POULTRY KEEPING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 201, 26 August 1936, Page 11

POULTRY KEEPING

INCREASED PRODUCTION OF EGGS. With the arrival of early spring, an increase in the egg yield is to be expected. From now until the early autumn the flock' will be producing heavily. Increased production naturally means lower prices, and it should be the aim of every poultry keeper to produce as many eggs as possible to offset the lower price. The management of the laying flock calls for care and attention at all times, but particularly during the period when the birds are in heaviest production. First, carefully inspect the housing and see that sufficient nests are provided; see that the house is clean, and if there are signs of red mite or other vermin, take steps to eradicate the trouble. If unchecked, red mite will cause havoc with the birds during the warm weather ahead. One of the easiest and most economical methods of combating the red mite nuisance is to paint the perches and nests supports liberally with creosote which can be purchased very cheaply. In painting the perches make certain of painting the under side as well as the top and sides. I have previously referred to the value of a grass run for the birds in the summer, but in case it is not possible to provide a run, make a point of providing plenty of dry scratching material in the house. I have referred to the value of scratching litter, but since that exercise is a great factor in high production, I cannot help again emphasising that birds which are kept confined to their houses must have ample scratching material if they are to have that necessary degree of exercise. It will also be noticed that during the months of flush production the birds appear to eat considerably mbre grit than in the winter; therefore, keep an eye on the grit box to ensure that an ample quantity is always before the birds. A mixture of crushed oyster, cockle, and pipi shells make a good type of grit. With the arrival of warmer weather it is not necessary to give any expensive feeding. Good-quality pollard and bran, with the addition of meatmeal, are the component parts of a good summer mash, and if the mash is mixed with skim milk, so much the better. Milk is a wonderful food for poultry; it is a great factor in the development of the young chickens, and it is also a great aid to good egg production. Feeding the Baby Chicken. Rolled oats rubbed lightly with the hands is a capital food for the first feed for baby chicks. There are many different methods of feeding chickens, but from personal experience I would recommend that a good dry mash be kept before the chickens all day, and that a good-quality chick feed be fed in addition. False Economy. The small breeder is often tempted to breed from stock that are not good enough for the purpose because he is short of suitable birds to make up the pen. The effect is that when he hatches eggs from ail the birds in the pens he will be perpetuating the inferior class of stock which he should avoid, and such instances emphasises the danger which many small breeders run in breeding from their own stock instead of buying eggs for hatching or day-old chicks from breeders who possess a better class of stock. There is an idea that it is economical to keep one's own stock and produce one’s own eggs and chickens; but only if the breeders are of just as good productive and physical character as those of the breeders from whom, as an alternative, one would buy. It is certainly not economical to raise inferior pullets that will not respond to good housing and feeding; so the question whether a small breeder should keep his own stock or buy chickens from others will depend upon the character of the stock he possesses. Making Eggs Hatch Better. Eggs that are set for hatching and do not hatch are an economic waste. Better hatches result in lower costs in producing chicks. The fewer eggs it takes to produce a certain number of chicks, the lower will be the cost of producing the pullets and the more profitable will be the year’s work. . It is a well-known fact that certain flocks are nearly always poor hatchers, even when given the best of care. It is also fairly generally understood that particular strains in certain breeds are poor hatchers. In such cases heredity plays an important part. It is well known also that flocks that are sick or ailing during the hatching season do not produce many fertile or hatchable eggs. Sick birds are always a source of contamination, and should be removed from the flock and killed, unless they are very valuable, in which case they should be removed in any case and kept by themselves. Everything possible should be done to keep the birds in the best physical condition. Very few diseases are transmitted through the eggs. However, it is not advisable to use flocks that have been through some bad disease outbreak, such as diphtheritic roup or kindred ailments, unless the birds have completely recovered and are in the best of condition. Flocks that come up to the hatching season thin, out of condition, with some birds still recovering, should not be mated. There appears to be a prevalent notion that birds which lay very heavily in winter are not fit to produce good hatching eggs. This is one reason why many people are afraid of pullet-egg chicks. It is not meant by this that chicks from small eggs are those feared, but those from eggs laid by pullets. Unless there are certainconditions, such as that of pullets laying before their bodies have made sufficient growth, or feeding an insufficient amount of food while they are laying, this notion may be true, but in others it is not. Experiments have proved that egg production for three or four months before the hatchingseason does not affect “hatchability,’’ and, further, chick mortality under normal conditions is not affected. Reasonable egg production does not have a detrimental effect on fertility,

"hatchability,” or vigour of the progeny. The more eggs that the flocks ana individual birds produce the greater the drain on their bodies; therefore, the greater the need for proper care and food. In cases of heavy production without good complete rations, trouble is bound to follow. It is well known that hens on the semi-intensive system will produce more eggs than those on the intensive, and that eggs from the former hatch better than the latter. This proves conclusively that higher egg production does not necessarily mean poorer "hatchability,’' but

that perhaps the influence of the sunshine and other outside causes, ensure better results than can be obtained from birds kept inside.