THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 53, Issue 3831, 9 November 1936, Page 6

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

MANAGING POULTRY FOR EGGS. Fresh, clean water is important, and must be available in a sheltered place. In addition, give the usual supply in the house. Scrub out the water vessels at least twice a week. A saucepan brush is a very handy type. An alternative to two water containers is to have one of water and one of skim milk. During summer skim milk (or buttermilk) can frequently be obtained either from factories, neighbouring farmers, or the farm’s own dairy. When eggs are dear it is well worth feeding skim milk as it definitely improves egg size and production. The milk may be given sour or fresh, but if it is given sour one day and fresh the next it may cause digestive troubles. The troughs or buckets in which it is given should be of a type which can be cleaned easily, and they should be cleaned twice a week. The milk is conveniently stored in churns at each house. An alternative method of milk feeding—but it also means an increase in labour—is to use it in wet mash. For this purpose the milk is better sour, as it then makes the wet mash more palatable. A small addition of this wet mash will produce extra eggs. Wet mash, together with grain, can replace the dry mash. The usual dry-mash laying formula can be used for the wet mash. Another possibility is to use growers’ mash. The slightly lower protein content is compensated for by the milk. This may save labour in mixing if only the one ration is used on the farm. If this mash is sloppy it may cause digestive troubles, and if it is aoo dry much of it will be lost. Mix it so that it is crumbly and forms int oballs when pressed together in the hand. Should a dry-mash mixture prove unsuitable, a mixture of three parts weatings, two parts maize meal, one part ground oats will make a good Wet mash with milk. The mash may be fed in troughs or on a clean patch of grass. With the latter method the birds get a more equal chance to feed.