POULTRY YARD

Taranaki Daily News, 17 January 1931, Page 9 (Supplement)

POULTRY YARD

BY

ADVANTAGE OF SHELTER. It is inviting trouble to fail to provide shelter and shade for growing stock, especially when the stock is hatched late. Too few poultrymen provide the necessary shade trees, and live hedges on their plants, and half the failures of late-hatclied stock to do any good are because the young, growing things have not the protection from the heat of the sun and from other extremes of weather that they should have at such a time. Just as winter egg-production is greatly stimulated —indeed, is only made profitable—’by providing summer conditions as far as possible .in the winter season, so the conditions of spring must be copied as far as is feasible for the late-hatched bird. The winter layer must have the deep, openfronted house, the absolutely dry floor, and as much sunlight as possible —it is even demonstrated that lengthening. the day by means of artificial light is a further encouragement to egg-produc-tion —and the late-hatched chicken must have an abundance of shade, cold water, and ample green food ; if she is to make up for the disadvantage placed upon her of being hatched at such a time of the year. CLEANLINESS ESSENTIAL. Again, apart from the question of shade, late-hatched chickens are frequently handicapped by being reared on stale ground. There is nothing worse for young stock than this. Every effort should be made to reserve fresh ground and grass for late ones, and, of course, this should be in the most shady part of the property. No chicken should ever be reared on stale grass; to do so is to handicap it from the jump. It all conies back to the position that cleanliness is the secret of success in poultry-keeping. The clean incubator, the clean brooder, the clean run, the clean grass, the clean water, the clean sleeping quarters as they get older are all primary essentials to sound and vigorous development. Treat the chickens as you would treat yourself. The man who really loves poultry will naturally attend to these things, but he is. apt to grow careless at times and miist be reminded of these simple essentflls.

G. H. AMBLER

LEG WEAKNESS.

Leg weakness is a trouble that usually attacks chickens at any age when they begin to look after themselves. The affected chick first begins to “wobble” when running, then probably staggers about with his claws twisted up, and finally totters round mainly on his hocks. I use the masculine pronoun because the weakness is seldom found in pullet chicks. Should only one, or even two, of the flock be affected in this way, it is probably nothing more than an individual weakness, a mere outgrowing of strength; but when more than this number goes down one or other of the predisposing causes may be suspected—a very inbred strain, a constitutional weakness, too great a length of limb, or a general tendency to rheumatism owing to continued bad weather, and very unsuitable conditions, the lastnamed cause being the most unlikely. The first thing to us done is to see that the housing is clean and dry. Douglas Mixture is a very good iron tonic to be mixed in with, the drinking water. If heating and fattening foods are omitted from the menu for a while this is all that can be done in the way of protecting the remaining healthy chicks. Those actually affected should be brought indoors, housed warmly, and, after being starved at a couple of their usual meal times, given a liberal feed (and drink) on the above lines. Three times a day camphorated oil should be well rubbed in all up the legs with, the hand, and the limbs exercised by working them backwards and forwards. Any chicks that do not show decided improvement after a week or 10 days of this treatment may as well be “necked” forthwith, for they will never do much good. DEADLY MALADIES. Of such deadly maladies as enteritis and fowl cholera, space will not permit of my writing. Luckily, they are not at all common, and since it is practically impossible to check an outbreak once started, save by inoculation of the remaining healthy birds, the beginner is advised, should he have reason to bo-

lieve either is breaking out in his yard, to call in the services of a bacteriologist. If you have any old hens you want to clear, move them out before the very hot weather.-' These should go as. soon as possible; they will not have lost much flesh, from laying, and they do look ragged in plumage. A good price is now being offered for poultry, therefore sell off all surplus stock; it will keep down expense and provide a better chance of making profit. HAVE YOUR FOWLS INSECT’S? Every care must be taken to prevent insects in poultry houses, on perches, on broody hens, and chickens of all ages during this month. I wonder how many of my readers catch up their fowls once a month, and turn up the feathers to see if they have any insects. I know some people do, but there certainly are people who think fowls have them, while, others never trouble themselves to examine a, bird properly to. see whether it is covered with various kinds of insects or is free from these pests. ■ As we are now expecting hot weather,-it is well to look out for these pests, and I advise everyone to catch their fowls, hold the birds’ heads downwards, -gripping the body between the two knees, and separating the feathers around the abdomen; then if a fowl has insects at all, they will be located around this particular spot. Insect powder should, of course, be dusted next to the skin. I have actually seen people scattering powder on the top of the feathers, but in all cases it is necessary to open up the feathers, so that the insect powder goes next to and on to. the flesh. Under a fowl’s wings, on the thighs, and under the neck hackle, are other haunts for insects, which are usually found there during the warmer weather. If, in examining a bird around the abdomen, one finds clusters of white growths attached to the feathers near the skin, these should be carefully-pull-ed out and burned, as they are the eggs laid and deposited by the insects, and during the hot months,. will hatch, in thousands. These live on the blood of the fowl, and spread to every crevice in the poultry house. Some people are under the impression that fowls’ insects will get on and worry people, but this is not so. If the house is infested with insects one may get them on the hand, but they will not live long on a human body. This has ■been proved over and over again. I have heard people say thiat they were afraid of having insects in their gardens in case they got on their children and themselves.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS, Leg Weakness (I.EF.).—In ifly opin-t ion Hie trouble is due to the fact that the white Wyaiidottes are that is, the house will hold only 170 birds as the maximum. Of course, in addition to this there may be something faulty in the flooring. I think, however, if you reduce the flock to say, 150, you will get ’better results. When layers are provided with plenty of fresh “live’’ green food as, in lieu thereof, of o6ca<sional tonic, there should be no troubld in the way of layers’ cramp. PERSONAL NOTES. Fanciers will be pleased to hear that Mr. J. D. Gobbe, the well-known ex« hi bit or and judge, is now able to leave) the hospital and return to his home. Mr. Beauchamp, who recently import* ed a trio of white Runner ducks fronx the yards of the late Lord Dewar, informs me- that he has a grand lot of young stock, all bred from his imported! trio. Mr. Beauchamp is shortly expect* ing a further importation from tha same yards. Mr. Wood, president of thq New Zea* land Waterfowl Club, who a couple. 08 years since sold all his white • Runners, is returning to the fray, having, I WH; derstand, secured a first class trio. ■