POULTRY-KEEPING.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 54, Issue 4, 20 April 1937, Page 245

POULTRY-KEEPING.

Management. As good management is the skilful or prudent use of means to .accomplish a purpose,” the main essential of good management in the poultry business is a thorough knowledge of the conditions under which poultry do best.

To the average person poultry-keeping appears to be a more or less simple business, but those of practical experience have long realized that the management of poultry in large numbers is one of the most difficult tasks to carry out profitably.

Success in the poultry business really depends upon attention to detail, and there are very many petty details which, though trifling in themselves, are, when taken together, vitally important, for if these little details are not attended to regularly they will in many cases make the difference between profit and loss. It is only by practical experience that one is likely to know or learn of these numerous details, and, because successful poultry-keeping demands the constant attention of so many little ■details, that practical experience is so essential, and why so many without that necessary experience and the aptitude for constant attention to petty •details have failed at the business.

The chief aim of the poultry-keeper should be the production of ■eggs, and as eggs are produced by so many units of the flock, all of which have to be fed, it requires special supervision and very close .attention to every detail of management always to keep enough units -of the flock producing in order that sufficient eggs are produced to pay for the flock's keep and give their owner a surplus . sufficient to -compensate him for his outlay and labour. On all poultry plants much the same daily routine work, such as feeding, watering, cleaning, •collecting and packing of eggs, &c., has to be done, yet some have the knack of going about their work in such a methodical manner that these essential routine jobs take up much less time.

It is interesting to watch the successful manager going about his work, and at times surprising to see how much more some are able do achieve than others without much apparent effort. They never seem

to get bustled' or in a muddle, and their plants are always neat and tidy. This is usually the result of a good practical training, coupled with those gifts of health, energy, and forethought.

Poultry-house Management.

The importance of comfortable, well-ventilated houses and good house-management is not always fully appreciated. The requirements of good housing are plenty of room, fresh air, dryness, and sunlight, and, if there is a lack of any of these, poor production, colds, roup, digestive disorders, and other diseases may be the direct result. Owing to the fact that the normal temperature of a fowl ranges from io6° to--107-5° F., the hens require even more fresh air than is considered adequate for human beings, and, as the air they exhale is saturated with moisture, good ventilation is necessary to remove this from the house as soon as possible, for dampness in poultry-houses is often the result of condensation. The need for more ventilation is now generally recognized, and up-to-date houses usually are provided with more back ventilation than was the case a few years ago. Some houses in sheltered positions are provided with as much as--3 in. of an opening right along the back, between the top wall-plate and the roof. However, care must be taken to see that no draughts are created near the perches, and it will be found that less ventilation is. required during the cold winter months. It is ' well, therefore, that arrangements be made so' that these openings may be adjusted according to the weather. The Floors. The floor •of the house should •be a few inches higher than the surrounding ground, and proper drainage provided. Concrete floors arerecommended. In some localities material for concrete floors is tooexpensive, and in such cases a good well-rammed clay floor gives good results. At times board floors are used, and if built above the ground, so as to allow a circulation of air beneath they prove quite satisfactory. Litter. All fowlhouse floors should be covered with 3 in. or 4 in. of good dry straw. This not only provides a necessary means of exercise for the birds, but makes the house warm and comfortable. The litter should receive regular- attention, and at least two or three times a week it should be forked up and levelled. As the birds usually face the light, when feeding, it will be found that the litter is scratched to the back, of the house, and it is advisable to see that it is forked forward, regularly. . If the litter remains dry it is an indication that conditions in the house are correct, but if it becomes damp and heavy it should be removed, and the cause, if possible, corrected. Overcrowding, want of. ventilation, and low floors are the chief causes of damp litter ; in fact, very often a few too many birds in a house will make a great deal of difference between damp and dry litter, especially during the winter months. It is much the wiser plan to cull out a few of the poorer birds than to have damp litter in the houses. Good dry litter soon gets broken up into almost dust, and as this occurs it is a good idea toadd an armful of fresh straw about every week, for the birds often eat. a good deal of the new straw, especially if they are being fed a concentrated mash, and this weekly -addition of a little fresh straw will assist in keeping the flock in the best condition. If the litter remains dry it will last for months, but if it gets dampand gives off an odour it should be renewed at once. Any material, such as vegetable stalks, &c., which are likely to check the birds from

scratching should be regularly removed. These little details, such as the regular forking-up and levelling of the litter and the addition of a. little fresh material regularly, do not take up a great deal of time, but they all assist in keeping the birds interested and contented, which in turn means better results. Nests and their Care. The . nests should’ be arranged in as convenient a way as possible, for they must be visited at least once or twice each of the 365 days during the year. In fact, the time involved in attending to the birds should be reduced where possible, and this can often be done when erecting the houses by placing doors, gates, and nest-boxes in the most convenient places. The nests should be placed high enough from the ground that all the floor-space may be utilized as a scratching-ground, and it is advisable to see that they are deep enough that other birds cannot see those that are laying. Attention to this detail has a tendency to prevent -picking and cannibalism’. Though many hens like to lay in the same nests, it is advisable to provide one nest for each four or five birds, and plenty of clean dry nesting-material should be kept in each nest. Amongst the most popular nesting-materials are straw, straw chaff, shavings, sawdust, especially Pinus radiata, and sand, while quite a few poultry-keepers use shell grit. However, whatever material is used an ample supply should be provided, for much loss is occasioned each year from a lack of suitable nests and nesting-material. Grit and Oyster-shell Grit. A supply of oyster-shell and metal grit should always be within reach of the birds. It is well to provide separate boxes for each material, and so place them in the house that the grit will not get covered over with litter when the birds are scratching. By placing these boxes in the houses the grit is protected from the weather, for if grit, and especially oyster-shell grit, is allowed to get wet it is likely to get caked, and in such a state is not liked by the birds. Some poultry-keepers fail to appreciate the full value of a constant supply of fresh oystershell grit, but most successful poultry-farmers have found that it has paid them to keep this material always. before their birds. Insect Pests. One of the chief essentials in good poultry management is to keep the house free of insects. When it is remembered that the third generation of one pair of red mite may amount to 120,000, and all this can happen in eight weeks, it is not difficult to realize how a few weeks’ neglect could upset one’s plans for a whole year. For this reason every precaution should be . taken to keep the perches, nests, and houses free of insects. The perches, nests, and, in fact, everything in the fowlhouse should be movable in order to guard against the ravages of insects. Once each week during the warm weather and once each two or three weeks during the winter months the perches should be painted with a good strong disinfectant. In addition, at least once each year the whole house should be thoroughly cleaned, washed, and disinfected. Dust Baths. As the natural way for fowls to keep themselves clean of insects is to dust in the soil, provision should be made for a dust-bath in all houses. A box about 3 ft. square and 1 ft. deep should be sufficient for fifty birds. Dry earth of a sandy nature is suitable for the purpose. It is well to renew this material regularly.

—C. J. C. Cussen,

Chief Poultry Instructor, Wellington.