POULTRY NOTES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 4 February 1913, Page 7

POULTRY NOTES.

(By "Utilitarian.") The profitable keeping ot poultry is becoming mure and mure oi a scieiitilic .study, owing to the cver-inweas-intr cost of production. When every particle of food the birds consume has to Ije purchased, owners fan only afford to keep the very best, and the best only. A few top-noceher,s are not sufficient if them is a preponderance of drones. Tlie latter '.must bo rigorously weeded out. Un the onu i hand, those who manage to feed their birds'cheaply, by obtaining hotel and boarding-'iiouse .scraps, <L«> not ieel the enormous cost like otheis, but even with them much mom satistaction will bo their lot by drastic culling. though they may obtain a prolit with a fair quantity, side businc-.-s in stock and eggs for hatching must always tend to bo small, as people will seldom do i much business, nowadays, unless tho stock are of the best quality. Tfu:se who buy ail t.ieir poultry fet?d will do iiii'initeiy better il they take to purchase in bulk. Tne wonder is that more do not do so. The most'suitable,' easy attractive, _ and profitable course is to join the Utilitj Egg Circle and participate in the growing. Anyone may join at any time, and now is the. very best of all, for the second financial year is about to commence. Every week, or at the most fortnight, the fowls .should he closely examined to see which are going into the moult. It is not advisable to wait until tho birds are in a full moult, as this is not conductive to buyers to give much for them; but if picked I out as they commence to lose their j feathers, at whiolu time all but the ; best, will leave off laying, a- saving in ' feed is effected and the birds will be cr should be in goad condition. It is not always easy to detect the birds at tho very commencement of 'moulting by sight. Therefore to make stiro they should he caught, and if the leathers come off easily and the -young pin feathers are making their appearance, market them by all means without delay. This is no time for sentiment", if profit is the aim. You may perhaps take some fancy to one which lavs, frequently, double yolked eggs, or possibly to one which feeds out of your hand, but let all that go if they are already going into tho moult. At the end of February, however, more care .should be taken, but we will deal with this later on. In the present issue of the Government Agricultural Journal is a very > good descriptive, by Mr F. Brown, of I the single-pens system of testing pulI lets, giving all detail's. The following I dimensions are recommended, and it is avell to bear in mind that anyone contemplating erecting these-for the coming 'winter season should take the matter in hand without any delay, as unlss .lie birds are placed therein in plenty of time prior to commencing to lay they are apt to go into a moult, and this applies to shifting pullets into any fresh house. The length of the pens may he 20 faefc by 3 feet in width and tho house three feet square; The height of the house in front is four feet and- at the back three, feet. It is well known that it does not pay to starve a cow, especially in winter time, even should she bo dry, as results will not be ultimately /satisfactory. In the same manner, the 'hen must not be put on short commons because she is not shelling out eggs. If she is stinted in lier food through the moulting season, results will .not be at all satisfactory when she recommences to lay. In the first place, she will, if neglecjHjd, bo longer coming on to lay again, and secondly will not lay so persistently tho ono who has been systematically cared for. The Utility Egg Circle has now commenced sending its eggs through the new collectors, Messrs Minifie and.. Gardner. Members are already qx- ; pressing much satisfaction with that enterprising firm'. Members should always bear in mind that Egg Circles, being of a co-operative character, point to the fact that both they and tho egg collectors must work hand in hand, and not leave everything to either the one of the other. Eggs should always be ready when called ■for, cleaned and crated, so that no unnecessary delay i& incurred. As we are now- approaching the season when the young pullets will be soon commencing, a number of small eggs will ; be the .o utU'-r- -These whew excessively small, should not be giv&n to the egg collector, but either 'consumed by the owners and their fa mil-, '■ies .or if too many for-that pm-po&e sold privately. If any -member should have, a sufficient number to fill a crate weekly, of these pullet eggs, let the collector have them, by all means, but mark that- crate to indicate its contents, and not mix these up with, the ordinary-sized commodity