THE POULTRY-RUN.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XII, Issue 4, 20 April 1916, Page 313

THE POULTRY-RUN.

F. C. BROWN,

Chief Poultry Instructor.

COLDS IN YOUNG STOCK.

Now is the time to keep a sharp lookout for colds in young stockerrors in housing and exposed quarters being the chief causes of this trouble. It should be remembered that colds are the forerunners of roup, and the sooner the cause is discovered and prevented the less risk there . will be of the whole flock becoming affected. While the house should be roomy and well ventilated, every precaution must be taken to prevent draught. It is generally recognized that the deep open-front house is the ideal. It is imperative, however, that the slightest crack in the side or back walls should be repaired if colds are to be kept at bay. Where the house is a very long one the compartments—at least, every 20 ft.—should be made of some draught-proof material, otherwise a current of air will sweep along the building during rough weather, and the birds will probably become affected with colds. Another frequent cause of colds is , having the perches too high from the floor. Especially does this apply where the breakwind or the boarded-up part at the front of the house is lower than the level of the perches. It will always be found that the lower the perches the greater the comfort of the birds during unfavourable weatherconditions. . - . •

The chief symptoms of colds are sneezing, eyes watering, and a watery discharge from the nostrils, on which dust adheres. In addition, the breath becomes offensive, and, when bordering on the stage of roup, one eye becomes swollen, and finally a cheese-like substance protrudes from it. While the fact cannot be empha-

sized too strongly that prevention is the best way of fighting this trouble, there are, however, remedies which will help to keep the colds in check. When fowls are observed to show any of the symptoms indicated, put half a teaspoonful of Condy’s crystals into a pint bottle of water and add one dessertspoonful of the mixture to, say, two quarts of the drinking-water three times a week. Should this fail, take a saucer, a shallow dish, or similar vessel, fill it with pure kerosene, and dip the bird’s beak into this sufficiently deep to cover the nostrils. Hold the bird in this position until it breathes ; this will have the effect of drawing the kerosene to the seat of the trouble. Repeat the treatment on alternate days until a cure is effected. Care must be taken to give an ample supply of good grain food and green stuff, while grit and clean water should always be before the birds.

AGE DISTINCTION.

As it is practically impossible to distinguish between the hens and the pullets after the former get their new plumage, no time should be lost in marking the young birds. For this purpose a punch for marking the web of the feet can be obtained' for 2S. Another reliable ‘means of distinguishing the young stock is by using pig-rings. The cost of these is extremely low, and if properly put on (for which purpose a ringer is required)< the ' birds seldom or never lose them. This cannot be said . for many, of the more expensive leg-bands on the market.

OVARIAN TROUBLES.

Many inquiries have already reached me this season as to ovarian troubles in pullets, the chief among these being protrusion of the oviduct. Very often this condition is due to constitutional weakness, some strains being more prone to it than others. Generally speaking, however, the trouble is brought about by oversupplying foods of a forcing nature, such as meat, or substitutes in the form of meatmeal or bonemeal. The desire to secure a big egg-yield now that the price of fresh eggs is ruling at a high level is leading many poultry-keepers to overforce their pullets, which is a very mistaken policy.

In order to obtain a good supply of eggs in winter, animal food is necessary, but there is a limit which cannot be safely overstepped. As to the correct amount to feed, local conditions must always be taken into consideration. When the pullets are just commencing to lay, for instance, these foods should be introduced by degrees until the birds become well developed l and

settled down to their business. Again, when birds have free range and have thus an opportunity, especially after rain, of picking up insects, worms, &c., which has a forcing effect, meat materials must be sparingly fed. The same applies when large quantities of milk are given to drink. When these conditions are not fully considered, and the birds are given the usual amount of meat food recommended, the proceeding is practically inviting ovarian troubles.

If meat materials are fed separately, and the bird is given an opportunity of balancing its own ration, there is certainly less risk ; but where boiled meat, and especially meatmeal or bloodmeal, is mixed with the mash and the same ration fed to all members of the flock where there is naturally a variation of egg-producing capacity, ovarian troubles will be rife in consequence. When boiled meat is available the ideal arrangement of feeding it separately is a simple matter ; but in the case of substitutes this is not always practicable, owing very often to the birds refusing to eat it when placed in a separate hopper. When this is the case a small proportion of dry pollard and bran mixed with the nitrogenous material will often have the desired effect. Where the birds are enclosed in small runs and this handy meat-substitute is mixed in the mash it should never constitute more than 6 per cent, of the entire mixture. Of course, the foregoing does not mean that where only an odd bird or two becomes affected with an oviduct trouble the whole of the flock should have their forcing diet eliminated or reduced, thus bringing about a decline in the eggyield ; but if the trouble increases it is advisable to exercise caution and see that the proportion of nitrogenous matter is not provided in excess.

MISMANAGEMENT.

It is to be regretted more poultrymen do not realize that with poultry, as is the case of. other classes of live-stock, half the breeding goes down the throat. It is not uncommon during my visits of instruction to hear breeders condemned and their stock pointed out as being inbred weeds or something to the same effect, such stock having often been produced from sittings of eggs, purchased as day-old chicks, or bred from birds supplied by a noted breeder. Complaints. of the kind are sometimes justified, but in the majority of cases which I have an opportunity of investigating I find that the blame for the stock being undesirable is placed on the wrong shoulders. Instead of the specialists being at fault, the trouble is solely due to the person who makes the charges, on account of his own improper management.

Only the other day a case in point came under my notice. A number of miserable-looking half-grown pullets, six months old, produced from sittings of eggs supplied by a reliable breeder, were referred to by a poultry-keeper as weeds, owing to the fact that they were only half .the size of his . neighbour’s pullets of the same breed and age. I soon discovered the cause. Not only had the mistake been made of rearing the little ones from a month old with the adult stock, but it was clearly seen that the starving process had been in operation. Apart from these adverse factors, the birds were confined in a small dirty run, which was not sufficiently large for half the number of stock. An examination of the house clearly indicated that the droppings had not been cleaned out for. many a month, and, as could . only be expected, the place was overrun with red mite. In these circumstances the young birds must have possessed a strong constitution to have even lived.

It is next to useless securing high-class stock from a specialist and expecting them to give a good return if they are not given an ample supply of food and kept under the most sanitary conditions possible. To be successful in poultry-keeping the person must have a natural love for his birds, and when this is present it will generally be found that not only are the best results obtained, but the business is made a pleasant undertaking. Unfortunately, however, there are too many people who apparently forget that fowls are living creatures. The way some flocks are neglected in regard to food and water, and compelled to roost in dirty vermininfested quarters, is not only cruel to the birds but a . disgrace to the people who own them.

THINGS TO REMEMBER.

One of the chief weaknesses in farm poultry-keeping is boarding too many old-age pensioners.

A good way to make sure there are no red mites about is to examine the perches at night.

Don't forget that a change of food or quarters will invariably cause the pullet to go into a moult at this season of the year.

Deep open-front houses, without draughts, containing ample litter for the birds to scratch in are essential to winter-egg production.

Fowls relish green food the whole year round. Remember, it reduces the grain account.

A hen when laying will eat much more than when she is not laying. When feeding poultry discretion should be exercised in this respect.