Poultry Notes

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 84, 8 April 1936, Page 11

Poultry Notes

SUPPLIES OF FEED At the present time a serious shortage of pollard is causing much anxiety to poultry keepers, and the prospect of adequate supplies of locally-manufac-tured pollard being available in the near future are not hopeful. Several shipments of Australian pollard hav? been landed this season, and it is now apparent that these importations will need to be continued. There are several reasons for the shortage of New Zealand pollard, but in my opinion the principal cause is that much of the new season’s wheat is not yet in a suitable condition for milling and mills apparently have an.pie stocks of flour available. It is a pity that poultry keepers have to rely upon overseas pollard for feeding purposes. The quality of the pollard recently imported has been superior to the average quality of the local product. There is an insistent and growing demand that the Government should take the necessary steps to effect some degree of standardisation of the quality of the various food sold for stock feeding purposes. The fowl wheat position is rather obscure; and in the absence of any control of the supplies of fowl wheat prices are out of proportion lo the price received by the wheat grower for milling wheat. Wheat that is unlit for milling purposes should be available to poultry keepers at a price of a few pence per bushel below first grade. If wheat was sold on grade poultry keepers would be well satisfied. During the cooler weather, nad particularly in view of the quality of the pollard, it is advisable to strengthen the mash by including a proportion of barley meal, maize meal, or wheatmeal. The present price of eggs warrants the expense of using one of these additional foods, as increased production should result from a stronger mash. The price of barley meal is lower than other meals, and providing the quality is right, it will give good results. Watch For Feather Plucking As the moulting season comes along, watch the yards, houses, and birds for feather-eating—an obnoxious habit easily started and intensely hard to break off. The birds are more sluggish at the moulting period. They hang about in small numbers, and develop the habit more quickly than when active, virile, and moving about the yards. Their attention is drawn to the falling feather, which often has a smear of blood at the end, is a little damp, or soft and attractive-looking. The bird naturally picks at it and develops the taste. One hen with a flair for feathers can soon teach a number round her. It will bo noticed that there arc more feathers under the roosts each morning now, and an observation of the ends will show the “appeal” that en<! has to a fowl. This habit of eating fallen feathers may develop in plucking the feathers from other birds—a vice that is almost impossible to cure. The best way is to see that all feathers are raked up and removed daily, preferably in the mornings. The danger spot is the roosting section of the house. A periodical burn-up of the feathers round the run or in the yard corners is essential, though the danger is generally with freshly-dropped plumage. Simple remedies assist also. The mash for moulting fowls should include meal of an oily nature to assist | in the quick elimination of the oiff, feathers and formation of new ones, while plenty of limy grit is good. Some breeders introduce a little sulphur into the mash, and others give the birds chaffed lettuce. It must be remembered that a moulting bird is really a bird “off colour.” Dry Litter Keep the birds active by providing ample scratching material in the houses. An handful of grain thrown among the litter after the birds have gone to roost will cause much activity in the morning, this undoubtedly warms the birds up on these cold mornings. Exercise is a big factor in egg production, and it pays to keep the birds busy. Straw’ is cheap and makes, excellent material for scratching, and in addition makes quite good manure for the garden later on.