POULTRY YARD

Taranaki Daily News, 9 August 1930, Page 12 (Supplement)

POULTRY YARD

BY

G. H. AMBLER

FOR THE BEGINNER.

Many people hre now getting ready, 'to make a start with poultry or aiming to enlarge their present flock. Most of- us had to start in a small .way, and grow slowly because of lack, of time, space or money. Instead or this need for economy being considered a misfortune,.it is really a blessing in dingui«e, preventing costly 'blunders in the beginning. , The breeding stock is an important; purchase; those who’-buy cheap stocn generally find out their mistake when it is too, late. Qn the other hand, t-ue beginner- caii seldom realise maximum results from very, high priced stock, because he lacks the requisite know--‘ledge ■of “fancy points and manage merit. If you want to buy stock at small expense, better be content with a trio or a. small-breeding pen of good specimens than get a larger number ot poor quality. To breed up from a cull foundation is painfully slow and diflicult, .for inferior Splits are inherent for generations and persist in cropping out year after year among the young stocx in an aggravating sort of way. Then, too, a small start gives more time to get acquainted-with the chosen ■breed, and by the time one is ready for a large flock' one is qualified to handle it. Also, if the first variety chosen should prove a disappointment in any respect, it can -be changed before too much progress lias been. made. A plan of starting that is cheap, but r-oed? is to buy a hen with 'a brood oi chicks. A brood of I's chicks stioukl make the foundation for an excellent flock for next season, as about half of them should be pullets. Put at their head a well-matured and vigorous male, purchased from a reliable breeder. Never mate young pullets and cockerels, for youth in one sex should always he balanced by maturity in the other sex. Starting' with .small chickens postpones pioiitri for nearly a year, or until the chicks grow up, but this probation period usually brings one enough experience and knowledge to offset the delay. As the. chicks continue to grow, sell'off the cockerels as soon as'they start to bully the young pullets. After six or seven months, the pullets should begin laying. The first egg marks the time to start an account, showing the daily egg yield ami the kind and quantity of food consumed. Where no system of book-keepings is carried on, everything is guesswork. The house for the. fowls may be of cheap material if it provides light, warmth, dryness and ventilation; architectural effect is' less important than to have the house comfortable for the birds and convenient for the caretaker. Attractiveness may be secured by keeping the building and fence well painted and by growing shrubbery, winch will furnish valuable shade for the fowls. Where extreme economy is necessary in building it is -better to keep the house coni ultra lively small and have it tight and dry, rather than large and poorly constructcdVvhea a man has to start with limited canital, it makes him all the more careful, of losing his ‘‘nest egg." Perhans this explains why most of the large poultry farms of to-day have sprung up from small beginnings. BLOOD SPOTS. When blood appears in the yolk of an egg, it is the result of rupture in the ovarium, and when in the white it is from a vessel in the oviduct. Such a condition may -be caused by overfeeding, by damp and cold weather, by the abmse of stimulating condiments, or by sexual excess. The treatment is simple. Give the birds some Epsom salts in their drinking water (enough to give it a saline taste), and feed them sparingly. Let them have plenty of grit and fresh green food. If this fails to cure, add a drachm of-tincture of iron to each quart of drinking water. The eggs may -be used if the blood spots are removed before cooking—that is. they are quite fit to eat. MINERALS FOB HENS. At ait seasons of the year it is important that minerals in some form be available for the hens. When a flock is running at large the birds have an opportunity of finding a large portion of the -mineral matter required, but when they are confined to the pen it is very important that this material be fed. It must be remembered that a considerable percentage of the dry matter in both eggs and fowl is composed of mineral elements. It is evident that with the rapidly growing bird, or with a fowl that is 'producing a large number of eggs, the demand for feeds containing these elements is urgent. These can be supplied, in variouo forms, some of which are more suitable than others. Through the feeding of clover, lucerne, bran and the ordinary grains, a certain amount of minerals is obtained by the birds, but it is necessary to supply bone, shell, grit and charcoal. The birds may get along without an extra supply of these, but if there is a deficiency of one of these materials there is a tendency toward reduction in the egg yield. -ilreen cut bone i<s a form of animat food which gives splendid results when fed to the liens. It supplies mineral elements and may be fed as a meal in granulated form and either in hoppers or mixed with the mash. -Some contend that they cannot afford to buy the ground bone, but unless there is a supply of skim milk or buttermilk it is just doubtful if poultrymen can afford not to buy. A regular supply of oyster shell is important, and birds that are laying heavily will consume a large quantity of it. One cannot afford to allow the hopper to be empty. Grit is another substance which the birds need. Its function is to assist in the grinding of the feed in the gizzard. Charcoal is also a valuable condiment. Feeding it in the mash is a good plan, but it may be fed in the granulated size in the hoppers.

The -higher the percentage of winter eggs the greater the profit from the flock. It is necessary that the birds receive proper care and attention at this eeason of the year. Allowing the pullets to roost in the trees when cold weather sets in is not conducive to early egg production. Grain, mash, mineral feeds, green feeds, and plenty of fresh water are essential for the pullets, and the birds must also be housed in a dry, well-ventilated, comfortable pert; arid .’they should be kept busy by

having to scratch in a deep litter of dry straw. If one is not particular whether' one gets many eggs or not, then the hens may -be allowed to take pot luck and scratch for the bulk of their feed in the farmyard, and roost in any sheltered nook. One thing is certain, under this treatment there will be very few eggs produced until warm weather sets in, next October. If tha hen be given proper, treatment and be of the right strain, she will pay as much, or more, for feed and attention as any other class of live-stock on th« Jarm. ■ GENERA'S NOTES. The North Canterbury Poultry,'.rigcon and Canary Club’s Annual Show, held at Rangaora, again proved to be one of the most popular events in the South Island. Christchurch fanciers not only supported the show with their entries but turned up in force, with the result that there was a large gathering of poultrymen. Entries totalled 10-54, and some fine exhibits were stag: cd. Although entries in the open classes did not come up to those in the utilitysection, competition was keen, quality all through -being of splendid merit. The -South Island Cliampionships for White Plymouth Rocks (open class) ■and Black Orpingtons, male, (utility), were won by F. Loffhagcn and 11. FRoderick respectively. The Auckland Game show, which was. held at Newmarket, attracted a large number- of fanciers from- practically every part of the .North Island. The quality .of the exhibits, which ‘ reached a high standard, were favourably commented on by -tiie' judges, Messrs E. -J. R. McLaren'and W. Wilson. The cup for the best bird in the show was awarded to Mr. J. Hannah’s Black Red cock. This exhibit was also awarded the North Island championship. The North Island championship for Game Bantams was won by that veteran fancier Mr. W.' Hart (Hastings). Miss Duckering, who is an enthusiastic young fancier, won the trophy' for the best Indian Game. Fanciers will regret to hear that Mr. Stewart, Wanganui, the well-known White Wyandotte specialist, has been confined to his bed. W-hen visiting the Auckland show Mr. Stewart developed a cold, which necessitated his having to return to Wanganui on the first day of the show. Few canary fanciers have come to the front more rapidly than Mr. N. Hanson, Epsom. Although it is only a couple of seasons since he commenced breeding canaries, he has won scores of first and special prizes. At the Auckland Cage Bird Club Show he had another field day. In addition to winning the North Island championship for Yorkshire Yellows, he won four cups and trophies and was awarded HJ'firsts, 15 special, 5 second and ‘i third prizes—a good day’s outing.