POULTRY NOTES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 16037, 23 January 1918, Page 5

POULTRY NOTES.

(By “Cackler.”^ BIRDS FOR FRANCE. Over 1200 head of poultry 1 have arrived in France as the gift of English breeders to the ruined small holders of the districts recently recovered by English troops. They were collected by j the Agricultural Relief of Allies Com-, mittee, London, and free transport faci- | lilies were provided by tbs War Office. | Many of the birds were valuable pedi- | gree stock, and special arrangements I were made to ensure their welfare dur- j ing and after the journey. The com- j I mittee hopes to send a. further consign- 1 mont of close on a thousand birds of a similar class in the course of a. week or two, to bo followed by other batches as funds and other circumstances permit. ASSISTING THE RETURNED SOLDIER. With a view to giving returned soldiers who have gone on the land in New Zealand a good start in poultry many breeders of pedigree stock have donated breeding trios,' whilst others, have provided sittings of eggs. , Members of the Agricultural Department, too, contributed, I believe, to a special j fund raised with the Object of supply-; ing returned soldiers who have gone on the land, with birds. ANIMAL FOOD. Adult birds and chickens on free - range will obtain a considerable quail-'j tity of animal food in the form of insect life, grubs, worms, etc. Where birds are confined, animal food in some form should bo given in the ration. Many exhaustive experiments have been conducted in America relative to this important part of the layer’s dietary. It has been demonstrated by several experimentalists there that'skim milt fed in the mash has been found to possess a value almost equal to meat meal. Such information is of great value to the poultryrnan ivbo cannot obtain meat in any form. He may have gallons of - skim milk available, and when he knows its food value as an egg producer he is able to convert what to him was almost a waste product into an egg-producing food. This is another reason why an experimental “competi. tion” would assist tho poultryrnan ana make his calling more profitable than at present. CULL NOW AND CULL AGAIN. By constantly culling out the weaklings, or backward birds, one gradually works up a good, even-sized quality flock, such as the visitor and tho prospective purchaser of stock admires. Eternal cleanliness is another very important part of the business, comfortable shelter, plenty of fresh air, sunshine, and plenty of exercise, feed always being appetising. Variations of feeding, in my opinion, keeps the stock in good healthy condition—ready to feed at each meal. The conversion of a good varied dietary into eggs is a subject that requires more investigation than lias hitherto been accomplished. Poultry breeders should .more often market birds that have been- for months past poor layers, or layers of indifferent eggs. It only pays to keep the best, should bo the axiom of every breeder. Cull, and cull again. A BIG POULTRY UNDERTAKING. According to the Philadelphia Record there is a farm in New Jersey which produces about a million and; threequarters of eggs annually. The soil is sandy aiid the ground always dry, and oven the heaviest rain is quickly soaked up. The chickens’ feet are kept clean | and in good condition by scratching in ! tho looee, dry sand. The chicken rims | and houses are built in the midst of a j pine grove, which gives just the proper I proportion of sunlight and shade. The I farm comprises 285 acres and nearly a • hundred buildings. There are 36 laying ; houses altogether, each one surrounded by a fenced-in yard of an acre and ahalf, containing over 20.000 White Leghorns. No other breeds are kept. Tlie farm’s annual yield of eggs-reach-ed tlic million mark in 1909, and its capacity isconstantly being increased, so that at 'he present time its output is about a million and three-quarters. More than a million and a-quarter of these eggs are shipped to the Now York and Philadelphia markets, while about 300,000 are sold Tor hatching. The rest are hatched on the farm in the largest incubation system in -the United States. A large business; is done in the shipment of one-day-old chicks. The farm has direct accessibility to the two greatest poultry and egg markets in the East. As better prices are obtaineef in New York most of tho product is shipped there, forming the greatest daily shipi ment received in that city from any one source.

The entire output is taken by one or two dealers, who havd built up such a demand fox these eggs among the ■ ox-

pensive hotels and cafes, that the supply is always short. The gathering, counting ana shipment all take place on the same day, so that the eggs are not more than 24 hours old when served. TO WASH A BIRD FOR EXHIBITION. Prepare three tubs of water, fairly warm. Brush soft soap mto the first to form a lather. Insert bird gently (in rather a darkened place). hi ail-brush him or her . down from comb to tip of tail, always working the brush in one direction only Now put brush down and wash in same way with hand, laving the water on freely. . Spread out each wing on left hand, and wash with palm of right hand. Do the same with tail. Be very gentle with young feathering. Now lift out, pass hand over to clear off suds. ' ,p u t into second water. Lave over the bird, freely spreading out wipgs and tail. , Get out all soap possible. Lift into third and cooler water, in which is a little glycerine and “blue.’ Cleanse thoroughly. . Take out the bird. Wring off all water and sop over the bird gently with soft towels. . , Place root of tail jn soft towel, and squeeze out as much water as possible Now let the bird flap its wings. Hold it*bv the legs whilst this is done. Place in a box or basket before a good * Drop a bit of muslin between bird and fire, and put a saucer of water near so that the bird does not dry too quickly. , ~ _ Turn the hamper frequently. For this reason a hamper is better than an open-fronted box. If you have a box you will have to turn the bird. • Some use a stove-heated room only; no basket or box. Some have a room fire-heated and exhibition pons on A large scale. Wash two days before a show. , —Poultry World.