POULTRY-KEEPING.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXVII, Issue 3, 20 September 1923, Page 196

POULTRY-KEEPING.

CARE OF THE YOUNG STOCK.

It may be reiterated that if only profitable stock are to be reared all chickens should be hatched out during the next-two weeks at the latest. Chickens brought out later will never return even a fair profit over their keep. Present indications are that foodstuffs, particularly wheat and its by-products, will reach a high level of value by the time this season’s stock reach a productive stage. This, together with the fact that the average price of eggs has been gradually declining, is sufficient to indicate that the present aim of poultry-keepers should be to secure quality of stock rather than numbers alone. It should never be forgotten that a better return will always be secured from a small flock of early-hatched birds than from a large number late-hatched.

Not only must the chickens be hatched early, but in addition they should be given every opportunity to make healthy development. This implies liberal feeding from first to last. Plenty of good grain is necessary, but an ample supply of . succulent green stuff is of equal . importance ; indeed, young stock will never thrive to the best advantage unless this is provided with a free hand.

Before the chickens are removed from the brooder every care should be taken to make the houses fit to receive the young birds. Where the quarters intended for the chickens have recently been occupied by adult stock they should be thoroughly cleaned and sprayed with a good disinfectant, as there are few houses that are quite. free from vermin. Do not allow the chickens to huddle in the corners of the house when first removed from the brooder, or the mortality may be great. The -corners should be rounded off with fine-mesh wire netting. In addition, a temporary hover made of sacking or similar material should be provided for the chickens to sleep under. This will give them the seclusion which they naturally look for after leaving a closed-in brooder; but at the same time it must be arranged in such a way that the birds can secure an ample supply of fresh air.

The chickens should not be allowed to sleep on a hard floor, as this is apt to cause crooked breast-bones ; the floor should be well bedded down with perfectly dry straw. Grass hay should never be used for this purpose, as it is apt to heat and bring on a sweated condition of the chickens, with serious results. The chief trouble caused in this way is an inflammation of the veins. It first makes its appearance in the hock-joints,, which become discoloured ; then a gangrenous swelling follows ; in a few days the wings become affected in a similar manner, and later the neck and head swell. At this stage death, is not far off. There is no cure for this trouble ; it is merely a question of prevention. Do not overcrowd ; provide ample ventilation ; keep the floors clean and dry ; and check everything that tends to create a moist atmosphere. Wherever possible a piece of fresh ground should be provided for the growing stock. This is one of the secrets for their sound development.

Do not allow chicks of different ages to run together. Some people even go so far as to allow the young birds to run with the adult stock. This is a serious mistake. It is useless taking every care of the chicks during the brooder stage and then placing them at such a disadvantage. Few old birds are quite free from vermin. Incubator chicks, if given careful management, should go right on to maturity without having to fight parasitic life; but exposing them to probable vermin infection by forcing them to run with old'stock and on stale ground is obviously all against their attaining desired size and sound constitutional vigour. No care and attention is too good for the growing birds.

GIZZARD TROUBLE IN WHITE LEGHORNS !. A WARNING.

'Whether or not the flocks of many poultry-keepers are on the down-grade so far as constitutional vigour and digestive power are concerned is difficult to say. The fact remains, however, that in too many cases flocks of the popular White Leghorn breed are becoming more weedy than ever before. Although actual disease is not on the increase (except perhaps in the case, of tuberculosis), there are other troubles which have increased to a somewhat alarming extent in recent years. For example, scarcely a day passes but cases are reported of birds dropping dead at feeding-time from no apparent cause— which in most cases are in a heavily productive condition. It is safe to say that for every complaint received a few years ago regarding this trouble there are a hundred now.

The writer has made many post-mortem examinations in investigating this mortality. In almost every case the heart was found to be in a badly ruptured condition, and the gizzard packed with fibrous material, such as pieces of grass, oat-husks, &c. Obviously, the ruptured, heart was the sole cause of death, but here the question arises, What caused the heart to rupture ? The writer is of the opinion that this was entirely due to the gizzard being compacted with fibrous material, causing derangement of the digestive system. The excitement at feedingtime caused an excessive blood-pressure, and consequently a ruptured heart. A further question which presents itself for consideration is, What causes' gizzardcompaction ? It may be said that this is due to lack of proper grit, but this opinion is discounted by the fact that in many cases post-mortem examinations have disclosed that the gizzards contain plenty of grit. In some affected flocks it was observed that when all fibrous matter, such, as oats, 'were eliminated from the ration the mortality ceased. Here another question presents itself for consideration. In view of the fact that many breeders daily feed their birds on oats with no injurious results, it appears that when mortality takes place from this trouble, as previously outlined, its chief cause is a constitutional weakness and lack of digestive power, probably brought about by sacrificing everything for egg-yield.

Once this trouble makes its appearance in a flock the. only safe course is to withhold from the ration as far as possible any fibrous, material such as oats, grass, lucerne, &c. Finely chaffed succulent green stuff should be provided in abundance. If this is not available, root crops such as turnips, mangolds, &c., should be provided for the birds to pick at. •' In addition, see that plenty of sharp gravel grit is within reach at all times. In this way the birds are given an opportunity to free themselves from any fibrous matter that may be contained in the gizzard. This, however, is merely a temporary expedient. . .

If the stock are to be permanently free from this and other troubles which affect poultry, breeders must realize, and at once, that if everything is sacrificed for egg-production disaster must follow. The danger of improving one character by weakening another should always be kept in mind, and while aiming for high egg-records care should be taken that constitutional vigour—the foundation of all successful breeding operations —is not lost in the process. The warning is here, and breeders should heed the lesson that egg-record is not everything in the maintenance of payable flocks. However well a fowl may lay, if‘ she does not possess the desired constitutional points she should not be bred from. Strange to say, the writer has not had one complaint regarding the trouble in other than the White Leghorn breed.

SOFT-SHELLED EGGS.

Now that the birds are laying at the height of their capacity, sc -shelled or shell-less eggs are apt to be produced. These not only mean a . direct loss, but thev also encourage the birds to acquire the habit of egg-eating. Such eggs are easily broken, and once the hens have tasted the substance it will probably not be long before they learn to break the shells of the sound eggs for themselves. Soft-shelled or shell-less eggs are mostly caused .through lack of shell-forming material, or through the birds being overforced with rich food such as meat, meat-meal, condiments, &c., while sometimes the. trouble is due to the fowls, being overfat and their reproductive organs not functioning normally.

A liberal supply of crushed cyster-shel! or burnt bone, together with ample provision for the birds to exercise, will help to correct matters in .this, respect. As to condiments, these should never be fed to a laying flock. They may stimulate the egg-producing organs, but as a general rule the effect is brief, and the reaction

which sets in not only defeats the end in view but also tends to cause ovarian troubles, possibly resulting in a complete breakdown and subsequent death. The best testimony we have of the futility of condiments for consistently stimulating egg-production is that the high records obtained at the egg-laying competitions are established without their aid. ■

— F. C. Brown,

Chief Poultry Instructor.