POULTRY NOTES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20639, 30 January 1937, Page 17

POULTRY NOTES

Alex Peat)

(By

MORTALITY IN FLOCKS Mortality figures among poultry stocks show little sign of decline. In an attempt to put things right responsible advisers are warning the industry that much that has been considered good is at least wanting. One source of many ills is said to be breeding from the wrong stock in particular, stock with a poor health history and stock that itself has not lived sufficiently long to prove that it is likely to transmit to its progeny the power qf long life. Other reasons given for the rising death rate among commercial poultry stocks are said to be too perfect incubation, ultra-artificial rearing methods and feeding of unsuitable supplementary foodstuffs. No Single Factor to Blame It can be accepted that no single principle or method is responsible for the present state of affairs. When we analyse the suggested causes what do we find? Tfie stock from which we are expected to breed opr future healthy chickens is matured months earlier than was once thought necessary and production has got up to limits thought inadvisable a few years ago. Too early maturity is inadvisable and unnecessary. Further production must be limited by the vitality of the producing thing; it Is exceeding reasonable expectations for strong virile chicks to be hatched from eggs laid by hens which have been continually producing eggs for anything from 12 to 20 mp.pths. Can we not be satisfied with the first eggs after and not before a pullet is 6 months old and further, has not the time come when six-months’ eggs records can be more satisfactory than 12 months records, thereby giving the breeder the opportunity to rest his eggs for hatching? The question of too perfect incubation may become no cause’ for serious concern having hatched a strong healthy chick it must be considered if the infant is to take the usual and necessary risks of life or is it to be coddled. Outdoor breeding and rational feeding are indicated here. Hot house systems of feeding and rearing things that are Intended for outdoors can seldom if ever be satisfactory. Earth, grass and sunshine are as necessary for a proper order of things to-day as ever they were. Why Stall-Feed? Why stall feed when the aim is long life? Continuous feeding can only end in what we are all trying tq avoid, i.e. excessive mortality. There are sound scientific and natural reasons why an animal should be permitted to be frequently hungry. Dry mash ad lib. does not permit satisfactory hunger and when (as frequently is the case) the compound being fed is unsuitable, the danger is increased. Man does not know yet the whole requirements of the hen, and until he does it is necessary to feed in a way that not only maintains natural appetite but also permits the stock access to nature’s larder where the mistakes of man may be corrected. Incidentally over feeding of fowls can surely be considered to prove as dangerous as over feeding of other forms of life.

Fped compositions come into the picture also. Man's improved knowledge of foodstuffs has probably been taken advantage of to the wrong direction. Bran meal plus sa)t and limp may be equal to the best animal protein in the laboratory, but it may not be true in practice.

Improving the Cockerels Often eggs are laid but when incutjated prqve to be vefy infertile. Sometimes the females are to blame for this, but the fault is usually traceable to the males. There are two important things which can be done to Improve the males fertility—de-spurring and dUbbing. There are many different Ways qf de-spurring cocks, but we shall qnly touch on two of the commonest.

Take as many large potatoes as you have cocks to de-spiif and having poilpd them until they are soft enough bam them on to the Cgpk's spurs and Iphye them fp.r 4or 5 minutes. It will then be found that the hard-pointed shell qf the spur will Tift off and leave behind a soft core which withers off. A hammer, chisel, block of wood and a hot iron—the simplest beirjg a blow lamp with a soldering iron on it—are required for the second method. Hold the bird so that his spurs rest on the block. Place the chisel on the spur about i inch from the bird’s leg and give it a sharp blow with the hammer. Cauterise the end of the wound with a red hot iron. This method is the better as it is sometimes difficult to prevent the cock’s legs from being burnt with the hot potatop. The dubbing of cocks is practised where a large comb variety, such as the Leghorn, is kept. Where cocks are being dubbed it is better to have individual cages to place the birds in after, the operation. These should be high enough to allow the cock to stand upright and not touch his comb pn the roof. Let ope person hold the bird firmly in both hands while another grips the top of the comb in his left hand so that with a very sharp "cutthroat" razor or similar tool he can make a swift cut commencing at the base of the comb at the back of the head and extending towards the beak. This will cause a lot of bleeding, and as soon as the cut is made a handful of flour should be put on the wound. This stops the bleeding by filling up the pores and clotting the blood.