THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 53, Issue 3802, 31 August 1936, Page 7

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

THE WORLD’S BEST BREEDS.

THE JERSEY GIANT. It is naw some 14 years since the Jersey Giant was first introduced into England, and now from all parts of the British Isles come excellent reports of that hardy and massive utility breed. As a winter layer the Jersey Giant Jias done well everywhere, the eggs being tinted, large, and rich in yolk, but it is for its table qualities that the breed is justifiably popular. Late winter and early spring poulterers and other retailers experienced a greater demand for Giants at 9 lbs than ever before, while at Christmas the 12 lb cockerel —they attain this weight at 9 months—attracted con. siderable attention.

The Giant’s docility and its ability to earn practically the whole of its keep on free range make it a particularly suitable breed for the general fanner. It hias been proved, in fact, that the Jersey Giant costs as little to feed as many of the lighter breeds. The breed has not yet appeared in laying trials, and has not been kept under intensive conditions. The vigour and stamina this maintained are no doubt responsible for its apparent freedom from disease. SICILIAN BUTTERCUPS.

Imported into Great Britain about twenty-five years ago from America, Eke so many so-called “Meditternanean” breeds, 'the Buttercups are natives of Sicily. There is the tradition that they were used in olden days for sacrificial purposes. There are three colours, of which the gold is the original. The colour gives a butter-scotch effect, the hen being barred and the male self-col-oured with a black tail. Browns resemble Black-red O.E. Game in colour, and no doubt were made from this breed. Duckwings are silver wjhare Browns are red. The original colour is the most popular. A peculiarity of the Buttercup is the comb which is shaped like a cup.

Buttercups are a light breed, in shape shorter in the back, longer legged and wider breasted than the Leghorn. They are prolific layers and are equally at home on a farm or in a back-yard. They are rather moire docile than most light breeds. This is another of those breeds which are in need of more publicity work on the part of breeders.

CLEANLINESS. Most poultry farmers come up against disease at one time or another. Sometimes in the form of only a mild attack, at others as a serious outbreak with a high mortality. We cannot always control the infection of our stock against mild outbreaks, but it is within our power to prevent bad outbreaks and heavy losses. The best safeguard against disease is a healthy flock in clean surroundings. Disease then meets with strong resistance whenever it makes it appearance amongst the birds. Both the birds and their surroundings must prove unsuitable material for harbouring disriasri if the attack is to be kept in check. One of the first steps in controlling disease is to provide the birds with a fresh house and clean, fresh land. The type of house which prevents the birds from gritting at their own droppings is the most satisfactory in controlling disease. Slatted floor houses or fold units are ideal for theis purpose. Where the dropipngs are exposed on the dropping boards or litter, regular cleaning must be practised every day if possible, or as often as is practical, according to the farm routine. Where the dropping boards have to be left far several days, they should be screened with wire netting to prevent the birds from scratching over the droppings. The birds must be kept with a full supply of grit or shell or they will scratch over the droppings and pick out the grit and often in this way become re-infected with worms. If manure pits are used in place of dropping boards, they must be screened with wire netting for the same reason. In farm flocks which are troubled with worms special attention must be paid to house and litter cleanliness. In this case the birds should be fed in clean troughs and hoppers and not on contaminated ground or soiled Etter. Protecting the droppings and changing the litter frequently is one of the best methods of controlling internal parasites.

Apart from clean land and housing, the health of the birds is of the utmost importance in controlling disease. Small, weak, undersized chicks, unhealthy pullets, and adult birds are all likely to be the first to commence

an outbreak. Such birds should be culled at once, not only because they are unprofitable in themeelvtes, but because they will spread disease to better birds. Culls quickly become prey to worms, insect pests, coccidea, etc, and become so weak that the parasites get a strong hold, multiply rapidly under ideal conditions and then spread in much larger numbers to the next bird and so on.

Weak birds, having little or no resistance, fall prey to all sorts of diseases, wjbich soon leads to serious damage to the whole flock. If culling and cleanliness were practised by every poultry-keeper, there would soon be little or no disease.