IN THE POULTRY YARD.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18500, 22 February 1930, Page 14 (Supplement)

IN THE POULTRY YARD.

THE PULLET FOR WINTER PRODUCTION. Writing in the Journal of Agriculture Mr F. C. Brown, Chief Poultry Instructor, Wellington, says:— A A correspondent has asked my advice I as to the feasibility of inducing his I birds to moult during the early autumn, with the idea of their laying better during the winter months. In my opinion the proposal has nothing whatever to recommend it. This is one of | the many things in connection with poultry which sound well theoretically, but which seldom or never prove of value when put to a practical test. It is an easy matter to induce a false | moult, and, provided the birds are well j fed and managed after moulting, they will come into profit at a time when I the egg-market commences to rise. Usually, however, they will moult again j at the ordinary season and cease to lay. j in the management of laying-birds ex- ! perisnee shows that the less one interI feres with the natural course of things :he better. For winter egg-production j there can be no doubt that the pullet j Is the most desirable biid ;and if a maximum of profit is to be secured the ! pullet should be kept going from the j ame she reaches maturity, forcing ! every egg out of her until her period is completed, irrespective of season and the price of eggs. Naturally this would not apply in the case of a bird intended for future breeding purposes.

SOFT-SHELLED EGGS. When soft-shelled eggs start coming from the birds there are three causes —viz., birds too fat, lack of lime being supplied, and the perches being too high. The first is the most common cause, because most folks over-feed the birds on food which is too fattening and also do not see they get scratching exercise, which is practically as important as food in keeping the birds healthy, so that th'ey will lay good and fertile. Lack of lime is j caused by net seeing i that the birds I have oyster shell, so that they can help j themselves. If no oyster shell is avail- ! able, then put some unslaked lime in a receptacle, pour water over to cover it, and in a couple of days you can start adding some $f the clear liquid into the water vessel or oven adding some diluted with pure water to the extent of one lime water to twelve clean water, and add that to the soft 1 food fed to the birds. The last cause I of soft-shelled eggs is very often not considered, but if the perches are too high and the birds on the roost see food coming there is a hurry and scurry to get down; the bird gets a jar v/hich often brings an egg away prematurely.