POULTRY NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20477, 1 December 1934, Page 35 (Supplement)

POULTRY NOTES.

(By “CROW BLACK.”) The Canterbury Bantam Club will meet in the Fanciers’ Hall on Monday evening:. The New Zealand Utility Poultry Club will meet in the Chamber of Commerce Hall on Tuesday evening:. Dr W. Stevens, New Brighton, lias donated a guinea to the New Zealand Rhode Island Red and Orpington Club for trophy funds. He has been a keen supporter of the club for many years, being keenly interested in Rhode Island Reds. Mr H. W. Boyns has withdrawn liis resignation as secretary to the Christchurch Poultry Club, and arangements have been made for exhibitors to procure the club’s sealed leg-bands at his private address. Fanciers will be pleased to learn that Mr T. W. Richmond, the president of the United Pigeon Fanciers’ Club, hopes to be about again soon. Fanciers will regret to learn of the death of Mrs P. J. Cummings. The late Mrs Cummings Avas keenly interested in the fancy, and exhibited with considerable success at last season’s shows. The sympathy of all fanciers is. extended to the relatives in their bereavement. The United Pigeon Fanciers’ Club has decided to hang an honours board in the club rooms. The names of past-presi-dents will be inscribed on the board, and suitable certificates will be presented to all life members. The United Pigeon Fanciers’ Club has decided to cancel its meetings for this year. It will meet again on Wednesday, January 9, when preparations will be made for the coming season’s table shOAvs. Hints for Breeders. A little care taken in the feeding of the chicks will make all the difference in their final development. Milk, for example, has a wonderful effect on groAvth and in the building-up of the body tissues. From eight weeks old omvard to maturity is an important stage in the life of the chicks. They must be built up in body and health, in preparation for regular egg-production. Beware of any check in growth; a check will agect the chicks ever afterwards and seriously curtail egg-production. Low-priced foods, entirely lacking in the essential nourishment, are the principal causes of this, and should be avoided at all costs. They may appeal to the pocket in the first instance, but experience will prove how expensive they really are Avhen results are taken Into account. Trap-nesting or single-pen testing is commendable work, from which many benefits are derived. It is the means of ascertaining the best layers from among suitable breeders, and of discovering which birds are layers of undersized or faulty eggs, as Avell as of giving an idea of what the flocks arte capable of producing.

Some bredeers undertake the arduous task of testing all the stock of pullets with the idea of finding out the

“ drones.” It is true that some type»s arte not so profitable as others, and that some are sloAver coming into production, but the average pullet is more profitable than the avoraje lien one year older or more, even if the hen has given good results the previous year.

If it is definitely proved that a large number of pullets are not giving satisfactory results, it Avould be a wise plan to pay attention to the class of foAvl being used as breeders and to thte conditions tinder which the birds are being housed, also to the methods of feeding. Skilful culling Avill go a long Avay towards lowering the cost of production, but a large number of the hens would have to, he disposed of before it would be advisable to start on the pullets. When a fowl is growing avc must givte it cell and bone-making material of the right, kind, or'we shall undermine its stamina, or ite power of resistance to disease. If we feed it really badlv it will die. -Jf we Avant a fowl to Jay, then Avte must give it. the food it requires to keep its body fit. and also to lay the eggs. Eggs are 100 per cent food, and every bit of that food or egg has to be eaten by the fowl and changed by various chemical processes until it iS^, Ur * ed V? to an —“Poultry.” That pullets are better than hens cannot be demonstrated by the. fact that they lay many more eggs over p< T lod ’ but by their period of production lasting for a greater period of the year. =& The most important factor in worm control is th© regular collection and disposal of droppings. If worms are pre- ‘^ nt th tV eses are Present in the droppings. Houses and runs must be cleaned out thoroughly at least once a week• t] L e •"<»•« oT«<n; they are cleaned the more effecti\'e will be the prevention and control of these parasites. An excellent scheme is to have that area of the hous> inuuediatetly under the perches completely enclosed Avitli wire-netting The greater proportion of the droppings are passed while the birds are on the perches, anti the Avire-netting allOAvs the droppings to fall through on to the ground, but prevents the birds having access to them.

J he Avater supply should be arranged so that it will not become contaminated with droppings. Leaking or overflowing vessels will provide a moist area of ground which will favour the development of worm eggs. All feed, but particularly the morning mash, should be given in clean troughs. Tf fed on bare ground, contamination with worm eggs easily results.

Adult stock should never be mixed or housed with or next to young birds, as adult birds are often carriers of worms, and may serve to infest the young ones. A sound practice even with adult birds is to rotate the yards as much as possible, and so help nature in controlling worm and insect pests. It is essential that the resistance of growing birds should be kept-up. It has been definitely proved that birds on a diet deficient in vitamins shoAv a greater susceptibility to the effect of worm infestation than those whose diet

is balanced. Adequate green feed, the main source of vitamins, should always be pro\'ided.