Notes for the Poultry Farmer

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 61, Issue 1, 15 July 1940, Page 67

Notes for the Poultry Farmer

Contributed by Officers of the Livestock Division

Prepare for the Breeding Season

NOW that the breeding season is at hand it should be the aim of every poultry-keeper to have everything on the plant connected with breeding operations in perfect order so that this important work may be carried out to the best advantage. It is imperative to ensure that the breeding stock are all in the best of condition. Experience has shown that unless the birds are in a healthy, thriving state trouble will be experienced in both the hatching of eggs and the rearing of the young stock.

Liberal Feeding

Every effort should be made to assist the breeding hens to maintain health and vigour throughout the season. This can be achieved only by liberal feeding of a variety of good, wholesome grains and meals, together with an abundance of young, succulent green foods. ' Oyster shell and gravel grits should always be available to the birds.

If the birds are inclined to become too fat they should be encouraged to scratch by feeding the grain ration in deep litter. A high percentage of fertile eggs containing virile germs cannot be expected from overfat hens, and profitable stock can be produced only from healthy, active hens. Chicks are made up of many elements, and it is necessary for the parent stock to have a high proportion of the essential elements in order that the offspring may grow and develop to the best advantage. A good plan is to give the breeding stock a variety of feed in order that the hens may put into the eggs the necessary elements for the production of good healthy chicks. > Keep Houses Sanitary The person responsible for the welfare of the stock should keep the

houses in a sanitary condition and free from vermin. Especially does this apply to red mite. Observations have shown that a bird cannot produce good, strong chicks when its blood is being sucked away nightly by these pests, On farms where the heavy breeds of fowls are kept, hatching operations ' should begin during July, and should be completed by the second week in

September. For light breeds, such as Leghorns, August and September are the most suitable’ months for hatching operations. It is advisable to handle the male birds frequently, as they are often too attentive to the hens and do not take sufficient food, with the result that they lose condition, which is often responsible for poor fertility. When it is noticed that the male is losing weight, feed it separately at least once a day.

Poultry Feeding Experiment

T~*EEDING tests recently concluded at FEEDING tests recently concluded at the Department’s Poultry Station, Wallaceville, have brought out several useful facts. The most important of these demonstrates the sole object of the test, namely, that a satisfactory egg yield can be secured when huskless. oats are fed as a grain diet.

The test was carried out over a The test 44 weeks, which began on period of 44 weeks, which began on April 1, 1939, and concluded on February 2, 1940. One hundred and sixty White Leghorn pullets were utilised in the test, and were divided into groups of 40 and placed into four separate but identical houses.

All birds competing in the test were fed a mash mixture about 7 a.m. At midday they were fed a small quantity of whole oats in the litter as a scratch grain, |oz. per bird being allowed, and at about 4 p.m. they received their evening meal, which consisted of grains. Chaffed-up green food was fed once daily after the evening meal. The green food consisted of young green oats, silver beet, and, during, the winter months, carrots were also provided. Oyster shell and gravel grits were available to the birds at all times. The following shows the mash and grain rations fed to each pen of birds: — PEN 1. (Hawkesbury College Ration') Mash. ' Pollard . 301 b. ' Bran 171 b. k Meatmeal 31b. Salt 01b. lloz. Total .... 501 b. lloz. Grain. Wheat 671 b. Maize '• • • 331 b. Total '.... 1001 b. PEN 2. (Barley Pen) Mash. Pollard 321 b. Bran 91b. Meatmeal 4-81 b. Total 45-491 b. Grain. Barley 1001 b. Total 1001 b. PEN 3. (Control Pen) Mash. Pollard 321 b. Bran ' 91b. Meatmeal 4-81 b. Total ... 45-491 b. Grain. Wheat 751 b. Maize 251 b. Total 1001 b. PEN 4. (Huskless Oats Pen) Mash. Pollard . ’ 321 b. •' Bran 91b. Meatmeal 4-81 b. Total 45-491 b.

POULTRY NOTES-

Grain. Huskless oats .... 1001 b. Total 1001 b. ’t The meatmeal content of Pen 1 remained constant throughout the test, whereas that of Pens 2,3, and 4 varied

from 5 per cent, to 10 per cent, (by measure) according to how the birds were laying and the season of the year. The following table shows the total number of eggs produced by each pen, the cost of foodstuffs consumed, net profit over cost of foodstuffs, average profit per bird, and the cost to produce one dozen eggs.

It will be noted that each of the four pens gave satisfactory results, and the table demonstrates that any one of these feeding rations is suitable from an egg-production point of view. The huskless oats pen (Pen 4) did very well, and it can only be assumed that, provided an adequate and regular supply can be obtained, huskless oats are quite suitable for feeding to poultry.

: ’Ten No.'-'-No. of Birds at Start. Average No. Birds during Test. No. of Eggs ■ Produced (Dozens) Amount Received. Cost of Foodstuffs. Nett Profit. ■ Average Profit per Bird. Cost to . Produce , 1 Doz. Eggs. . * ' 1 . 40 34 398 ll-12ths £35 11' 1 11 1 £14 4 11 £14 4 £21 6 2 . s. d. 11 12 6 £21 8.54d. 6 2 s. 12 d. 6 8.54d. 2 40 . 39 " ■ 440 £38 1 6 ' ' 1 6 £12 12 9 £12 12 £25 8 9 9 . .13 0 £25 ' . 6.89d . . 8 9 13 0 6.89d ' .3, - 40 . 38 . 439 6-12ths £38 . 5 11■ 5 11 £14 16 6 £14 16 £23 9.5 6 ' 12 4 £23 - - 8.09d. , 9 5 12 4 8.09d. 4 . . 40 . ' 36 ■ - 447 8-12ths £39 11 9 11 9 £14 13 3 £14 13 £24 18 6 3 13 10 £24 7.86d. 18 6 13 10 7.86d.