain sa-jis-factory results. In the majority of cases there is nothing wrong with the breed; the blame must he placed on the owner, because he has not fully mastered the art of feeding, housing or management for heavy egg-produc-tion.

There is just one more instance in the vital importance of strain. A beginner commences with a certain breed, and condemns it wholesale because his birds lay very small eggs. It is for him to pick out a large egg strain, of which ther are many, just as there are of those possessing the small egg factor. Usually not enough attention is paid to the family history of the fowls for breeding purposes, as regards their health. Constitutional weakness, though it be apparently overcome, should never be allowed to enter the breeding pen.