POULTRY NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18544, 18 August 1928, Page 26 (Supplement)

POULTRY NOTES.

NOTES.

(By

“CROW-BLACK”)

The next fortnightly meeting of the Christchurch Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Club will be held on Monday evening in the club rooms, Lichfield Street, at eight o’clock. The council of the South Island Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Association will meet this evening in the Christchurch Poultry Club rooms at eight o’clock. The next meeting of the Canterbury Bantam Club should be one of the best yet held by the club as far as the educational side is concerned. The evening will be devoted to a table show and a lecture on Game Bantams. Mr F. R. Bust, one of our best-known breeders of Old English Game, has consented to adjudicate on the birds and give a lecture on the mating and breeding of Game Bantams. The club intends to hold these shows and lectures every meeting night, and to cover as many breeds as possible. As these lectures are open to the public, it is to be hoped they will be largely attended.

Mr L. Hill, an Ashburton White Leghorn exhibitor, has had a very successful season with his white pullet, having shown her three times, winning first, special and East Coast championship at Ashburton; first and special at Oamaru. and first, special and West Coast championship at Greymouth. This is a very fine performance, as the bird won tinder three different judges. A meeting of racing pigeon enthusiasts was held in the Lyttelton Fanciers’ Club rooms on August 4, to consider the advisability of forming a junior homing club. After discussion, in which it was stated there was a need for a club of this kind to cater for the boys, it was decided to form a Hub to be open to juveniles only. ; The following officers were elected:—Patron. Dr A. C. M’Killop; president, Mr L. Jeffreys; treasurer, Mr R. E. Cairns; secretary. Mr R. H. Walklin; timekeepers, Messrs H. F. Roderick and W. Gracie. A large number of vice-presi-dents were elected. The boys are promised support from the Christchurch Homing Clubs, and Dr A. C. M’Killop, Messrs L. Wiltshire and R. H. May and many others will give the boys several pairs of young pigeons to help make a start. At a ‘meeting of the club on August 9 a table show was held, over twenty-five birds being benched. Mr F. D. Wilson, a noted homing pigeon man. judged the birds and complimented the young members on their splendid showing. He then gave a very instructive lecture on the mating, rearing and feeding of racing pigeons, and after answering questions the speaker was accorded a hearty vote of thanks. The members of the Lyttelton Fanciers’ Club have stated their intention to assist the club to the best of their ability.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Canterbury Pigeon Flying Club was held on Tuesday evening in the club rooms. Harper Street, Mr P. Chambers, the president, presiding. Correspondence was received from the Blenheim, Dunedin and Invercargill Flying Clubs applying for rings. The secretary reported that he had fulfilled the orders. The newly-formed Junior Homing CJub from Lyttelton wrote for particulars for rings, and the secretary was instructed to supply all the necessary information. Mr 4- G. Gerard wrote forwarding his resignation from the club. It was decided to hold this matter over until the annual meeting. The secretary of the New- Zealand Homing Pigeon Federation forwarded the annual report and balance-sheet arid the report of the business of the annual meeting, which . contained many suggestions for the improvement of pigeon racing. The report was received. A notice of motion moved by Dr M’Killop and seconded by Mr H. Browning that the rule governing the produce race be rescinded was carried. - Mr H. Browning reported on behalf of the committee for new club rooms. He stated that negotiations were very satisfactory. It was decided that the next meeting, to be held on August 28, should be the annual meeting. The writer has received a letter from Mr W. O. O. Smith, former secretary of the Lyttelton Fanciers’ Club and now located at Reefton. He states that there are good prospects of reviving the Reefton Club, as there are still a number of the old fanciers who are willing to assist. It is to be hoped they will be successful, as the fancy can do with a few more shows on the Coast. Mr Smith wishes to be remembered to all old friends and fanciers. The annual meeting of the United Pigeon Fanciers’ Club will be held on the second Tuesday in September. Mr F. Chambers, secretary of the United Pigeon Fanciers’ Club, states that there is an increased demand for this season’s club rings. Mr R. Pearce, secretary of the South Island Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Association, informs me that he has a number of the latest English Poultry Club's standards, also some plates of the latest canary standards that have been adopted by the Canary and Cage Bird Clubs. * At the recent Greymouth Poultry Club show a fine exhibit in the utliity duck section was the Kahaki Campbell ducks Thev are very attractive, are prolific layers and do will in confinement. By “BARRED ROCK.” The monthly educational meeting of the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club will be held next Tuesday night at eight o’clock in the club rooms, when Mr C. C,ussen, Government poultry expert, will lecture on “Rearing of Chicks.’

HATCHING AND REARING CHICKS. WHAT TO DO AND WHAT TO Avoid. (Continued.) Under normal conditions, the hatch will need no attention and no assistance aside from seeing to it that the temperature is kept as it should be. If the hatch is a little slow in' corrfrng off. or if the chicks are being removed from time to time during the hatch in order to leave more room for the later arrivals, the temperature on the egg tray will almost certainly drop when most of the chicks are out. That l is one of the chief reasons why there are so many complaints of chicks sticking in the shell. During the latter part of the hatch it is desirable to give special attention to the temperature, changing the regulator if necessary to keep it up to 103 deg. Jt sometimes is desirable to give the last chicks a little assistance. While those that are not able to get out of the shell without help usually are not worth helping, this is not always the case. Where the chicks cannot get out on account of the drying and consequent hardening of the membrane, all that is necessary,

frequently, is to wring a flannel cloth out of hot water and spread it over the eggs. This should be left in place until the membrane is softened (ten to twenty minutes), when it should be removed. Repeat this operation a little later if it seems necessary. Any chick that is strong enough to live will be strong enough to get out with this assistance.

Takings the Chicks Off. When the chick is first hatched, it is an extremely delicate organism, not entirely developed. Partly for this reason, also because the thin coat of down with which it is covered is only a partial protection at best, it is in no. way able to stand low temperature or sudden changes. The best possible treatment for newly hatched chicks, therefore, is to leave them in the incubator for a day, so that they may be somewhat hardened and their development completed. Chicks need much more air than they required as embryos, and when the hatch is over about all the air that the machine is capable of admitting should be supplied. Under such conditions, where the hatch is universally good, so that the first-hatched chicks are being inconvenienced by close confinement, the oldest may be removed from the machine and kept in a warm box or basket. By the time the chicks are twen-ty-four hours . old, however, they should all be in a good, warm brooder, ready for a drink of water or milk and, by the end of the second day, their first feed.

Need for Brooding Equipment. Great numbers of chicks fall victims every year to failure to provide for their comfort and warmth. This failure may take the form of having no brooders at all or, when brooders are provided, there may be too few of them for the number of chicks to be brooded, or they may be of inferior design, flimsy, unsafe, and generally unreliable. In any case, the final result is about the same, the percentage of loss is excessive and sometimes ruinous, and even when - the chicks manage to survive they often are weakly and stunted, never develop properly, and are incapable of giving satisfactory results either, in the laying flock or the breeding pen. The need for artificially-heated brood ers is all the more imperative because of the general tendency toward early hatching, which results in the chicks being brought into the world at a time when winter is not entirely over, and when severe cold and long spells of "stormy weather are still to be expected. The light coat of down with which the baby chick is covered affords some protection, but by no means enough to keep it warm at low' temperatures. Just a few minutes too long away from a source of heat may cause serious trouble. Epidemics of so-called “white diarrhoea,” often are directly due to improper brooding temperatures or to overcrowding. Brooder pneumonia usually is traceable to one or the other of the” same causes, as also are lack of thrift, stunted growth, slow development, failure to feather out properly, and many losses during the first two months that are not accompanied by any special symptoms except lack of vitality. It is scarcely possible to overemphasise the fact that most of the ills to which chicks are subject develop into serious epidemics onlv through neglect or mistreatment which lowers the chick’s natural vitality and resistance to disease, and it is safe to say that every chick-raiser who fails to provide proper brooding equipment or enough of it, loses each year more than it would cost to do so. Details in the Care and Feeding of Chicks. The beginner is much more apt to be successful if he keeps his brooder in a comfortable house or apartment until warm, settled weather has arrived, no matter what, type of brooder is used. Avoid small, low coops, however, and makeshift structures. Chicks 1 invariably will be better cared for if : they are in a house or room conveni- ’ ent of access and comfortable for the ' attendant. If an outdoor brooder is ’ used, locate it in a warm and sheltered spot, and by all means provide a cov [ ered runway for the chicks. 1 Make Free Use of Litter. | The litter used in the brooder and [ in the brooder house has a great deal ' to do with the well-being of the i chicks. If it is too coarse the chicks r cannot work it over readily and do , not get the feed that sifts down to the " floor. If too sparingly used the chicks will not get sufficient exercise in j scratching for feed, and will soon de- , velop leg weakness and other troubles. Without doubt the most satisfactory > material for the purpose, if it can be , obtained at reasonable cost, is short- ’ cut lucerne. . The chicks will eat many of the fine particles of leaves, blossoms, k etc., and will be better for doing so. . Chaff is the next best litter to use; in ! fact, it is mostly used-by poultrymen. r During the first two days the chick f raiser should give most of his atten : lion chiefly to training his chicks to ; use the hover or brooder, so that they will know where to go when they are ' cold. This is readily done by keeping - them confined near the hover and - gradually increasing their liberty, as they become acquainted with their sur- • roundings and learn how to find their way back. It is desirable to give the chicks the liberty of the brooder or the house pen just as soon as possible, but do not enlarge their run so fast that they are in danger of losing their way and huddling together for warmth * outside rather than going to the t hover. Huddling or crowding is one 1 of the dangers that the poultry keeper ; must avoid if he is to raise his chicks : successfully.

Care of Brooder House. Cleanliness in the brooder house is always important and especially so when the chicks are brooded in large flocks. The floor should be well covered with litter, and this must be changed often enough to keep it dry and free from foul odours, or from becoming excessively dusty. The litter should be fine and light so that the chicks will have no difficulty in turning it over and getting at the grain or near the floor. Many persons keep young colony-brooded chicks in confinement for a rather long period, and in order to guard against cannibalism, leg weakness, retarded growth, etc., all of which are conditions that are apt to develop among chicks that are kept in close quarters, it is imperative to give special attention to their exercise. After the first few days all chick feel should be scattered over the litter-, and, if necessary, should be buried in it in order to keep the chicks busy a good part of the day. Until the chicks are thoroughly hover-wise they must be watched and never allowed to get far from home. If properly trained, however, by the time they are two weeks’ old it should be safe to let them have access to a small outdoor run at least a part of each day, and their yard or range should be increased just as rapidly thereafter as they can be trusted with greater liberty. (To be continued.)