POULTRY YARD

Taranaki Daily News, 15 August 1931, Page 28 (Supplement)

POULTRY YARD

BY '

G. H. AMBLER

THE BREEDING STOCK.

.Whether you are .planning to -begin hatching this month or later, the breeding stock should have careful attention. • Nothing does so much to promote, high fertility and good hatches of strong, vigorous chicks as plenty of exercise. No breeding pen ■ has a fair chance to show, what ft can do in these respects unless the birds are kept on the move several hours daily while they are in confinement. It will do the breeding stock no particular good to run in cold or stormy weather and they will be better off and stronger for spending-the hours of daylight indoors, digging in fresh, clean straw, instead of wading in water and mud outside. If their exercise is neglected, however, and their houses are not reasonably clean and well ventilated, they had 'better be out. A practical plan is to give them the opportunity to go out, and then make the house so comfortable that they do not want to use the opportunity. • ; At thia season of the year the great majority of one and-two-year-old-hens, particularly in the larger breeds, is overfat and more or less out of condition. It is common belief that hens are better breeders than pullets, but this is only true where they have been kept in good physical condition by proper feeding and. an abundance of exercise.

In many eases pullets that have been laying for a short time may produce eggs of higher fertility than hems where the latter have been neglected. If pullets are to be used in the breeding pen the best for the purpose are those that have laid for a short time—long enough for their eggs to have reached normal size, and not so long that they are exhausted by production. It pays to coax the appetites of the layers a little, wherever they appear to be slacking off in feed consumption. If this is not done the egg yield is certain, to- drop. Study the birds a little and find what it is that they prefer, and

then see that they .get it. There is quite a good deal of individuality in birds as -regards their, preferences for feed and the fation'that' gave bast results last year may not necessarily be what thia year’s flock wantfl. In. many ca.ses farm-raised birds are slow to adapt themselves to the rations fed by the poultry-keeper with a small flock, ■ Sometimes it seems almost impossible to get them to cat mashes, cither wet or dry. With a little attention, .however, a mash can be fixed up that will be palatable to the birds, and even though it may be somewhat expensive it will pay to supply it. You can - gradually substitute other less expensive or more readily secured ingredients after they begin to eat well again. Those who expect to bring, off their first chicks by the middle of September should, begin saving eggs shortly after the first week of August. Remember that eggs for incubation must not be allowed to get chilled, which will happen in a short time in the extreme cold prevalent. this month in some parts of the Dominion. ■

At this season of the year fertility and ’hatchability both are apt to be a little low, and it is- not profitable, as a rule, to hold eggs more than ten days before incubating them, and a shorter time is better still. Later on, when the fowls are running out and fertility is high, eggs may be kept a little longer without serious loss. But it is simply inviting poor hatches to hold them over 10 or 12 days.

Losses due to improper brooding are enormous, ’ One cannot afford to rear chicks at all unless one provides suitable broodera for them. Do not buy brooders blindly, or on the word of someone else who does not understand your particular requirements. There are several different types available,, each one designed to meet special requirements, and’ the individual should select his brooder with a clear understanding of their relative merits and adaptibllity to his conditions. In using kerosene lamps for brooders,

.no -.niatt.ei’ how -you adjust thh. flitipe'. at the stiu’.t, make it an invariable; rulw to go back in, 30 minutes and readjust it. Never leave a kerosene lamp- fq'r .'any length of time, whether in l ineuhator, brooder or anywhere else, until you know that it is safe.

Exercise is . of. vital’ ii.npbrtanee. to the health of the fowl’ and to the "'proper assimilation of its fo’od. ’Breeding, laying and growing stock must have plenty of exercise to do well, and to assist them in using their food to tiie best advantage through the proper channels. Without exercise, food, which under normal conditions should be used as fuel and in the repair tissues or in. making eggs, will be diverted into forming additional flesh or fat. Keep the fowis ou.sy by putting a portion of then liaid gram where thev will have to scratch for it. The busy.active fien that scratches for a living i 9 usually then hen that produces fertile cg«s. With healthy hens it is seldom necessary to force exercise. Given the plaea and opportunity, they will generally take sufficient without much urging. Exercise is a good thing. It is necessary, but it is possible to have too much even of a good thing. Let fowli* scratch for a part of -their’grain,’but do not make them work for: all their food. You do want to use tip a considerable part of the food in unnecessary, excessive exercise;, that is not economy in feeding. Neither should you get your fowls out of condition by failing to give them the opportunity to scratch and run about sufficiently’'to keep their digestion in good order. In breeding pens where special exorcise is to be provided, and in the ordinary laying pen where litter usually li none too plentiful, it is an excellent plan to rake all litter up in a pilo in the centre of the floor in the morn* ing or in the evening after ths fowl® have gone on the perches,’ scattering grain over the litter as it is. piled up. The birds will immediately attack th® pile when they come down from th® perches in the morning and will work at it industriously until they hav® it scattered all over the floor, :

Take a little time to get acquaintedf with the individual birds of the flock". Watch them as they eat and scratch and visit the nests, and with a few. extra-nice scraps from the table teacli them to eat from your hand, It will help to make the birds gentle and un* afraid, and you will learn some thlngh" about them that you did not know beford,