POULTRY YARD

Taranaki Daily News, 20 February 1932, Page 10 (Supplement)

POULTRY YARD

BY

G. H. AMBLER

HELPFUL INFORMATION FOR ALL.

FRESHENING SCRATCHING SHED.

At this time of the year, especially in a hot season such as we are expert- - encing, it means much to the comfort of the birds if their quarters are given a thorough cleaning out. It is the only way to get rid of the insect pests that multiply so rapidly, and it, will have the effect of invigorating and freshening, up the ‘birds' in a way that is not possible otherwise. First take out all movable articles, such as perches, droppingboards, food and grit hoppers, water and green food trays, etc., then shovel all the old litter out of the house and take it away on the wheelbarrow to a corner of the garden, where it can be stored in a heap until required for manurial purposes. Sweep the ceiling and walls, and thoroughly clean out fixed nest-boxes,- tlien brush out the floor (if made of wood, cement, etc.), and get out as much dirt as possible from the corners. If it is an earth floor take off a thin layer of the top soil, and put a few more shovelsful of soil in before re-littering. > When the shed is quite empty and brushed clean, dress the woodwork either with lime wash or creosote preservative, taking care to run. it well, into all corners, cracks and crevices. This should be done as early in the morning as possible, so that it may be fairly well dried before the birds go to roost. Then put in the new litter, with dry soil, sand or ashes at the bottom and lighter material on top, and replace fittings after cleaning them. New hay should be put into nest-boxes at the same time. At this time of the year, we hear many reports of pullets coming ,on to lay, which is regarded as a sure indica-

tion of productive character. More often however, the abnormally precocious pullet has a short and inglorious career as a layer, for her weakness is revealed throughout h • life in the form of small ecgs, and on the whole it Ml be found that such birds are unprofitable. Fine and'warm weather is directly conducive to activity of the egg organs, and if the birds are given food of a stimulating, nature, such as meat, or even rich house scraps, it is probable that pullets of naturally good laying character, having been hatched in July, or early August, will come on to lay. at a tender age. This precocious laying is certain.y evidence of productive character; but it is not desirable because it most assuredly leads to small eggs and it would be extremely risky to breed from these early layers, as their growth is usually; stunted. The best plan to check precocious laying is to avoid a stimulating diet, and to move likely layers to fresh quarters. THE MATTER OF APPEARANCE.

Some four or five years ago I visited a North Island White Leghorn breeder whose poultry plant was, I was told, conducted on “strictly utilitarian lines. By this I mean that little or no attention was paid to symmetry of form, to colour of plumage or to head ponits, etc. The main question was: How. many eggs can be obtained from a given number of fowls in a given length of time?” That was the one big problem,, regardless of how the layers might look as° regards standard requirements for shape, colour and other so-called “fancy points.” . . I argued earnestly with this man, insisting that buyers of purebred or stan-dard-bred poultry do care for the appearance of the birds —that they, do want them (especially highly priced birds) uniform in shape, size and colour. He could not see it that way not at that time—therefore,; he went on breeding for high* egg production and . with great success, but ho was quite indifferent to the fact that several of his male birds persisted in trying to use their “squirrel” tails to pick their ears and were straw-coloured on:their backs with combs of “any old shape,” lopped or otherwise. ' '

SIGHT SELLS FIRST.

Good results in - high egg-product ion brought-sales to this poultry yard at high prices ‘ ranging up to 3 guineas each for stock birds'. Then trouble started. For example, two poultrykeepers, who had each sent three guineas for, one of, these “egg-'bred” males, on' their arrival . promptly returned them, doing so on account of the' unattractive appearance of the high-tailed and yellow-baeked specimens sent to them. In other words, they wanted “good' looks” as well as “good performance.” What my best arguments had failed to do in the way of persuading this poultryman that he must add good looks to high egg-production if he expected to get enhanced prices for his breeding-stock and have the birds give satisfaction was quite readily accomplished by the return of those three guinea birds. To be called on - to refund three guineas in each of these cases, for

the return of about five and a-half pounds of poultry bone, meat, and featners, was in the nature .of a knock-down argument. To part with three guineas in several cases did not suit well at an, but at once formed an argument which commanded serious attention and some form of effective action. ' ' To-day this poultryman is hard at work to make sure of breeding White Leghorns which are not only high eggproducers but also come up to requirements in standard points. He has realised that “sight sells first”—a ; . lesson, as I had previously informed him, I had learned many years ago in another popular line of business. In a large majority of cases it is the first impression that counts. Moreover, it is one of the refinements in human nature to be interested in ‘beauty—in symmetry, in uniformity, etc., otherwise there would be no such arts as landscape gardening or architecture. , FEEDING IN HOT WEATHER. The feeding of fowls in hot weather must be regulated as far as possible without depriving birds of materials required to produce eggs. You cannot put fowls on to a vegetable diet without stopping the supply of eggs,' so that it is necessary to give suitable grain, such as wheat and oats, but excluding maize and barley if possible. The usual mash can be given, .with a smaller proportion of meat-meal, or fishmeal. In addition, see that the birds have plenty of fresh green food, arid let the water vessels be replenished frequently and be kept in a shady place. Lettuce will be found the cheapest and most easily grown green food for ' old and young stock, and sowings should be made at intervals all through the summer, for it is a crop that can be grown on any spare ground and among slower growing subjects. ■