IN THE POULTRY YARD

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18536, 5 April 1930, Page 10 (Supplement)

IN THE POULTRY YARD

A GOLDEN RULE FOR BREEDERS. Discussing the question of selection of breeding hens the chief Government poultry instructor warns poultry men to always avoid selecting for the breeding pen undersized specimens of the breed, no matter how good their individual records may be. “It is always a good plan,” says Mr Brown, “to choose for the breeding-pen a hen slightly larger than that desired in a laying flock. If this golden rule was practised more by the majority of our poultry-breeders, instead of making egg-yielding power the one and only consideration when selecting their breeding specimens, we would hear less about exporting 12oz eggs to the overseas market from those concerned in the export trade. If any argument is required to prove the fallacy of breeding from undersized specimens of their breed and producers of small eggs, then it is surely contained in the fact that there was a difference of 9/- per case of 30 dozen realised on | eggs recently exported to Loudon, and ! which weighed 171 b. and 141 b. respec- ! lively.” FEEDING FOR WINTER EGGS Particularly at this season of the ; year, when the egg-yield may be re- ; garded as more or less artificially pro- | euced. the poultry-keeper should make . sure that the food supplied is of the ! best possible quality, quite irrespective Jof cost, says the Chief Poultry Injstructor of the Department of Agricul- | ture. “With any class of poultry it ; Is always poor economy to feed dam- ; aged or musty food because it is cheap. Especially is this the case with pullets, which are being looked to to produce 'dear-season eggs. They will simply ; refuse to eat such food (unless, of j course,course, forced to by hunger), ! and obviously a declining egg-yield I will result. At the present ruling price ! of eggs it will pay to feed nothing but the best, and as much of it as the birds can consume. There is no danger of overfeeding the laying bird with food of the right quality, provided she is given ample opportunity for exercise. “The morning may consist of one part of finely ground good-quality wheatmeal to two parts of bran. This Lshou'J be made appetising as possible jby moistening it with meat, soup, ( skim-milk, etc. When these liquids • are not available, boiling’ water should ibe used. A mash moistened with the [latter will be much better relished by | tile birds than when cold water is used. Feed only what the birds will ' pick up in, say, twenty minutes. If .mash is left before them at all times, ; they will eat this and fail to take the i necessary exercise by scratching for j the grain ration in the litter, in which there should be odd grains for the birds to fossick for. In the evening, and well before dark, give a full meal of grains, such as equal parts by measure of wheat, maize and oats. It is always a good plan to give more at this meal than the birds require, as what is left will induce them to scratch and keep busy. If it is observed that one of the grain foods mentioned is being left, it should be fed in a re- | duced quantity. In order to secure a j high winter egg-yield a forcing ele- ' .merit must also be included in the | ration. This denotes high nitrogenous j substances such as meat, meat-meal, milk, etc. If, however, it is observed that ovarian troubles are making their appearance, and that many shell-less or double-yolked eggs are being produced, the forcing diet should be reduced accordingly, as these troubles indicate that the birds are eating more of the forcing-food than is good for them. If the birds are to do their best, sharp gravel grit, crushed oyster shell, clean water, and a liberal supply of green food should also be provided. Everything possible should be done to prevent the pullets bred to lay in winter going into false moult. This is usually due to insufficient or inferior food, and to changes in the system of feeding, as well as that common cause, change of quarters. Obviously no experimenting should be attempted, but rather should uniform and regular attention be observed in the poultryfarmer’s methods.”

In a certain postal area in the Midlands, England, where over 100,000 packets are posted every day, about 600 cannot be delivered owing to their being carelessly or insufficiently addressed.