Poultry Notes

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 142, 17 June 1936, Page 12

Poultry Notes

OVERHAUL OF PLANT As the present time is what might be termed the poultry-keeper's “slack" period, it affords an opportunity to give the whole plant an overhaul, so that everything may be in good order for the coming busyseason, writes Mr -J. C. Cussen, chief poultry instructor, Wellington. Repairs to fauces, gates, nests, feed-troughs, perches, eic. should be given attention. In fact, if a prompt and regular system of repairs were adopted on all plants, the heavy expense of replacement would often be saved. Many poultry-runs would h* much improved by ploughing or digging and the | sowing of a green crop savh as oats, barley, or mustard. If a run ys at alt 'tainted, and it is not convenient to turn it over, it is a wise phm to give the ground a good top dressing of lime to the extent of about lib. of lime to

each square yard. Some poultry-keepers fail to realise how much improvement birds can show when on fresh sweet ground. No farmer would expect his sheep to do well if kept m the same paddock year after year, yet poultry are often compelled to live in the same small yard Jong after the ground has become tainted and fowl-sick. Some Ailments A correspondent inquires about the cause or pullets breaking down and at times bleeding to death. This trouble is what is known as protrusion or prolapse of the oviduct, and is really due to a weakness in the muscular portions of the walls of the oviduct, which makes the oviduct unable to stand the train ot great eggproduction. At times it would appear that this weakness is inherited as plants have been visited where puliets bred from certain males have, shown a marked tendency to this trouble. Also it may lo brought on by feeding too much animal food, such as meat, meatmeal, or milk, and on occasions the bleeding is caused by other hens pecking at the oviduct just when the hen is in the act of laying. This often brings on a haemorrhage, and then the other hens in the flc»ck will also pick at the bleeding part. Ji' such is the case, it is well tu darken the nests by tacking scrim or sacking in front of the nests, or make the nCsts so deep that the oviduct of the bird cannot be seen or picked at when laying. When this trouble first starts in a llock it is , advisable to keep a close watch on the (birds for an hour or so during the morning and often the culprit may be seen walking along in front of the nests waiting for a chance to pick at other birds when laying. If these birds arc detected and removed from the flock, further trouble may be checked. While protrusion of the oviduct is often brought on by the feeding of too much animal food, cases of cannibalism have been known to have been caused by the pullets not being fed sufficient animal food. It is well, therefore, when this trouble starts in a flock, to make every effort to find the cause and to remedy the conditions. A regular supply of succulent green feed, the feeding of a little more grain and less mash, the addition of one packet of Epsom salts to each gallon of drinking water every second day until the trouble is checked, and the increasing of the amount of litter in order to en-

courage exercise, is a suggested treatment. Egg-eating Habit Most hens will greedily eat eggs if any get broken, and this annoying habit is* often the result of eating a thinshelled egg that has become broken when laid on the ground or in a nest which has not had sufficient nesting material in it. At times a male bird has been known to start the trouble, and where such is the case he should be removed from the pen. Experiments have proved that hens will lay just as many eggs when running without male birds, so unless the eggs are required for hatching purposes there ;s no necessity to keep male birds. Like many bad habits, egg-eating is more easily prevented than cured. A sufficient number of nests should be provided—i.e., one nest to each four or live hens, and plenty of nesting material such as tine sand, Pinus Insignis sawdust, pine-needles, or soft straw should be used. A cure has sometimes been effected by supplying the birds with a number of nearly whole fresh egg-shells. If a local baker is asked to save, say, nearly <1 half kerosene-tin 'uH of fresh egg-shells, and these are placed near the nests, the hens may eat so many (hat their appetites for eggs may pc destroyed.