THE POULTRY RUN

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 53, Issue 3822, 16 October 1936, Page 10

THE POULTRY RUN

REARING CHICKENS. The little food eaten by chickens during the first forty-eight hours is of little consequence. The light of the lamp will assist in training chicks to hover, but do not allow them to stay out in the cold too long- at each feed. When you feel satisfied that the baby chickens will find warmth themselves—usually a matter of a couple of days—let them have freedom to run out to the mash boxes as they please. The area of floor over which they wander should be restricted for a few days, so- that none will stray too far and become Chilled. Only when the breeder is satisfied that the chickens have acquired sense of direction should they be given full run of the floor. Numerous batches of chickens are spoilt every season through overcrowding. This trouble usually occurs at about three weeks old and onward, and is due to the breeder failing to appreciate the extraordinarily rapid growth made by chickens in the first few weeks.

The 30-inch-square hover generally estimated to hold 150 chickens will be quickly inadequate, and assuming that there are 250 chickens of the same age it is advisable to have three hovers available. For the first week two only need be used, with 125 chickens in each. At a week old one third of the strongest chickens can be graded out and placed under hover 3. These more forward chickens may contain a high percentage of cockerels, and, being naturally dominating, and assertive, their exclusion from the more timid will help the latter considerably.

This question of grading chickens leads to a very important feature in successful chicken rearing and a plan which, if more practised would give healthier and more uniform growth. A few minutes can be spent with advantage (say once a week) grading into one lot those chickens which may have lost ground; similarly putting forward to a batch of equal size the precocious growers, thus keeping each lot uniform and giving the individual chickens more chance.

If this principle of grading is practised regularly it also affords an opportunity to cull all dwindlers which should be done severely. It should be remembered that one ailing chicken may be a disease-spreader. In any case a bird which has suffered any check in growth is rarely profitable as a producer. FEEDING DETAILS.

Fouling cannot take place unless there is room for the birds to get on the hopper or into the mash, or unless it is fixed so that the litter can be thrown into it when they are scratching. For chickens, hang the hoppers just within their reach. Those for hens are best fixed right up on the side of the house with a perch arranged in front on which they can stand to feed.

Rats, besides consuming quite an appreciable amount of food, will foul the mash, and there is always the danger of their carrying disease. Everything should be done to avoid attracting them. Closing by night is an obvious precaution.

Often one sees an ordinary open box or trough used for dry mash. Such appliances can be satisfactory only if very carefully watched; the only excuse for them is when a limited amount of dry mash is given as a definite feed as opposed to the usual method of having dry mash available for set periods during the day. There is a great danger of fouling and always they are very wasteful despite the usual expedient of covering them with pieces of a largemesh wire netting. A word of warning about dry mash. If there is an outbreak of colds it is advisable to discontinue its use. It is not an uncommon thing to see birds eating what seems to be very tasty “wet” mash from round the nostrils of others which have colds—a. sure way of spreading the infection. CAPONISING BIRDS NOT ALWAYS PROFITABLE. MANY PITFALLS FOR GROWERS. At this time of the year the subject of the caponising of cockerels comes under review. The claim is quite common that capons grow to enormous sizes, in fact, twice as big as an ordinary cockerel. This has been stated for generations, and possibly will always be claimed, encouraging in people the belief that much money can be made by the conversion of cockerels into capons, and these persons having estimated what they think can be made by this method purchase sets of the necessary instruments at a fairly high cost. The result is that a large number of these instruments, after being used in the experimental stages, are put aside and forgotten. This Is dons every year, and although recommended not to try caponising some people consider they must obtain the, instruments and do the work, and thus have the satisfaction of being able to say that they have caponiscd birds. Capons will return a profit in certain circumstances, and although these

circumstances can be availed of by many every person has not the ability to succeed. To begin with, there is no easy market for capons, and, therefore, the poultry man must work up a private clientele for them. He must be a successful poultry man, able to caponise successfully, be a good, clean dresser and an energetic salesman. The latter qualification is the point on which success or failure usually hinges. Almost anyone can produce the goods, but the selling is much more difficult because one has to get the class of clients who prefer the tende’.ness and juicyness of capon flesh to other classes of poultry. The flesh of a capon which has been well fed, is equal to young chicken, even though the bird may be fairly old. Although everyone dikes such a delicacy, everyone cannot afford youngchicken, which, although at present is very cheap, is actually a pound 01 edible food, of high cost, compared with poultry. The price that must be charged for capons is much higher than that for other classes of poultry with the exception of chicken. Thus, capon flesh is equal to chicken, but at a lower price, which, however, is above the reach of the average individual, and conduces to limitation of market for such birds. ECONOMIC ASPECTS. Why is it that if capons grow into such big' birds there are so few capons, despite the large number of caponising outfits held? The fewness is not created by difficulty in performing the operation. Thei only other aspect is the economic value of the capon. I will outline the position as it occurs in practice. Assume that a farmer has 400 Australorp cockerels, all of the same age. He decided to caponise 200 at the age of eight weeks; all the birds are placed in units of 100, the. cockerels and capons being kept separate. He finds that the cockerels continue to make rapid growth, whilst following the operation the capons do not make any significant growth for a couple of weeks. At the age of 14 weeks a start is made marketing the more forward cockerels and by the time they are five months old only the backward or stunted cockerels remain. The prices obtained for these birds have shown a slight profit over feeding costs; The backward cockerels may be retained until they are six months old. These are a doubtful proposition, and more often than not the actual food costs are greater than their market value. What do we find in the. case of capons. As mentioned, in comparison, with the cockerels, they fall back in size and weight, immediately following the operation. When a start is made marketing the cockerels at 14 weeks of age, the capons are a long way behind. Although they could be disposed of, the values realised would be comparatively very low. At this age. the heads of the cockerels would have a bright red healthy appearance, but the capons, on the other hand, are characteristically sallow or pale of face. This paleness, together with the nori-development of male characteristics, give the capons an unhealthy appearance, and the. fact that few people are educated as to their food value, results in a much lower price being given for them compared with the coekerqls. Capons under the age of six months would not on the open market realise as high values as cockerels of the same age. In weight they do not catch up to cockerels of the same age and breed until they are about seven months. This indicates that a capon must be fed for at least two months longer than a cockere' to obtain monetary advantage from the operation. That, of course, represents, additional feeding costs. The capon increases in weight after maturity is reached, but not by growing to twice the average size, as some persons believe. What actually happens is that the capon grows to the normal size for the breed and then becomes fat. The tenderness and juiciness of their flesh is brought about by their lack of exercise, and the fat is distributed through the flesh. A two-year-old capon retains many of these qualities whilst a male bird of similar age would be exceptionally tough and dry. WHAT GROWERS THINK. The only commercial value in caponising at the present time arises not from the fact that these birds are not quarrelsome, and that, therefore, a large number can be accommodated in the one shed. Cockerels, on the other hand, are always fighting, causing- each other much damage. It is estimated that 99.9 per cent, of the commercial poultry farmers know that caponising is unprofitable. In all probability th« following would be a summary of their views on the subject. (1) Special instruments to be purchased. (2) A percentage of the birds dies as a result of the operation, causing monetary loss. (3) The operation, in itself is cruelty. (4) A percentage of slips occur, and these birds develop male characteristics. (5) Capons cannot be disposed of, at as young an age as cockerels. (6) They must be retained foil at least seven months, to show any increase in weight, comparable with cockerels. (7) Additional accommodation is required to house them for a longer period than cockerels. (8) Their anaemic appearance reduces their actual value when sent to market. (9) A poultry farmer cannot afford time to work up a business and deliver capons privately, and this is the only method by which a profit can be made from capons.