POULTRY YARD

Taranaki Daily News, 19 July 1929, Page 14

POULTRY YARD

BY

G. H. AMBLER

PREPARING FOR BREEDING SEASON.

The success of any venture is dependent primarily upon the quality of the product that can be produced. There is never a surplus of any commodity that caters to a fancy trade. Agriculture realises that fact now. One can overcome part of the worry by proper attention co selection to foundation rather than trying to sort out the culls later. This fact is especially true with poultry, since the method is so easily applicable in any flock, A proper foundation means the use for breeding purposes of only those birds that have demonstrated their ability to produce. If the, were handled last autumn, it is now time to move them into the special pen with a male frer a ■ high-producing line. Some fertile eggs can be obtained, within fortyeight hours, but a week should elapse —..ore batching eggs a s selected. In cases where birds have been with other males, at least ten days should be allowed befo’e saving eggs from this particular pen. In the lighter varieties of fowls, such as Leghorns, Minorcas, Campines and Anconas, one cockerel to ten or fifteen females is sufficient. The number of females in the heavy breeds is decreased. In both the light and heavy breeds the age of the male will have some influence, and tho number should be decreased accordingly. Some attention to this question is needed, as low fertility can as often result from an excess of males as a lack of the proper number. Where too many males are placed in a pen, unless free range is allowed, fighting will often cause poor results. High production alone should not be ouffcient reason for using the hen as a breeder. There are a number of other factors that can only be considered in trap-nesting and pedigree hatching. If one has purchased a male of the proper kind he will adhere to the requirements. Each poultry-keeper can influence the eggs for the next year by his adherence to certain regulations. Every egg used for hatching should be of the colour, shape, and type one wishes to produce.

I am often asked if it is possible to tell by the shape of the eggs which ones will hatch out pullets, or vice versa. The old idea that round eggs hatch pullets and long, slender ones hatch cockerels is foolish.

Sex detecting instruments are just as ridiculous. There is only one definite means of determining sex, and that comes from hatching the egg, growing the chick, and then seeing what it develops into. Sex guarantees are childish fables. Market requirements and laying tests demand a 2oz egg. One must meet that in eggs to be set. One can hardly expect a pullet hatched from a small egg to lay 2oz eggs. It is therefore important that all undersized or extremely large eggs should be used or marketed. Eggs used for incubation purposes should sot weigh less than 240 z to the dozen Even pullets used as breeders should be producing eggs of that size by this. Shell texture is also important. Eggs with mottled shells should not bo used fo-- incubation. These can be noticod under a light very easily. When one sees an egg with a rough surface or patchy appearance of the shell it is mottled. They ara not wanted on the market because of possibility of greater breakage, and are apt to evaporate too much in hatching. FEED FOR RICE YOLKS.

A correspondent wishes to know why some of the egga from her hens have very pale yolks, and if It is a sign of any weakness. Poultry-keepers should always keep an eye on the colour of the yolks, which, if pale, will denote more often than not that feeding is to blame. Sameness of feeding and an in-

ARTIFICIAL INCUBATION.

VENTILATION IMPORTANT.

sufficient supply of raw succulent green food will result in pale-coloured yolks. Rich yolks are needed not only in eggs required for table, but also in those used fo. incubation. The yolk, after all, represents the food of the chick when in the egg and for thirty-six hours or so afterwards. Hence the importance of having a rich yolk if the chick is to get the best out of it. Dead in shell is often due to poor yolks, although not generally realised by poultry-keepers. Moral: See that breeding stock have plenty of rich succulent greenery in their menu.

The present day incubator, now so reliable, has every advantage over the broody hen, and chiefly in that it is always ready at any time to perform its work, and will, if needed, work from one vear’s end to another. Numbers of people have their early breeding season interfered with through being unable to secure broodies early enough, and as it is always essential to obtain eaily hatches, my advice to all is to purchase a good incubator of a reliable make. The outlay is more in proportion to. the number of hens that could be obtained for the same expenditure, but the machine is more reliable, will not abandon the eggs, and goes steadily on producing chickens, to the delight ofj the purchaser. A machine of one hundred egg capacity will do the work of eight broody hens, which considerably reduces labour, and, whereas a hen may break her eggs, harbour insects and trample on and kill several chickens in each brood, the incubator has the advantage over all these accidents. Never buy cheap machines, as they are certainly dearer in the end, give an enormous amount of trouble, and are generally unsafe from a fire point of view, whilst hatching results are usually unsatisfactory.. A good incubator, on the other hand, will do its work successfully, but it is important that it should be placed in a suitable position if the best results are to be obtained. Select an outbuilding or. a room free from vibration, as this is to a large extent the cause of cripples and dead in shell.

Ventilation is absolutely necessary, but a direct draught on to the machine must be avoided. An earth, brick or cement floor should be used. Machines without legs should be placed upon a stout frame, made of quartering, having two boards for the machine to stand on. This allows a free passage of air to be admitted through the ventilating holes at the bottom of the incubator. A most important point is to get the machine quite level, which must be tested with a true spirit level. The necessary heat should be obtained in 24 hours, after eggs are placed in drawer, leaving them to°rcst a day before' turning. This operation is performed twice daily, its object being to prevent the embryo from becoming attached to the shell. Never remove the drawer right out of the machine, this alone being important to the success of the hatch. For the first twelve days the eggs require no airing than they get during the time taken in turning them. . My experience proves that the heat in the machine gets too low; the eggs and drawer also lose a great deal of warmth, whilst the eggs take in and absorb too much moisture. So many people believe in airing the eggs from five to fifteen minutes once, if not twice, a day, but when such is the case the machine will take some two hours to attain the required heat again, and tins accounts for so many chickens living in the shell up to the last, but are too weak to break through. After the twelfth day air the eggs five minutes in the morning, and for ten minutes during the last four days.