POULTRY YARD

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1930, Page 3 (Supplement)

POULTRY YARD

BY

G. H. AMBLER

CLEANLINESS FOR SUCCESS.

The vital factor in connection with the poultry business is cleanliness. No matter how choice or how well selected your stock may be, you will fail to achieve success unless you pay strict attention to this very important detail—that of cleanliness. The lazy man rarely gets very far on. the road to success, for he invariably neglects this highly important factor. Even the hustler will fail in his objective if he ignores it, though there is far less danger of his doing so than, there is. in thc°case of the lazy or easy-going individual. The neglect of proper cleanliness is what puts many beginners out , of business. They fail, and condemn poultry-raising, when the fault of their non-success rests with themselves in not observing, a proper measure of cleanliness in connection with their operations The hardest work in connection with poultry-keeping is that which has to be performed dqring the trying heat of summer. It is then that vermin, such as mites and lice;, multiply and get in their best work. Lack of cleanliness is responsible for their appearance. If proper attention had been paid to this, they would have found it very difficult to have obtained a footing./ The chief essential in every poultry house its a, dust bath. This should consist of sand and ashes, in which a handful of sulphur has been mixed. The mixture should be placed in a box and placed under cover, where it can be kept thoroughly dry. The way the birds revel in it is proof that they enjoy some speh provision for their comfort. It will, be found to keep down lice and mites to a great extent. Then every crack and crevice of the poultry-house should be 'sprayed with disinfectant. So far as the inside of the house is concerned. it should be thoroughly limowashed twice a year, or oftener if the necessary time is available,

SWEETENING THE RUNS.

Whether runs be large or small, it is asking for trouble to let them remain occupTed year after year without adopting some thorough system of cleansing and renewing the soil constantly made foul by the droppings of the birds. Nothing else can be expected in such a <■ .. tl°an that organic disease may break out at any moment. It has been demostrated that, to some extent, the germs of disease are present, even among healthy stock, but that they arc harmfess until conditions arise which arc favourable, i > their extra rapid multiplication. The more excessive the

germs are, therefore, the more serious such an outbreak is likely to be, if . the conditions which favour it 'arise. '

As we are still, very much in the dark as to the exact nature of the conditions which fa vour the rapid- development of such gernis, the. best thing we can do i<> to get theip/ppt of/thc w-ay as as possible. The - manner iii which this is done will depend seine-; what on circumstances, but 6Q.me<, system should be adopted, so that the.-men-ace of disease'is reduced to a miniiiifim. :In the case .of Bniall runs, there should be, where possible,'/a system of alternation, so that a run is unoccupied for a fairly louglperiod, not less than a month at. a stretch. If the run is grass, th. natural growth will soon utilise all organic matter, and a complete sweet; ening will rapidly take place. Where there is noigrass, the whole ground should, be dug over .. and. thickly - sown with some, quick growing plantj such a<s mustard. . When this reaches its full development; not only may the birds be safely brought' into the run again, but there is '.ay good crop of - greep food for them. A system of alternating funs is the. only safegua d against fouling of the whole' ground when a heavy stock of birds is kept on a small area; When the rang'* is extensive and the birds few it -is not necessary.

In cases where only a small run is available and such resting and recuperating cannot be ‘practised, frequent dig-ging-over is >a great safeguard, for this not only places tnueh of the dangerous matter out pf reach, but exposes the consolidated masse.? jo tlie effects of sunlight and oxygen.- ” A liberal dressing of quicklime will, however, produce a mire immediate effect by destroying many of the dangerous-germs. In addition to periodical digging, it is expedient to scrape off the top layer of soil at least once a year and remove it. ; ,This becomes specially advisable after a long spell of wet, for the foul,matter then lie.s 'eaked on the surface.'/.Thinly ' -having it off with a spade will not only have an excellent sweetening effect, but the material removed wifi be valuable as a garden fertiliser. ' , '

WHY EGGS ARE INFERTILE.

One of, the most common. causes of infertility is that the. number of birds comprising the breeding-pen is either excessive or two small No question is more often asked than “How many hens shall I run with one male bird?” But, like the multitudte of other ques-tions,-it. cannot be answered by stating any fixed number. There are so many different things governing this that to

wive any stated rate would be misleading, and liable to cause mistakes. It depends, in the first place, upon thd breed. The laying or non-sitting varieties, small and very active birds, can generally be relied upon to fertilise a much greater number of eggs than can the /heavier and clumsier Asiatics. Roughly speaking, a breeding pen of liwht laying birds may consist early in the season 'of about eight, gradually increasing the number till, towards the close, 12 and even 14 hens may be successfully mated with one male bird. The general purpose; breeds’.should not have more than half-a-dozen to one cock early in' the Reason, increasing this to nine or ten. These are only approximate figures, as so much depends upon the individuality of the . male ■ . birds, -some .being more active than others.' The number depends, too upon the condition under, which the breeding stock are kept. At liberty a greater number of hens. may compose a pen than when in confinement —as a rule, about half as many again.'

STERILE HENS.

It sometimes- happens that all ths eggs produced by a certain‘.hen are infertile, and this is probably owing to one or two reasons. It may be that the hen'is sterile, and cannot fertilise the eggs, or .that the cock, for some rpasoq. has taken a dislike to this particular, ; bird. The latter is the more common cause, and when such is the case the hen should be, removed from, the pen, and another put in her place. When the trap-nests are employed the eggs from each hen are known, but even under ordinary conditions one is able to distinguish the eggs from each hen, and if these are continually infertile it may be taken for granted that it is owing to one of the two foregoing reasons. Forcing pullets is responsible’ for a good deal of sterility of eggs,.'and they should always be allowed; to develop slowly. Chickens for the table may be forced as much as possible, as they are killed immediately they, are sufficiently j large. But with breeding birds ,no forcing should take place, but they should, ’ from the days, or early chickenhood, be allowed to grow slowly, as only in this way will the best results.in breeding be procured. J 1