POULTRY-KEEPING.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXX, Issue 1, 20 January 1925, Page 56

POULTRY-KEEPING.

CARE OF THE PULLETS : PRECAUTIONS AGAINST COLDS. Now that the great majority of the young stock will have attained an age when they do not require constant attention an opportunity is provided for getting the plant in good order for the winter season. Every care should be taken to make the houses where the young pullets are to be placed later fit to receive them, so that they will not have any setback. The houses should be thoroughly cleaned, sprayed with a good disinfectant, and otherwise made as sweet and comfortable as possible. Not only should they be free from vermin, but special attention should also be taken to prevent in every possible way the young birds from catching colds —the common ailment when cold autumn snaps are experienced. ~ It should' hardly require emphasizing that in handling artificially reared chickens, which have been brought up under practically hothouse conditions, special care must be taken with them throughout all stages of their development. It is safe to say that thousands of pullets every season are either lost or fail to lay when expected by reason of colds due to improper treatment on the part of their owners. The great weakness in this connection is that, the average poultry-keeper gives too much consideration to the question of curing colds rather than to preventing them. As with other troubles affecting poultry, prevention is more satisfactory than treatment. If colds are to be avoided it is imperative that the pullets be protected from extremes of weather. ' A necessary factor is that the house be roomy, so that the birds can be fed inside in wet weather and fed early in the evening, so that they will not be moping about with wet plumage, waiting for their evening meal thrown down in a muddy yard. Where colds have given trouble in the past the poultry-keeper must straightway take several measures if, they are to be avoided in the future. He must first of all study his local conditions. Having proper housing designed on the deep open-fronted system, the next important point is to see that the houses are free from draughts and that the birds roost in comfort. This implies no cracks in the side or back walls allowing a draught of air between the opening in the front of the house

and the walls. Too often poultry-keepers take no notice of a few cracks in the partitions . dividing the houses. This is a mistake, as colds can often be traced to neglect in this way.' Unless the intersecting walls are draught-proof they should be made, so with some airtight material,. such as cheap roofing-material, &c. The deep lean-to house with front partly open is now • generally adopted, and rightly , so, but the question of how much of the front of the house should. be left open to provide ventilation is a matter that can be decided only according to the prevailing local conditions. Generally a space of 3 ft. is allowed, but experience goes to prove that where the plant is located on a bleak situation this amount of space must be reduced if colds are to be prevented. Especially .does this apply where the perches are placed high above the floor. Some people go so far as to have ail opening in both the front and back walls as a means of providing plenty of ventilation. Unless, however, the site is a well-sheltered one and mild climatic conditions prevail, colds are almost sure to appear where young stock are concerned. Good ventilation is an essential requirement for feathered stock of all ages, but it can be easily, overdone with the artificially produced young pullet. It is a mistake to conclude that because adult birds keep free from colds in an overventilated or draughty house the growing pullet will do likewise. This does not mean that the pullets should be coddled, but rather that they should be intelligently handled. For instance, poorly ventilated quarters should be always guarded against,' as in these the birds become overheated by night, making them susceptible to chill when they go out of doors in the morning. Then, again, in order to resist colds the pullets must not 'be overcrowded. Above all things, they must be kept in good condition by proper feeding and general common-sense management. * ' - The first symptom of colds is sneezing, with a watery discharge from the nostrils and eyes. Colds are the forerunner of roup. If the breath becomes offensive, and a swelling or a cheese-like substance protrudes from the eye, it indicates that the cold has developed into roup. A cold may be treated successfully, but once the roup stage has been reached it will usually pay to destroy the bird at once rather than attempt to doctor it. With colds and roup the best advice is to prevent them, but if the birds become affected the cause should be sought and at once remedied. A simple method of treatment is to take a shallow dish, fill it with pure kerosene, and dip the bird’s beak in 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. In applying this treatment care must be taken to prevent the kerosene from getting on to the face of the bird, as it is apt to have an injurious effect. The nostrils should be covered and no more, while the dipped parts should be wiped with a dry cloth after each operation. I would again emphasize that the aim of the poultry-keeper should be to prevent even a slight cold from making its appearance, by removing all sources , favourable to its development. It should be remembered that the curing of colds involves considerable labour, and that even when a cure is effected the trouble is likely to recur at any time unless the cause is removed. ' • ' -

- . - MARKING CHICKENS. Poultry-keepers should on no account fail to mark the young stock as a future guide to age. A punch for the purpose, together with instructions as to its . use, can be obtained at a moderate cost. Few people can accurately judge the age of fowls, and if there is no mark as . an indication to age many of the current season’s pullets are apt to be culled in the following year, while old and unprofitable ones may be retained on the plant. As the / great majority of birds prove unprofitable to keep after their second laying season, the marking of young birds without delay is a matter that should appeal to the poultry-keeper who is really anxious to secure a maximum of profit from his flock. The best time of the year to cull is when the birds are taking a rest previous to moulting. FORCING THE MOULT. A correspondent asks if it would be a wise course to induce his birds to rest and moult now, with the hope of their laying better in the winter months. I cannot recommend this. For winter-egg production no doubt the pullet is the most desirable bird. The only safe course from the time when a pullet reaches maturity is to force every egg from her until her season is completed, irrespective of season and the price of eggs. Of course, an exception should be made with birds intended for future breeding purposes or those that are being bred from.

F. C. Brown,

Chief Poultry Instructor.