THE POULTRY-RUN.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XIII, Issue 2, 21 August 1916, Page 152

THE POULTRY-RUN.

F. C. BROWN, Chief Poultry Instructor

THE HATCHING - PERIOD.

There should now be no delay in getting the bulk of the chickens required for the season hatched out, especially those of the heavier breeds, which should be in the brooder by September at the latest. In fact, it will generally be found that even with the lighter breeds the. chicks brought out at the end of September or early in October are the most' profitable. It should • not be forgotten that the right season for hatching chickens extends over a very short period of the year. When they, are brought' out too soon say, early in July--there is a great risk of their going into moult just .when high-priced eggs are expected. On the other hand, if the hatching is delayed until November or December the chickens seldom or

never grow to the desired size, and consequently lay small-sized eggs. Apart from this, it will generally be found that the late birds are more subject to disease than those hatched at an earlier period.

Where the natural mother has to be depended upon for hatching purposes I realize the difficulty in securing the desired number of broodies when they are most required, for the broody propensity is being bred out of the majority of the. utility stock more'and more each year. Rather than delay the hatching operations on this account the only safe course is to resort to artificial methods, either by purchasing an incubator or by securing day-old chicks. The day-old-chick method of rapidly establishing a flock has much to recommend it, provided the chicks purchased come from approved and selected laying-stock. Especially does, this apply when the chicks are 'forwarded in a fireless brooder in which they can be reared to a safe age.

The novice who is making his first attempt this season to work an incubator would be well advised to follow closely the book of instructions supplied by the maker. I realize that it would be very useful to many of my readers to lay down the general principles to be observed in. managing an incubator ; but, unfortunately, there are so many styles of incubators in use and methods of working them that any definite instructions given in these columns could not, be applied . generally. Correspondents . when asking for information regarding the troubles they encounter in the work of artificial incubation should, therefore, always give the name of the particular machine they are using.

THE SITTING - HEN AND THE YOUNG BROOD.

When the chicks ' are to be hatched and reared in. nature’s way care must be taken to set the hen away from the fowlhouse, in order to guard against vermin as well as to prevent the hen from being disturbed by other fowls. A good plan is to set the hen in a watertight coop with a run attached, where the chickens may remain' so long as the hen ' requires to brood them. The nest should be made on the ground ; in. fact, natural conditions should be provided as near as possible. Nothing but. a little hay should come between the eggs and the earth, and if there is some moisture in the earth so much the better. The common trouble of dead-in-the-shell, where the natural mother is being used, is invariably due to the want of moisture. It is always a good plan towards the pipping-stage to lift the hay, or whatever nesting-material is used, and slightly moisten the earth. This will greatly assist the

chicks in cutting their way out of prison. When shaping the nest the earth should .be hollowed out in the centre, or, in other words, made saucer-shaped, so that the eggs cannot roll away and the hen may have full control over them. It must be remembered, of course, that the hen turns the eggs several times a day ; the nest must therefore be made sufficiently flat on the bottom to enable the turning process to be properly carried out. ■ When the nest -is too deep and narrow the. eggs are apt to roll on top of each other and become broken. Eggs for hatching should be as fresh as possible. The number of eggs to put ' under a hen depends on the size of the eggs and also on the size of the hen. Generally speaking, twelve to thirteen are 'in most cases as many as can be satisfactorily covered.

Do not let the lice drive the sitting - hen from her nest. Give her a good dusting with insect-powder. Care must be taken not to dust the hen just before the hatching-period or when the chicks are very young, as the powder may get into the chicks' eyes and cause blindness.

On no account interfere with the hen when the chicks are hatching. She ' can manage best by herself. After the hatch is over there is no hurry to feed the chicks for at least twenty-four hours. ' The egg-shells must be removed and the nest made comfortable, while anything, that may cause an accident, such as a deep water-tin, should ,be taken out of the ; way. Both the hen and the • chicks should be enclosed for the first few days, - then an arrangement should be made enabling the chickens to run in and out of the coop while the hen is kept enclosed. On no account allow a hen with a young brood a free range.

Sitting - hens should be given grain food only, whole wheat for preference. Any green food, mash, or meat is apt to cause scouring, which may injure the hatching-qualities of the eggs. For the first two days chicks may be given coarse oatmeal. After the third day a little broken wheat should be added by degrees. From the sixth day the following mixture may be supplied : Crushed wheat 4 parts, crushed hulled oats 4 parts, maize 1 . part. From the first, clean water, grit, and charcoal should be always, before the birds and fed separately. Green food, such as finely cut grass, lettuce, lucerne, clover, water-cress, &c., must be fed daily. When the chicks are a fortnight old a little boiled meat that has been passed through a mincing-machine will make a valuable addition to the ration. Where only a small number of chicks are to be reared and there is no mill available to grind the grains, I would recommend the use of one of the popular prepared chicken-feeding mixtures that, are on the market. .

EGG PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY.

Now that the work of hatching and rearing is in full swing, it is well to emphasize that if our poultrymen are to keep the New Zealand market to themselves they will have to raise much greater numbers of stock than has been the case in the past, in order that the supply of eggs during the winter months may be equal to the demand at a reasonable price to the consumer. It should be remembered that the higher the price of local eggs during the scarce season of the • year the greater is the inducement for China, America, and. other egg-exporting countries to cater for and establish a market in this country. Each year sees an increase in the number of eggs brought in to supply local requirements. When it is considered that for the six months ending 30th June last there have been imported into New Zealand desiccated whites and liquid yolks estimated to equal 294,000 dozen' eggs, together with 50,000 dozen in 'the shell, or a total of something like 344,000 dozen, it will readily be seen how far the demand is from being satisfied with the locally produced egg. The local market > requires a larger supply of eggs in' the autumn and winter months, and unless the demand can be met by New Zealand producers it will be impossible to keep out the foreign article. It need not be inferred that cheap fresh eggs should be produced in the winter months, but rather that the summer surplus should be preserved or placed in proper cool storage for winter use for the business of the confectioner and others. .By means of organization among producers and a proper system of preserving there would be brought about a more uniform retail price for eggs throughout the year, thereby • encouraging greater consumption. The winter prices would be reduced, but the summer prices would be increased, and such an increase in the price of the abundant summer eggs that would be a great factor not only in inducing people to take up poultry-keeping/ but also in making the business the profitable undertaking it should be for those engaged in it. . ■

THINGS TO REMEMBER

Cleanliness and regular time of feeding are two great essentials in chicken-rearing.

Always guard against overcrowding. It is a poor policy to produce more chickens than the plant is capable of carrying.

There are no chicks that do so well as those reared on fresh clean ground.

There is no gain by getting a good hatch of chicks and allowing the rats to take them. Have the brooder-house and chicken-coops ratproof.