Notes for the Poultry Farmer

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 60, Issue 2, 15 February 1940, Page 149

Notes for the Poultry Farmer

' Contributed by Officers , j of ■ the '' I Livestock Division ' i

Seasonal Culling and Selection Of Breeding Stock

Z~\NE of the most essential factors in ONE of the most essential factors in the successful management of poultry is the knowledge of how to select stock of good breeding type, combined with constitutional vigour and high productive capacity. It is ~ also necessary for this knowledge to be put into practice at the correct period of the year for the selection of the following season’s breeding hens and the culling of unprofitable birds from the flock.In commercial flocks the culling of the weaker specimens should be carried on continuously throughout the year. . However, with the approach of the late summer and early autumn months, the moulting period sets in; therefore, the period during the latter part of February and during March, or just before the moulting process begins, will, as a general rule, be found to be the best time to do this work. The practical poultry-keeper fully realises that there are certain signs which manifest themselves at this time and indicate whether a bird has been a heavy producer or whether she is likely to be worth keeping for another laying season. Will Combat Disease While the outstanding points of those birds possessing constitutional vigour, breed type, and good production are more easy to observe and prove of a great assistance in the final selection of coming season’s breeding stock, experience has proved beyond all doubt that the careful selection of breeding stock possessing the desired stamina year after year will do more to combat sickness and disease than any other known means. Anyone de-

siring to make a successful undertaking of poultry-keeping would be well advised to make a very careful and close study of these points during the coming month. A little further explanation to the smaller poultrykeeper or those who have not had that practical experience is well worth while. It would be difficult and almost impossible to describe the different types of, the many breeds of poultry in this Dominion. What applies to one breed does not necessarily apply to another so far as the particular' shape and breed characteristics are concerned. Therefore, it is essential for anyone breeding pure-bred poultry to possess some knowledge of the correct shape and characteristics peculiar to the breed in which they are interested. Although the breeds of poultry may differ a good deal in shape and characteristics, birds possessing egg-produc-tion capacity, combined with constitutional vigour, have the same outstanding points when kept under normal, conditions. Careful study of the remarkable egg records which have been established in our public egg-laying competitions will be convincing evidence that the laying hen is one of the most productive and profitable kind of livestock kept, particularly when one considers that an egg is the most highly concentrated form of food known to be produced in the animal kingdom. Strain of Heavy Laying When the immense strain which heavy laying entails on the system of the hen is considered, is there any wonder that towards the end of the

laying season .those birds which do possess the egg-productive qualities—stamina and constitutional vigour stand out from the other birds in the flock? Improvements made in the egg-production of our domesticated hen of today have been built up by studying these points and selecting for breeding only stock of the best-breed type and other most essential qualities. It may be difficult to convince a few of the hard-headed commercial poul-try-keepers of the true values of breed type, but it should be remembered at all times that we breed with the object of improving the good' qualities and that any undesirable characteristics in the birds being bred from are equally intensified. Any stock showing weakness or undesired characteristics should not be selected for breeding purposes, irrespective of their egg-laying 1 qualities or other good features. Essential Points Success can be achieved only by the combination of all desirable points—stamina, purity of blood, constitution, capacity; quality and size. These are essential to make a hen a producer and re-producer of stock. Any bird lacking or poorly developed in any one of these points cannot respond profitably to the food and attention given her. The only infallible guide for laying powers is to keep a record of the eggs laid by each individual bird by means of trap nest or single pen. ' ■ These methods are useless, however, if birds of poor ’ breed type or weak characteristics are tested or bred from. The work and additional cost entailed in these systems could not be undertaken economically where large numbers of poultry are kept, but the experienced breeder of poultry depends mainly on the selection on form. To those' who possess the ' practical eye there is little difficulty in selecting the- 1 best for breeding. '

Start of Laying Good pullets, hatched in the spring, usually begin to lay at about six or six and a half months of age, and, if well done and properly managed, with good housing conditions and careful feeding, they will keep laying continuously for 12 to 13 months in their first laying season. This phenomenal egg-production, it will be readily realised, is more or less artificial, just as much as the great butterfat returns .produced from our modern dairy cow. Nature never . intended that fowls should produce so many eggs, and it is only the work of breeding and selection of the best that has increased these producing powers to enable the greatest number of eggs to be produced in the first few laying seasons. ' It will be easily understood that the body of the laying pullet is fully taxed when it is being compelled by systematic feeding and management to lay continuously for . a period of .12 months and more,. Naturally, those birds which do not possess strong constitutional vigour will be unable to stand- the strain which heavy laying entails. The constant drain on the bodily resources caused by heavy eggproduction after nine or ten months begins to tell on the weaker specimens, and .they are compelled to rest. During this period it is usual for them to begin losing their feathers and to begin growing a new coat. This class of bird therefore becomes easily distinguished from the other good layers in the flock. Moulting Moulting, or the production of a new lot of feathers, calls in the early stages for more nourishment from the food consumed and any reserve condition the bird possesses on the body. It is therefore almost impossible for a hen to continue laying and at the same time pass through the moulting process. The nourishment from the food consumed by a hen builds up the waste tissue and maintains the natural heat of the body, and any surplus passes into the production of eggs, flesh and fat, or the making of new feathers. Generally . speaking, when fowls began to. moult from natural causes early in the season it is a wise precaution to cull these birds. Birds seldom begin to lay in the second laying season before the end of June or early July. Therefore, those birds which are compelled to rest early and

begin to moult in January, February, or early March would be resting for four or five months before beginning to lay again, whereas the good layer which has the strong constitution continues to lay, under normal conditions, until the end of March and well into April before beginning to moult. These good birds pass through the moulting period quickly, and are only resting for 10 or 12 weeks of the year. It should therefore be readily realised which birds are the best to keep. Saving of Feed If poultry-keeping is to be made profitable every avenue by which the cost of. feeding can be reduced, at the same time maintaining a successful reduction, should be thoroughly investigated as a matter of common sense. It is useless keeping for the second season’s laying birds which will be non-producers of eggs for four or five months, and, as suggested, it is wise to cull and dispose of these birds. Continuous culling of a flock between the end of January and the end of March will result in a considerable saving of feed, and should appeal to poultry-keepers in these days of high costs of foodstuffs. Early moulters are easily distinguished from other birds in the flock. They are pale in colour of face and comb, with a drying tendency and stiffening appearance of the comb and a dull expression in the face, and with feathered eyebrows indicating a weak constitution. The body will be full of pin feathers, particularly on the back. The abdomen will have a tucked up appearance, and if the bird is handled it will have a coarse, stringy or hard texture. In the case of yellowskinned birds, a cream colour will be noticed coming back into the legs and beak. On the other hand, the good laying specimens will be noticed with all their old feathers on. The plumage lies tightly to the body, and is faded and shabby, often dirty and dry in appearance. The face and comb will be bright red in colour, and more often than not the smaller feathers of the head and upper part of the neck are completely worn off, showing the same bright red colour as the comb and face. The boldness and brightness of the eye are outstanding, and these characteristics are particularly good points, indicating strong - constitution and vigour.

Short Tails In most cases the tails are worn short, showing the continuous visits the bird has made to the nest box during the year. Each time a visit is made the hen turns around to make herself comfortable and the tail is brought into contact with the sides of the nest, thus causing it to become worn and quill-bare. The same thing may be noticed in some of the covert feathers of the wings. It is an old saying, and quite a true one, that, ‘‘she has laid her tail off.” This, of course, is more noticeable in breeds with hard tail feathers, such as White Leghorns. The abdomen is generally well developed with a full appearance, and if the bird is handled it will be found soft and full, something like a rubber bag full of warm water. The legs and beak at this season of the year are. pale and bleached in colour, and that rich, yellow colour noticed in many breeds when in full new feather will have completely disappeared. The yellow pigment in the legs and beak of the yellow-skinned breeds of fowls is an indication of surplus fats and oils in the body, just as is the glossy green sheen of the feathers in the black-coloured varieties. In black-feathered birds the indication in feathering most desired in the heavy-laying hen at this period of the year is the fading of the feathers to a rusty brown colour, while the other outstanding qualities mentioned of the comb, face, head, eyes, and abdomen, etc., are exactly the same. This applies to all breeds which possess high egg-laying capacity. ' These features are so noticeable and easily detected in February and March that even a person with very little experience should not find any difficulty in making a reasonable selection of the laying bird from the nonproducer. The training of the eye and quick judgment in this work will improve with practical experience. With the information now available on this subject, there is no need to be guessing about the producing qualities of the domesticated hen at the end of the laying season. Selection of Stock Just as it is important to make the selection of the hen of high egg-laying powers at this season of the year, so is it equally essential to select the future breeding stock for the coming season, because, while the particular

characteristics and peculiar signs manifest themselves at this season, once. the moulting period sets in during April and May even the experienced person would have difficulty in detecting those birds possessing high laying capacity. In the selection of the breeding hen, only birds of good breed type and fair specimens as far .as shape and size are concerned should be used. Good width of the back over the egg cluster and well developed, deep abdomens are most desirable to give room in the bird’s body for the full development of the ovaries and oviduct, the eggproducing organs. Another very important point is the full crop development in the front of the hen. While most good hens generally carry a reasonably full crop at all times, many of our birds carry this crop too high up, with the result that a bird of this nature has not the desired room in the body for the full development of the heart and lungs, two most essential organs in the maintenance of perfect health, strength, and constitution. It is very important for a strong athlete to be well developed in chest capacity, and it is equally so with the breeding hen. The legs are usually short in the shank, well set apart to assist the bird to support the full, deep abdomen and give perfect balance. The bone of these legs should be flat, and this flatness in the bone of the side of the legs will be of similar nature to the bones throughout the body, further indicating strength and constitutional qualities. The beak will- be strong and slightly curved in shape, and the bird active and alert. The comb should be smooth, soft and silky to the touch, although not too large; this smoothness of the comb indicates the quality and texture which will be similar in the skin throughout the body. All the other good points mentioned regarding high productive capacity should also be present in the make-up of the desirable breeding hen.

Mr. F. C. Brown

Obituary

FOR many years Chief Poultry Instructor of the Department of Agriculture, Mr. F. C. Brown died in Wellington last month. With his death the poultry industry has lost one of its outstanding figures.

Mr. Brown was in charge of the poultry section at the Seacliff Mental Hospital in the ’eighties under the late Sir Truby King, under whom he received a good training in practical poultry-keeping. He considered that Sir Truby was one of the greatest poultry pioneers in New Zealand. Mr. Brown joined the Department of Agriculture in 1902, and his first position was > the temporary management of the Department’s poultry station at Milton, Otago. He was then loaned to the Mental Hospitals Department, and was stationed for some time at the Porirua l Mental . Hospital. His duties took him to the Moumahaki, Burnham, and Ruakura poultry stations. After being placed in charge of the Milton poultry station again, he was appointed as assistant poultry expert under Mr. D. D. Hyde, who was then chief poultry expert, and is still living in Wellington. ' . In 1904 Mr. Brown was loaned by the Department to an association at Blenheim which, controlled the first egglaying competition in the Dominion.

This consisted of 100 . pens of six birds each. All this was pioneer work. In the same year a competition was established in Christchurch of about'' 30 pens. This formed the basis of the present noted New Zealand Utility Poultry Club, which conducts extensive competitions at Papanui, Christchurch. In 1906 Mr. Brown took charge of an extensive poultry exhibit at the Christchurch Exhibition. Two yearslater he visited Australia and brought back over 100 utility fowls of various breeds and varieties for the Department. Later he revisited Australia and brought back to New Zealand a large consignment of birds, the progeny of which were distributed throughout the Dominion. When Mr. Hyde retired, Mr. Brown was made Poultry Instructor. In 1915, as. the work had increased beyond his capacity to .deal with it, the late Mr. C. J. C. Cussen was appointed his assistant, and Mr. Brown was appointed Chief Poultry Instructor. He retired in 1935. He leaves a widow and two sons.