POULTRY YARD

Taranaki Daily News, 23 April 1932, Page 20 (Supplement)

POULTRY YARD

BY G. H. AMBLER

WATCHING THE BY-PRODUCTS.

It is strange that few poultry-keep-ers recognise the full value of poultry manure as a fertiliser and valuable byproduct. The remainder continue to treat the manure as waste instead of one of the most valuable fertilisers wc have. The sooner the general farmer is persuaded to throw in his lot with that section which is all-in-all with the housing of poultry in colonics the better will be the incidental profits from his poultry; The old methods of keeping poultry have gone with the times. New methods have sprung up, and unless the general farmer adapts them, his poultry will still belong to the category of “poultry that do not pay. ’ The old-fashioned method of keeping poultry around the homestead must now be dispensed with. The dividing up of the stock into small flocks and housing them in portable houses —those with wheels for preference—all over the farm land must now be adopted. It is by housing the individual flocks in these portable buildings that the land will have the full benefit of the droppings from the fowls. By occasionally removing the fowls into fresh ground the whole of the land will in time have 'been thoroughly manured. Then again the use of the dropping-board comes into play. By placing a movable shelf (i.e., dropping board) under the perches, all the nightly droppings from the fowls can be saved and removed each day. Besides, by the use of these dropping-boards the excrement is prevented from falling amongst and soiling the litter. A VERY VALUABLE ASSET. An adult fowl produces in a year nearly one cwt. of manure, hence the manure from a colony Y>f 25 hens would roughly total one ton for the year. Considering the fact that this manure is- valued at. from £2 to £3 or more per ton, we may well conclude that poultry manure is a very valuable asset to the poultry-farmer, especially where hundreds of fowls are kept. Not only should the farmer realise the value of poultry manure; to the small man, who gives his attention to market gardening and fruit growing, this manure is valuable. There is a great demand for poultry manure among orchardists, and this is not to be, wondered at, since it is such a useful fertiliser. The manure should be partially dried before being stored awa,y, and when ready can be mixed with an equal quantity of fine earth and placed in covered boxes and barrels. It must, however, be stored in a dry .place.. Poultry manure is very strong, and must, therefore, be used sparingly; the purer it is the more valuable for marketing purposes. If used as a “liquid” about 10 or 12 times as much water should be mixed with it. If used as a solid it should be mixed with 10 times its weight of dry earth; half a ton is sufficient to cover an acre. The manure should not be thrown in lumps, but broken up and scattered over the ground. WHERE MANY NOVICES ERR. Novices are apt to err in delaying taking ailments in hand as soon as noticed, as this is half the cure. Common colds are the most dangerous of all ailments if neglected, for they frequently develop into severe roup. A fowl suffering from a common cold should be isolated and given a teaspoonfql of cod liver oil night and morning. Many nov-

ices imagine that it is lowness of temperature which causes cold. this is not so: the real cause, is impure air.

The birds may be roosting in a close atmosphere, and the carbonic acid gas exhaled as they breathe sets up an irritation of the nasal membranes. A bird suffering from cold exhales, large numbers of germs, which settle in the nostrils of the other birds, and, where the conditions are favourable to their development, start little colonies of microbes there. Fresh, pure air in a ventilated house, free from draughts, is what . the birds require,. and what they must have if they are. to be healjt is false economy to try to keep 30 hens in a house that has room for only 20. The 30 hens will lay fewer eggs than if the smaller number only were kept. Remember this when building a poultry house, and build large enough. AUTUMN TONICS. During the next few weeks the addition of°a tonic to the drinking water will benefit poultry, both young and old. Probably the safest and most effectual tonic is that, known as sulphate of iron, but it must .not b- used in any strength. A small piece about the size of a bean added to. every pint of drinking water is sufficient to ensure health and vigour. . Birds which have completed .the moult should have.their diet increased and be brought on to lay again. • It is advisable to provide shelter for fowls on open range. A low shelter about four feet in height will answer the purpose. All. that is necessary are two endst and ,a. top, and this can _be placed against the roosting shed, which forms. the back.

GREEN FOOD FOR WINTER USE.

Perhaps it is not sufficiently understood that a supply of fresh' green food is essential to maintain health, not merely in summer, but also in the winter. Without this it is impossible to maintain production at a steady rate, for green food supplies an important part of the diet, viz., the mineral salts that tone the system. The means of providing green food in mid-winter is a difficult problem for amateurs, especially those living in towns, who have no garden ground for growing such food. For many it may be possible to secure waste greens, such as the coarse outer leaves of cabbages, from local, greengrocers, though it is very much inferior to fresh green stuff,, especially ; as it may be dry and stale. In the circumstances I consider it qpite. as good to give swede turnips or mangels, cutting them in two and fixing the pieces to the wall of the house or shed so that the birds can peck out the flesh. Those who have gardens should be able to ensure a good supply of green food without encroaching upon that required for domestic use. In fact, where only a few fowls, are kept, the residue from the kitchen' supply ought to be sufficient.

When it is necessary to cut birds’ flight feathers to prevent flying over fences, do not forget that this should be done again after moulting, when the new wing feathers are developed. The deeper the litter the longer will it last, but ,seo that it is well worked by rake and hens. Whole-hearted enthusiasm and practical experience are the factors that ensure success in poultry keeping.