POULTRY-KEEPING.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XVIII, Issue 1, 20 January 1919, Page 48

POULTRY-KEEPING.

By

F. C. BROWN,

Chief Poultry Instructor

With the hatching and brooding operations all over, and the youngest of the chickens at a safe age, February should be more or less a slack month on the poultry plant. Advantage may well be taken of the opportunity thus afforded of getting things in good, order for the winter season by thorough spraying of the houses, cleaning up the runs, making any repairs, and generally attending to everything that had to be neglected during the busy time of hatching and brooding of the young stock. The poultryman’s slack season is very short, and during the breeding season few primary producers have a more exacting time. If there is one man more than another who deserves a holiday it is he who has had the heavy strain of hatching and rearing a large number of chickens, and at the same time carried out successfully the many details in connection with the other branches of his business. Many breeders are looking forward to a well-earned holiday. Of course, this is impossible at the present time unless a thoroughly experienced person is available to take charge of the plant. In most cases the poultryman will prefer to delay his holiday until he sees his pullets well' settled down in their winter quarters. Then instructions could be more easily carried out by whoever was left in charge, thus minimizing the risk of the birds receiving a set-back.or going into a false moult.

No doubt many breeders are contemplating attending during their holiday period the annual poultry conference to be held at Christchurch in March, The conference promises to be of a most important nature ; matters of vital importance to the industry will be discussed. Apart from this an opportunity will be afforded of coming into contact and exchanging opinions with Fading poultrymen from various parts of the Dominion.- Advantage can ’ also be taken of the opportunity to visit the egg-laying competition at Papanui, when the competing birds may be studied, which in itself should be of great educational value. Furthermore, at these annual gatherings the executive pays due attention to the social side, visitors being afforded an opportunity of viewing the city and things of most interest. Since its initiation, only a few years ago, the New Zealand Poultry Association has built up a strong organization, for which it is to be congratulated. Although the membership does not number a quarter of what it should, the association has done good work, and if given the support it deserves it should in the near future be a big factor towards advancing the poultry industry of the Dominion. It is to be hoped that the conference will be a complete success in every particular, and that it will be the means of further advancing the true spirit of co-operation among poultry-keepers.

THE YOUNG STOCK.

Under summer conditions, and the runs getting into a more or less stale condition, the young stock are apt to leave their food. This does not necessarily mean that too much is being supplied. It more often indicates that the birds are tired of the one class of food that is being provided. When this occurs it is advisable to change the ration and

make it as appetizing as possible, otherwise the birds are apt to receive a set-back from which they will never recover. In this connection the value of an abundant supply of green stuff cannot be overestimated. Watercress is an excellent material; the young birds greatly relish it, and there is nothing better for toning up the system. A change on to a fresh run will also have a most desirable effect in this respect.

The growing pullets should on no account be forced to prematurity with meat, &c. —one of the greatest blunders made in poultry-keeping. The overforced bird may certainly commence to lay at. four and a half to five months old, but -in the long-run this is of ho advantage to the poultry-keeper, as she neither gives the weight of eggs nor the yield for the season which is given by the bird which comes naturally to lay at, say, six months and is then full of constitutional vigour. In addition to being a more prolific egg-producer this properly developed bird is also vastly superior for the breeding-pen. ■ . ; - .

ALLEGED INFERTILE EGGS.

It is a difficult matter fact, almost impossible—to convince some people that if a fresh egg goes rotten in the short space of two or three weeks when placed under a sitting hen or in an incubator such an egg must necessarily have been fertilized to become in this condition. Recently a case in point came under my notice where a purchaser returned to the supplier a setting of eggs which had been sat upon for three weeks, and demanded a refund of the amount'paid on the ground that the eggs were infertile. On testing, the eggs presented a black appearance ; in other words, they were rotten. Their appearance gave positive proof that they had all been fertilized, as an infertile egg when held before a light, even after being sat upon, for a peiiod of three weeks, will be almost as clear as when first laid. Indeed, it is not uncommon for infertile eggs after being in an incubator for a week or even -longer to be used for baking purposes. Of course, the hatchingqualities of eggs are often affected in transit, and they will fail to hatch even after making a healthy start. The breeder should therefore not always be blamed when a poor hatch is secured. Most breeders guarantee a reasonable number of fertile eggs in each dozen, and'if these' prove to be otherwise they replace them gratis. This is all that can be reasonably expected of them. They cannot be held responsible for damage done during transit, nor for mistakes made during the time, the eggs are undergoing the process of incubation. Of course, even on the best-managed plants a breeding-pen may go off without the owner being aware of it, with the result that some infertile eggs may be sent out. It is to be feared, however, that too often breeders are condemned for sending out unreliable eggs when the real cause of non-hatching has been faulty management of the sitting hen or the incubator.

High perches and a hard landing where the birds jump from the perch is a frequent cause of disorders of the feet, especially corns.

Good clover hay is a first-class egg-food. It should be finely chaffed, scalded with boiling water, and allowed to stand overnight before mixing in the morning mash.