POULTRY NOTES

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19268, 3 January 1931, Page 24 (Supplement)

POULTRY NOTES

ANSWERS TO CORBESPOKSENTS. Enquirer.— for judging: eggs and table poultry are as follow: — Eggs—Size of air-cell, small, almost nominal, 40 points; weight of eggs (2oz standard), 20 points; texture of shell (smooth and thick throughout), 15 points; colour of yolk (deep orange), 5 points; consistency of albumen (not watery), 5 points; shape, 5 points: clean shells (natural bloom desirejJ), 5 points. Serious defects: Blood spot and stains, cloudy yolks, developed germs, adhesion of yolk to shell; malformations. Table poultry (plucked but undressed) —Youthfulness, general quality (particularly quantity of breast meat), 55 points; size, 15 points; fineness of bone and absence of surplus fat, 10 points; general marketable appearance, 15 points; uniformity, 5 points. Serious defects: Crooked or smashed breastbone; the absence of head or shanks. (By “CROW BLACK.”) The Christchurch Canary and Cage Bird Club will hold their next meeting in the Christchurch Poultry Club rooms, Lichfield Street, on Wednesday evening. The next meeting of the United Pigeon Fanciers’ Club will be held in the Christchurch Poultry Club rooms on January 14. The card evenings conducted by the Christchurch Poultry Club during the past year have been a great success. They have been well supported by the members and friends, and the prospects for the coming season’s fixtures are very bright. The results of the last evening were as follow:—Ladies, Mrs Newton; men, Mr Rich; winners of aggregates, ladies, Mrs R. Pearce; men, Mr R. FraRacing Pigeons. Next week will be a busy one for the members of the Christchurch Racing Pigeon Society. Three of the longest races on their programme are to be decided, and these will be a real test of a bird’s grit and stamina. The first two races will be flown on Friday, the longest being from Opua, a distance of 620 miles. The next is from Auckland, a distance of 485 miles. On Saturday the Fast Cape race will be flown. This is the second longest race, the distance being 523 miles. These events will conclude the old bird races for this club this season. The young bird races will commence on February 4. the first toss being started from Kaiapoi. Rotes. The next business meeting of the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club will be held in the club rooms, Hereford Street, on Januarv 13. A number of important matters will bo dealt with at this meet--11 in continuation of the Canterbury Bantam Club’s 'able shows, the next one will be held in the Christchurch Poultry Club's rooms on January 1!». The classes are for Black Rosecombs, Sebrights and Any Other Variety bantams. This show promises to be the largest in the history of the club, a large number of fanciers having promised their support. Mr A. Palmer has been elected to judge all classes. A large number of visiting fanciers have been in Christchurch during the holidays, and the local breeders have had a' busy time showing them round. A great number of sales have been effected, and this proves that the fancy is still very active. The visitors generally stated that the fancy in their districts promised to surpass previous records. There has been a good inquiry lately for Black Minorca, both from the fancy and utility sections. This variety is becoming yery popular, and the coming show season should see very large classes in our shows. Difficulty Experienced. When the time arrives for sex sepa-

ration, some novices often find great difficulty in deciding which are cockerels and which are pullets. This is really difficult when trying to pick heavy breeds, but with light breeds it Is comparatively easy, forlight breed cockerels show their combs relatively early. One of the surest indications, whatever the breed may be, is the shape of the hackle feather. I refer to the long-pointed feathers growing from the top of the back and hanging over the thighs of the mature male. On every cockerel these feathers are shapely, vointed like the letter V, whereas those on every pullet are rounded off a t the tip like the letter U.— (E. Bostock Smith.) Dure basing Poultry Peed. The most important points to consider when purchasing poultry feed are its odour, taste, feel and appearance. All grains should smell sweet—your nose will quickly notice any mouldy odour. Meals should smell sweet and mealy (for want of a better word) with tho characteristic smell of the grain, etc., they are ground from. Once the habit is formed of picking up a grain or two from a. sample of wheat, oats, or maize, and eating it, your palate will soon pick out bad stuff. Of course, in the very best sample of grain there may be a trace that will not pass this test, but it should be generally sweet and pleasing to the taste. It is not, of course, possible to apply this taste to all meals. drain should feel heavy in the hand and dry. Most meals should feel floury and smooth, grittfness being absent. Bran often has a silky feel, although it varies considerably. Sight is the first test to apply, and, in tho maiii, with smell, is tho best. # Mineral in Seaweed. New \ises for seaweed are constantly being found. For years it has been Used for packing purposes by furniture manufacturers, and now it has been proved to have wonderful qualities in the deadening of sound. Seaweed is being utilised for packing walls in London buildings, to deaden tho sound of traffic. It is also being used for packing the walls of aeroplane cabins to deaden the sound of tho engines. For centuries it has been used as food for animals and humans in many parts of the wor*d, and in the North of Scotland. Shetland and Orkney Islands, the sheep thrive on it. These sheep are famed for their hardiness and freedom from disease, as well as for the fineness of their wool, and the credit of this is given to the iodine content of the seaweed which, they consume in large quantities. The iodine in seaweed increases an animal's resistance to disease, and its properties as a bactericide are well known. Seaweed contains many other useful things besides iodine. It contains nearly all the minerals which are necessary to keep animals and poultry in good health. ... As a vital factor in animal nutrition it is becoming better understood and more appreciated. This Is due to scientific research and experiments in many parts of the world, including Australia. For some rears scientists in Australia have been experimenting with various kinds of seaweed, and it is now being taken up commercially as a food for poultry and animals. All food-plants, grasses, animals and birds depend on the earth for nourishment and food. The earth is composed of mineral elements, and the plants and trees live and grow by drawing up the minerals from It, and the birds and animals, feeding from plant life, absorb a proportionate amount. Plants do no! need as much minerals as animals, and since they do not transmit all the minerals they get, it is obvious that nl- - Furthermore, as the minerals are drawn from tho earth they are not re-

newed until spring, hence the soil la gradually depleted until there are practically no minerals left. The minerals washed from the earth by rains are carried to the sea by rivers and streams. This has happened for millions of years. The sea receives all the minerals the land loses—plus its own accumulated mineral oontent. There are far more mineral* In the sea and its products than in the land, and they are In organic form—the best form, because they are easily assimilated and digested. Seagrass Is the ideal mineral source. It contains nothing but mineral elements. It means that no matter how little mineral the earth gives, the deficiency can be made up in organic form from the sea——and especially from seaweed. About Infertility. Research points strongly to the conclusion that the percentage of fertile eggs laid during the hatching season is a characteristic peculiarity of the Individual hen, but this characteristic does not seem to be .transmitted, »o that if a hen has poor fertility it does not necessarily follow that her pullets will have poor fertility also. Points for Breeders. Provide plenty of room in the drinking tins for large-combed males. Lice are frequently responsible for feather-eating amongst fowls.* Poultry lice usually die within twelve hours when on human beings. A hard lining in the abdomen indicates the over-fat fowl. Poultry Disease#. Whenever there is any doubt as to the cause of illness or death of a fowl, a post morte-m examination should be made. Once the nature of the disease has been determined effective measures to control or eradicate it can then be taken. ’the following suggestions for post-mortem examinations on poultry are given by Paul Willard in the “Poultry Tribune’’: —The equipment needed to “ post ” a bird is a box or table two feet square and waist high, a very sharp knife and a pair of strong shears foxcutting through the bones. One of the blades should be narrow in order that it may be inserted between the bones and the internal organs. If the fowl to be examined is not already dead. It should be killed by breaking the neck. Grasp the legs and the tips of the wing feathers in the left hand to prevent the bird from flapping. Grasp the head in the right hand so that the back or side of the head rests in the palm of the hand and the base of the skull between the thumb and forefinger. Hold the head firmly and pull down, slowly stretching the neck, and at the same time bending the neck back sharply, dislocating the neck at the base of the skull. By killing the bird in this fashion no blood will be lost to contaminate the soil.

Perform the post mortem examination in natural light if possible. This will make it easier to learn whether the organa are unnatural in colour. Shortly after the bird has been killed, wet it thoroughly with water. Remove the leathers at the rear end of the breast bone. To expose the internal organs, cut the skin between the legs and the body, and make a cross cut just back of the end of the breast bone. Pull the legs away from the body until they are thrown out of joint, and"pull the skin forward from the breast. Now cut through the flesh, not too deeply, following the same line as in cutting the skin. With the scissors cut through all bones along this line, being careful not to damage the Internal organs. Fold the breasi bone back and remove. The organa will now be exposed for a general examination. General examination —Take note of the size, colour and consistency of the liver, heart, lungs and spleen before removing them. The liver of a normal, healthy fowl will be rich chocolate brown. The spfeen Is similar in colour, but smaller. Healthy lungs are a light red colour. The normal colour of the intestines is light grey, and they should be free from wrinkles or nodules. If there Is clotted or fluid blood among the Intestines or other internal organs, death is due, probably, to Internal haemorrhage. White, thin, pasty material distributed around the body cavity over the organs indicates peritonitis, caused by the entrance of germs into the body cavity by puncture of the gizzard, rupture of the Intestines or a similar wound affecting the cavity. Remove the various organs carefully. Uver—Raised yellow nodules, often enlarged, indicate tuberculosis. A spotted or marbled condition may be caused by brooder pneumonia (aspergillosis) or coccidiosis. Enlarged liver, bronzed in colour and covered with grevish spots, may be due to fowl tvphoid. When the liver Is enlarged and dark green or black In colour the disease may be choleraLungs—To determine* whether lungs are congested place in water. If they sink they are congested. If dark In colour and solid, pneumonia may be the cause. Raised yellow nodules Indicate tuberculosis, while chessy nodules may be caused by either tuberculosis or •»- pergillosis. H ear t —A clot of blood near the heart is caused by internal haemorrhage. Spleen—An enlarged spleen may be the result of enteritis, a severe fora of diarrhoea, while a spotted condition may be caused by either enteritis or tuberculosis. . . Intestines—Clumps or a congested condition in the Intestines may indicate round worms or ptomaine poisoning. For a careful examination the intestines should be split open with a sharp knife after having detached them from the vent and the gizzard. Hold the intestines and run them through a pan of warm water. Segmented threads floating in the water perpendicular to the intestines are tapeworms. If the white worms sink to the bottom of -the pan they are round worms. Inflamed intestines may be caused by chronic coccidiosis or enteritis. - Caeca —The caeca are short branenes of the Intestines located near the vent. They are commonly called blind guts. If partially filled with greyish, soft material, it is an indication of pullorum (formerly known as bacillary whits diarrhoea). Brown, dark masses causing the caeca to be distended indicate coccidiosis. Droppings of birds that are> infested with cocciodiosis are often

bl C>vary—Presence or Irregular, hardened bodies among the normal yolks is the result of white diarrhoea. The yolks are discoloured. ...... Oviduct —If, upon opening an oviduct that is enlarged a gatheringr of coagulated albumen is found, death of the fowl has been caused by impaction or the oviduct. . ~, Windpipe—Open the mouth of tne bird and cut down, slitting the windpipe. Greenish-yellow or mouldy patches tluit appear mossy are due to aspergillosis.