POULTRY YARD

Taranaki Daily News, 23 August 1930, Page 28 (Supplement)

POULTRY YARD

BY <

G. H. AMBLER

HOW AND WHEN TO FATTEN. In order io fatten birds successfully for market it is best to pen them up in proper fattening coops for a period of three weeks. These coops are generally placed under cover of a shed or in a, sheltered place, bearing in mind that the essentials for proper fattening are quietness, coolness and semi-darkness. The ideal temperature for fattening, is (50 degrees F. The. correct fattening i coops °are sparred structures and can' j be made of 1 inch battens, placed lij 1 inches .apart in front to allow plenty i i of room for the birds to get their heads ( I through to the feeding trough,, which is ; 1 placed in front. The coops are best i placed about four feet from the ground; this makes it easier for the attendant and. gives plenty of ventilation. Iho , ’ ’droppings fall through the spars onto ■ 'I the ground, which is sprinkled with j • sand or sawdust and cleaned daily. The t I ..correct .size of these coops- is 7.J feet I long, 21) inches wide and 20 inches high. | They are then divided into three .sections, each holding live or six birds. rearing: ’-birds for fattening. Birds intended for fattening are usually reared from the shell on the soft mash system, rapid growth being essential! even at. the expense of a certain amount of stamina. .They should be given a free range during rearing; this will help to 'bring them along quickly. An experienced fattener will know when the birds are in a fit condition for the fattening coop. There is no hard and fast rule, size being the best guide. It can roughly be taken that about four months old a bird is very suitable for the process, but breed, previous feeding, and weather are additional factors to bo considered.

FEEDING. i , Trive. are two methods of feeding in I vogue when fattening birds for market: (1) trough feeding; (2) machine cramming. A good many fatteners combine the ° two methods, feeding from the trough .for the first ten days or so and ( cramming by machine the remainder of the fattening period. Few birds can stand the close confinement and heavy feeding more than three weeks, while some cannot stand it so long and may begin to go off their food and lose weight. Before thia happens they should be marketed. Those engaged in the industry can l tell at .once when a bird is ripe. In the ■fattening pens the birds will gain anything from one and a half pounds up to three pounds in weight. During the first week the gain is always less than during the second week; in fact, there is sometimes a slight loss the first week until birds 'become settled down to the conditions. I have found that it is possible to put on three pounds in weight in Sussex and Sussex crossbreds by trough feeding alone, without using a crammer. Apart from the gain in weight it should be noted that the flesh of these birds is far more juicy than in birds killed straight from the run.

FEATHER PULLING. One of the troubles that the small .poultry-keeper has to contend with, particularly where the birds are closely confined, is feather plucking. Fowls do confined, is feather plucking. Fowls >appear to develop the habit more for lack of something to do than for any other reason, and the male, if one is kept, is apt to be the first victim. As soon as the practice begins however, it quickly spreads to the other members of the flock, and if allowed to go unchecked, will presently result in nearly all the birds being more or 1 less denuded, and with this there is a reduction in the egg yield. The best remedy for feather plucking is exercise. The birds must be kept busily engaged during the day and made to scratch for their feed. Plenty of scratching material must be added to their sheds, and their feed well raked into it, or if they can be given more liberty they usually will discontinue

the practice unless it has become too deep-seated. One preventive measure is to prepare a strong solution of bitter aloes, and sponge the feathers about the denuded parts with this. This makes them very distasteful. A lack of animal food io sometimes held to be the cause of the development of the habit. A regular and liberal supply, of fresh meat is recommended. Thio is a good plan for almost any flock in confinement, though it is doubtful whether, a deficiency in this part of the lation really has anything to do with feather I pulling. If the meat be fastened to a i string and hung high enough above the ! floor so that the fowls have to jump tor it, this will also assist in keeping them I busy. The birds should be supplied with plenty of green food, as this will help to keep the blood cool. A. small quantity of Epsom salts in the drinking water two or three times a week will i also be of service. I USELESS OLD HENS. [ t Too many useless old hens .are to be "found in many farm flocks. .While it frequently happens that a hen, makes a better egg record during her second laying year than she did during her first laying year, yet it its . doubtful if it pays°to’ keep’ over the second laying year more hens than will be needed to furnish eggs 'for hatching, gome records that I went through not long ago showed that about 25 per cent, of the hens made the heaviest record, the second year, but those that did not in most cases made records so much lower the second year than the first year that it would have been profitable to let the whole flock go when about eighteen months old and use pullets in their place. ■ ■ • ~ ~ I am not saying that a flock of hens from good laying stock will not pro--1 duce enough eggs during the second i year to pay for the feed they eat, or I even make a profit, but I do say withI out hesitation that a flock of pullets I would do so much better than hens coming two years old as to justify discarding the hens in favour of the pullets. It seems easier to induce pullets to lay in winter than the older hens. I Probably the older hens are v not any more susceptible to cold than the pullets are, but the older hens come into cold weather while moulting, and they do not get into laying form until late in the winter. This, I think, is particularly true of hens o'f the larger breeds, unless they are given special attention through the moulting season. AN INTERESTING EXHIBIT. / A typical example of the law of nature in the transmission of acquired characteristics was that of the winning Blue Red Old English Game cockerelexhibited by Mr. Rex Fielder’ at the ' Auckland Poultry Show. Mr. Fielder’s cockerel has never grown a comb and yet is as perfect in head as though he had been dubbed. In discussing the matter with Mr. J. R. Boswell, the wellknown Game specialist, he stated that this was the first instance of its kind to come under his notice. Mr. Fielder’s cockerel, however, is a striking example of the possibility of birds inheriting acquired characteristics.

FORTY PER CENT. INCREASE. Fifteen years ago the average hen in Canada laid fifty eggs annually, accord-, ing to Professor E. A. Lloyd, of the University of British Columbia. This number has now grown to 70. Thus from extra eggs alone Canada has produced an increased revenue of more than 200,000,000 dollars. Better bents are now adding 20,000,000 dollars each year to the total of egg revenues. PERSONAL. Colonel D. A. Chaytor, C.M.C., C.8.E., was the official representative of the New Zealand Government at tire World’s Poultry Congress held in London. Fanciers will be pleased to hear thus Mr. J. Tindall (Christchurch), the retired judge, who has been seriously ill for some time, is now on his way to recovery.