Amongst the Poultry

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17170, 13 October 1923, Page 8 (Supplement)

Amongst the Poultry

NEWS AND NOTES BY

“CROWBLACK.”

(NEWS AND NOTES BY CROWBLACK) ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. Mrs D.. Christchurch.—The Department of Agriculture in the United States has been engager] in extensive research work regarding the wholesomeness and palatabilitv of foodstuffs that have been in cold storage from various periods, and according to a recent leaflet, has found that eggs and some other products, if they are received in good condition, and are properly stored, can be held from nine to twelve months without appreciable loss in flavour, and for much longer periods without loss in food value or general wholesomeness. The length of time that eggs can be kept in a pro-perly-operated oold storage depends mainly on their condition when they enter. Eggs laid during cool weather keep best and longest. GENERAL. The South Island Poultry. Pigeon and Conarv Association’s art union will be drawn in the Christchurch Poultry Club’s rooms to-night. Last week Mr W. FI. West forwardon valuable trio of White Leghorns to Wairoa. Hawke's Bay. The Utlity Poultry Club will hold its educational evening on Tuesday next.

The Leeston Poultry Show will take place next Thursday. The annual meeting of the Pigeon Flying Club was held on Friday evening, Mr A. C. Gerard, vice-president, occupying the chair. The secretary’s report stated that the past season had been one •of the best in the history of the chib. The value of prizes in cash amounted to £95 18s 4d. The trophy fund amounted to £57 8s Id. The principal winners of the season were : G. Robertsan, F. Kingsford and Sandiord and Rhodes. The balance-sheet showed receipts £253 8s 2d, and expenditure £l7O 3s Bd. leaving a credit balance of £B3 4s 6d. There were no liabilities. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. The election of offiieers resulted as follows:—Patron. Mr George Anderson ; vice-patrons, Messrs F. Kibblewhite (Christchurch), F. Coster (Auckland), J. J. Elliott (Wellington). W. T. Simpson (Nelson), .T. Harvey (Gisborne). T. Newton (Christchurch), A. C. Waller (Christchurch), D. Strang (Invercargill), C. Kirklev (Hastings), Bedford (Auckland). G. M : Don gal l (Christchurch). B. J. Finnigan (Wellington) and W. Esquilant (Dunedin); president, Mr F. D. "Wilson : vicepresidents, Messrs A. C. Gerard, W. Blanchard. D. Dore. P. Chambers and A. Buckley ; honorary secretary, Mr T. Kingsford ; honorary treasurer, Air G. Robertson ; assistant honorary secretary, Mr F. Mallard ; auditor. Air W. G. Walden ; clock committee, Messrs E. Fuchs. G. Robertson. A. Buckley.( FT. Baron. T. Mallard and F. Kingsford ; executive committee, Alessrs E. Fuchs, J. Falconer, A. Buckley and ■‘A. Gerard. It was decided to start training the birds on October 9, at the new club rooms. Several candidates for membership were proposed. Mr J. Scanlon, who advertises Chick

in this issue, is a competitor at the N.Z. Utility Poultry Club’s present egg-laying competition at Papanui. His experience in rearing chickens enables. him to realise the necessity for good quality chick food, and the best of grains are used in the S. and C. Chick Raiser. During my visit I was shown all the ingredients in the mixture. and 1 was well pleased with the quality of the graisn. The S. and C. Chick Raiser is very clean and free from dust.

Earlv in the week I visited the poultry farm of Mr J. Balch’s, Winter’s Road, Papanui. who has recently started poultry farming on his own. The breeding pens contain very fine speeimens, especially the male birds. Mr Balch caters largely for the day-old trade in chickens, also in sittings of eggs, and has supplied numerous ciders from various parts of Canterbury.

A meeting of the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club was held last week. Air AY. E. Green presiding over a fair attendance A letter was received from Air John Studholme, of the Oxford and Cambridge Club. Pa.ll Afall. stating that ho accepted the position of patron for the club. Air C. J. Cussen. Government Poultry instructor, wrote stating that be had to go to Dunedin to supervise the grading and packing of eggs for export, and regretted that he was unable to attend the meeting of the club’s supervising committee to be held at the competition grounds, in order to go into the matter of the poor returns obtained from the heavy breeds. He stated that be had visited the competition at the club’s request on August 9, and examined thirty-seven birds. In liis opinion, sixteen were too fat, fifteen from fair to fat. and six in good laying condition. Rome of the birds examined were on the coarse side, and not the cut of great egg-producers Fie suggested that less mash be fed, and that the. grain mixture contain less wheat and more oats than what is now being fed. The more exercise the heavy breeds could be given the better. Air J. B. Alerrett wrote expressing the thanks and appreciation of his wife and himself for the complimentary evening tendered to them and in which the club had cjo-operated. The secretary of the South Island Poultry, pigeon and Canary Association wrote stating that at the annual meeting held in Dunedin it had been decided to hold the next annual meeting of the association on the AA'est Coast, provided the club would support the idea with a. delegate. The caretaker reported that the birds in the competition were doing exceptionally well, especially the White Leghorns. The heavy breeds were laying better than previ-

ously. The ducks’ records were quite qua! to those of the past. The feed had been good, and with plenty of green feed the birds were in a. splendid condition for a season’s lay. There were no sick birds and none bad been treated during the month. The eggs sent to the market were :—623 dozen hens’ eggs and 95 dozen ducks’ eggs. The report was adopted. SOFT SHELLED EGGS. FOUR. COAIAION CAUSES OF THIS TROT‘RLE. The frequent laying of soft shelled eggs occasions a considerable market loss in the spring of the year. The yolk of the egg is fully formed when it leaves the ovary and drops into the funnel shaped mouth of the oviduct. It is at this point that fertilisation of the egg takes place, probably within a few minutes of the breaking loose of the yolk, and in about three hours’ time the formation of the thicker albumen is completed. The next section of the oviduct secretes the shell membrane which ordinarily

requires about t-hree hours. By the expansion and contraction of the walls of the oviduct, the egg is forced forward into the shell gland where the lime of the egg is deposited and within 12 to 24 hours the egg is laid. Anything that has a tendency to make the egg pass too quickly through the lower two-thirds of the oviduct would cause the hen to lay soft shelled eggs

The first and usual cause of soft shelled eggs is that the bird is too fat. I ho muscular movement- of the oviduct is hindered by layers of fat, and instead of the egg being controlled by firm muscles it merely slip through a flabby mass without getting its shell on. The difficulty will vanish if the birds are made to scratch in a clean dry straw litter for all their grain and the ration is not over fattening. In seme cases it might be advisable to omit all mashes. especially moist mashes, from the ration. The second source is lack of lime in the hen’s ration. In this case the shell secreting part of the oviduct fails to do its work because of lack of material. Oyster or beach shell should always be available to laying birds, the former for preference, being more readily soluble. It is often recommended tliat old plaster be broken up and thrown in a box for the birds to pick at as a, source of lime. The third cause is the forcing of hens for high egg production. A second yolk breaks off from the ovary and drops into .the funnel of the o\*iduct, and the first one is forced too rapidly on its way for it to be completely formed when laid.

The fourth cause comes from scouring, that is, feeding a too loosening ration. Alangels will sometimes produce this result. The droppings normally should be a dark slate or dull black colour firm enough to maintain a spiral shape as seen on the dropping boards.

Egg eating frequently arises in the first instance from the accidental breaking of an egg through an insufficiently of nests or from soft eggs being laid from the perch at niglit. A broken egg is too tempting a morsel for tlie average fowl to resist. Care should therefore, be taken to avoid the risk of broken eggs by making the nest as comfortable as possible and by providing as many as are necessary. It is a good plan to scatter a few china eggs on the floor of the house, the hens being unable to break these, they soon forget thp egg eating habit. SEASONABLE HINTS. To succulent green feed is attributed by many a “tonic” effect, as a result of which it is believed that fowls have better appetites for the grain part of the ration, and will digest it better than when green feed is omitted, provided, however, that this part of the ration is not supplied in excessive proportion. It is true that under some conditions fowls appear to fill up with green feed to such au extent that they will not thereafter eat a sufficient quantity of 3olid food, but this should not occur, i fthe green feed is supplied at midday.

Practically every poultry keeper, whether he maintains only half a dozen or hundreds of fowls, lays down a number of eggs in water-glass or lime water in the spring. Preserved eggs, when they have been treated properly, are excellent for all cooking purposes, but the great point with regard to them which it is necessary to remember is that a preserved egg will deteriorate much more rapidly than will one that is new laid. For this reason all preserved eggs should be marketed a.s soon as possible after they are taken from the preserving fluid. When the eggs are thus removed they should be placed in racks to dry, and should then be tested for quality. Tt frequently happens that a very thin

shelled egg has been included, or one. perhaps, that was not quite fresh, and this will probably be found to be bad. To test the eggs holds each one before a lamp in a dark room. If the egg appears dark in the centre it should be discarded. Only those that are quite clear are in fit condition, for marketing. The great advantage of preserving large quantities of eggs at times oj low prices is that they can be kept till the winter and then marketed profitably.

'there are two kinds of fools in the poultry business as.well as every other business: the- kind who know but will not use- their knowledge, and the kind who won’t learn of anyone and will not read because they think they already know it all.

It is a well-known fact that among breeders of exhibition stock that chicks from the very best matings will reach maturity with all sorts of defects such as white feathers, crooked breast bones, etc.. if they are improperly grown, crowded or starved during the first months of their lives and the defects cannot be overcome even though they receive the best of attention at a later period. Birds, in order to develop the good qualities that are theirs by inheritance, must never receive a. check from the time they are hatched. They must be olio wed plenty of range for exercise, and be given the best of food, including succulent green grasses, and proper care. The ••stopping of their growth at

any period, either by neglect or sickness. is fatal and will give us culls at maturity. Improper methods of rearing are the cause of as large a per cent of culls as improper matings. The honest breeder who sends out the grade of eggs he advertises (from the pens from which his own birds are raised) many times lias to suffer for the shortcomings of the buyer who does not know how to rear chickens properly, but who rarely wishes to assume the responsibility for his own failure, preferring to lay the blame on the breeder.

AT hen day old chicks arrive, have the. brooder heated up and everything else in readiness for them. Iff they are mothered by a- sitting hen. place them under her at night time. This hen should be quite broody a.nd should, have been sitting on china, eggs for at leasta. week before the chickens are -due to arrive If they are given to hex in daylight she will probably kill the lot. The movement of the chicks under her during the night seems to prepare her for them when they pop their heads out as soon as daylight arrives. She seems quite satisfied that the chicks 3re her own offspring, and gives them all the necessary care and attention.