POULTRY NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20363, 21 July 1934, Page 29 (Supplement)

POULTRY NOTES.

(By 44 CROW BLACK.”) ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. INQUIRER —The New Zealand Utility Poultry Club’s educational evenings are held on the third Tuesday in every month. The lectures are open to anyone interested in poultry-keep-ing. The Christchurch Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Club will meet in the Fanciers’ Hall on Monday evening. Mr J. D. Gobbe will leave for Hokitika on Thursday morning to judge all classes at the local club’s annual show. An educational lecture organised by the United Pigeon Fancier’s Club will be held in the Fanciers’ Hall on Wednesday evening. Mr G. H. Bradford will speak on “ The Breeding and Mating of Fancy Pigeons.” A large number of birds will be benched for demonstration purposes. The New Zealand Utility Poultry Club will meet in the Chamber of Commerce Hall on August 7. At this meeting the reports of the Management and Schedule Committees will be dealt with; also egglaying competition matters. The Hokitika Poultry Club’s annual show will be held next Friday and Saturday. A large entry, including a number from Christchurch innciers, has been received, and arrangements have been made to run a fanciers’ excursion train on Saturday. The New Zealand Utility Poultry Club continued its educational lectures in the Chamber of Commerce Hall last Tuesday evening, Mr T. S. Dove lecturing on “Brooding.” Thp next lecture will be held on August 21. The New Zealand Poultry Club’s Education Committee has arranged the following syllabus of lectures for the remainder of the season: August, “Management of Young Stock”: speaker, Mr C. Cussen, Government Poultry Instructor. September. “ Feeding Value of Foods for Young Stock, and Time for Sowing of Green Foods ” (Mr A. Leslie. Lincoln College). October, “Care of the Poultry Plant” (Mr J. Liggins). November, “ Talk on the Poultry Industry ” (Mr S ; . F. Marshall). Sluts for Breeders. This month is one of the busiest in the chicken-rearing season. Early-hatched chickens are the easiest to rear. The breeding stock is in better condition early in the season, more green feed is available, and yards are freshei-. Disinfect the brooders thoroughly before every fresh bach, of chicks is put in. Well-reared chicks from strong, virile stock are essential for profitable eggproduction. Over-crowding in brooders leads to bad habits in chicks, such, as toepicking and feather-picking. A good hatch generally means strong, healthy chickens with good vitality and stamina. Keep the chicken houses free from stock as long as possible before puttingthe chicks in. Lime is valuable for chicks. There is more lime in milk than in lime water, according to a dairy expert. I Do not feed milk In a sour state one | day and fresh the next. If skim milk is given the chicks to drink a vessel of clean water should be provided also. The milk Is a food. Curdled milk is best, as it contains lactic acid, which is so necessary for the chicks.

After about five or six weeks chickens require no heat, and can be taken from the brooder house. There is no best brooder. The main requirements are plenty of room, sufficient ventilation, and cleanliness. Fora the first few days Rfter the chicks are placed in the brooder house, see that thye are not allowed to get too far away from the brooder heat. Provide plenty of scratching litter—preferably wheat straw chaff. The chickens must he kept busy; they must be kept exercising. Fresh ground,.plenty of sunlight, milk, green stuff, clean water, fine grit and charcoal, are all essentials in chicken management. A little charcoal and fine shell grit should be placed before the chicks when given their first meal. This prepares their digestive organs for the receipt of the food to follow. Chicks do not require too much coddling. Just give them sufficient warmth, clean quarters, and proper food. Neglect is the rhief cause of chicken ailments. Dangers of crowding—Tf the vital importance of this factor were more generally recognised, there would be far less mortality among young chickens, states the New South Wales poultry expert. Most chicken troubles are either directly or indirectly caused by chicks crowding together to get warm. This leads to sweating, which in turn causes chills, followed by sickness probably two or three days afterwards: and often the cause is unsuspected. It is better to err on the side of keeping the temperature a little too high than too low, provided more ventilation is allowed and the chickens are free to move away from the heat. It must be borne in mind, however, that to maintain a high temperature without adequate ventilation is as bad as a temperature that is too There are always dead-in-the-shell in hatches. It is difficult to arrive at an •exact solution of the trouble. I*f the incubator has been run propeMy and no experimentation has been indulged in, other causes may be looked for. One of the first matters to consider is /the condition of the breeding stock: whether they are physically sound and in good condition or whether the male bird is getting light, or is infested with vermin. It frequently happens that the male bird allows the hen to get most of the food and, of course, becomes poor in condition. For this reason it is a good plan to give him a feed by himself in the middle of the day. The feeding of the birds is also often responsible for the trouble insofar as they might be over-stimulated by getting too much protein or condiments. Again, they might be surfeited with food, or the reverse might be the case. Careful feeding is essential to secure the best results in hatching and the effects of faulty feeding may be noticeable for some months. Therefore, the method of feeding in vogue long before the eggs are laid must be taken into consideration. Another important factor is the age of the eggs. The older the eggs (over one week) the less the chance of a ( good hatch, specially when set in an Incubator. A prevalent idea

is that lack of moisture is the cause of dead-in-the-shell because of the drying of the shell membrane and parts of the shell sticking to the chickens; but these conditions usually accompany a bad hatch, and no amount of moisture would make any difference in such cases. The feeding times for ducklings of different ages are: Ducklings up to one week old require a constant supply of food; ducklings up to two weeks old require feeding every two hours; ducklings up to three weeks old require feeding every three hours; ducklings from four weeks old to the time they get their full feathers, every four hours. At night, when giving the last feed, give sufficient to last them through the night. Always have plenty of water before them, and also fine shell grit. After they are a week old, add one part finely chopped green oats, grass, or other similar green, to their mash, gradually increasing the quantity as they get older. Be sure and have sufficient depth of water in their drinking vessel to enable them to cleanse their eyes and nostrils, but the supply must be so arranged that they cannot wet their bodies (this applies in cold weather). Increase the size of their run as the ducks grow. The larger the run after the ducks are two weeks old, the better they will thrive. Be sure that the ducks have plenty of shade in the warm weather, qnd also that their drinking vessels are kept in the shade. The most essential things for the successful rearing of ducklings are plenty of water, good sound feed, plenty of exercise, fresh air, a rainproof house to sleep in, and a clean, dry bed of straw or other suitable material to sleep on. Do not give milk to drink. It causes eye trouble. It is good to mix the mash with, so use it that way. The best means of controlling colds and roup, and, in fact, all diseases, is to prevent them rather than to attempt cures. Sanitation is the best means of prevention. The feeding of a well-bal-anced ration also plays an Important part in the prevention oY disease.