THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1043, 4 February 1911, Page 11

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

$ — (By Chantecler.)

EGG-LAYING COMPETITION.

IBy Tolccrnph.-Sccci.il CorrcsDon-Jent.i Christchurch, February 3. | Llic contest is growing keen and Mr. i sail s splendid return puts him 19 iu tho lead ior the week. Returns are:— Kennedy, 30; Sail, 35; Bradford, 32; Kangiuru, 32. Aggregates to Uatc are as follow:— Sail, 12o3; Knight, 1234; Balch, 1227: Haivko, 1221; total, 56,192. Ducks show a poor return for the week:—Knight, 13; String, 13. , tot:i ' s to date ' are:—Knight, 1037 and 937; Hammond, 936. THE EGG-LAYING COMPETITION. There seems to ho quite an amount or good fortune required to win an egg-laymg contest. During the early weeks of the test at Christchurch, Robinson led, then followed Thomson, then Knight had the lead, now Sail has come to the front. Sail stands a good chance for the final, which will bci determined in eight weeks' time. His wm would be. a popular one, as he lias competed for the last four years. He has some excellent stock, and for a farmer has some of the choicest liens in the Dominion. Bradford's pen is also bred from his stock. Sail's No. 2 pen was entered when oniy four months' old. It was his intention to try with this pen to pull off the summer prize, i hoy never laid an egg for nearly three months, but they will mako a good showing tor the finish. .Mr. Knight has had a most successful run, and though lie lias taken second place his birds should finish well. His lead in the duck test assures him a win, and goes to show the excellent stock lie possesses. THE DAILY ROUTINE. I hare been asked to tell what is the daily routine of feeding and attending fowls at this time of year, and as my stock numbers 600 it will be a guide to others. My birds begin the day by eating the grains that arc left from the evening meal. 1 believe in the "fuli and plenty" system, and know from experience I cannot fatten laying white leghorns.- Breakfast at seven leaves nicfree to attend my work. Tho mash is prepared by using one-third cui lucerne, clover, or kale. I have a patch of each, and use alternately. Green feed is the secret of healthy poultry, heavy c-gg-prethiciion, and economic feeding. An engine and chaffcutter give me the required quantity in five mill utes. The green feed is spread in the mixing trough, and sharps and bras, added. .Meat, ■ meal, and charcoal ami salt make up the balance of the mash. It is mixed thoroughly, and moistened,, so as .to make it palatable. Mixing and feeding the 600 takes 45 -minutea. The' hollies are tlien cleaned. These can be done in twenty minutes, and are. never neglected. Droppings tha\ are allowed to accumulate are tho cause of much disease, and ths presence o vermin. , The fowls are watered auto maticall.v, and so labour is. avoided at noon. I take a run round and feed the growing stock with a light meal ol corn and wheat. In the. evening an abundance of corn (maize) and wheal are'fed. Maize is cracked, and fed one sack to two of wheat. Suffici"nt feed is given to allow of somo being left for the morning,. and to assure myself ihat no bird goes to roost hungry. Tim is, my usual day at this time of year, and-1 can manage my 600 with less than three hours work a day. The eggs, are gathered in the evening,' and all that are soiled are immadiately clcansed. 3lv birds have not yet begun to moult, while the pullets are just commencing to lay.

DRY V. WET MASH. Few subjects in poultry-keeping have received so much attention as tho dry versus wet mash feeding. There are supporters for both systems. Personally, I like the moist system, when time permits. Were I to lay out' a plant and 1 look after 2000 layers myself I would use tho hoppers 'and adopt dry feeding. This. Would not give me the maximum amount of eggs, but it would lessen tho labour to such an extent that it would pay to make the sacrifice. Tho extra number of liens ono could manage would more than make up for tho loss of a few eggs per hen. When, only a few hundred birds are kept the wet mash is most profitable. The food can be made more palatable, and the hens* cat readily. It is only when you can get your hens to cat bountifully, that you can get the. 'best return in eggs. The mash described above will meet requirements. If one has access to plenty of fresh meat it should bo boiled, and the mash mixed in the soup. For a saving of labour adopt the dry mash, for the maximum of eggs use tho wet mash. CULLING THE FLOCIL Scores cf poultrymen are afraid to cull their flocks. Every week there are somo culls that shoultl go. to market Tlieu hens to bo kept for the second year should bo culled regularly. All wasters should bo discarded as they will not lay for four or five months and tho cost of feed will scarcely ho returned in eggs. Birds showing a lack of vitality, tendency to early moult, periodically going broody, mopy in disposition, loatho to leave tho perch, and ready to resumo it, lack of appetite, dullness of comb—all tlieso help to guide you in selecting the wasters. The pullets too .should bo culled. You will find a large number of birds that do not appear to grow. Get rid of them. They do not pay to keep, and thero is a danger that you may uso them for breeders, and that means a heavy loss. HOW TO GET WINTER EGGS.' This will soon bo tho great question. Tho great hope lies in the pullets. If hatched early in the spring they will soon begin to sliow signs of laying. Do not force them too much or tho false moult will put them off tho lay. From my 400 pullets I can easily get 150 eggs a day, but I don't want them to feed to keep t'hom from laying. When .eggs rise and the danger of a moult is over, then is tlio time to feed. . Animal feed is a necessity. Cut green bone, boiled ox, sheep, or horse make splendid animal food. Failing these use meat meal, blood meal, livers, or beef scraps. Tho birds must be fed bounteously. ■ It takes more to keep up the warmth of the body in winter, and tho lien will only give to us any surplus sho does not require for her own need. CONSTITUTIONAL VIGOUR, A most valuable bulletin has been issued by tho New York State Collego of Agriculture at Cornell ; dealing with tho vigour of fowls, and its influence upon productiveness, and therefore, profits. Selection should . includo natural strength, and the subjoined points are important in view of the coming season : — "The samo characteristics that are ordinarily used in selecting . tho strong from the weak, mature fowl, as stated above, may be applied to chickens of shrunken liod.v; dull, sunken eyes; pale, thin, flat beak; short, thin down; palo thin shanks; and a peevish, squeaky voice. It has a poor appetite and lacks '■gumption," as indicated by its inactivity and failure to "rustlo" with tho stronger chicks. It has to be taught to eat. Physical and mental weakness seem to go together. In contrast to this

weak chicken is its stronger brother or sister, with its bright, black eyes that stand out- like shoe buttons; large, plump, full, parallelogram-shaped body that tills the hands; fat,' plump shanks, and long, heavy doivii-; ail active, sturdy fellow, hard to 'catch arid liold, with mdependenco of action and ability to fight the battle of life. The weak baby chick should not be allowed to live. It will lio a constant source of annoyance and loss. At fhis age we should make our first? selection to eliminate weakness. Selection should bo continued whenever a chick shows weakness. This is most likely to occur when about ton days to two weeks of age. Irregular or incomplete feathering, when chicks of the same variety are compared, is char-, aetorist-ic of the physically weak. The wing feathers of a chick grow first, then tail feathers. These should always be in proportion to the size of the.body. A weak chicken may fail to develop its body as rapidly as its wing feathers, which makes the wings apraear large and out of proportion to the size of the body. Such a chickon should be so marked that it cannot by any possible chance get into the breeding flock, even if it should overcome its weakness. It should not bo allowed to live beyond the marketing age in any event, and in most instances should be killed without attempting to raise it even to the squab broiler size. Weakness is a trouble to be prevented rather than cured." DUCK DATA. Boiled rice will be found the most suitable food for ducklings at all stages of their growth. AVhon ducklings are from five to seven weeks old those intended for market should be fattened. An abundant supply of animal food should always be available for the breeding ducks, as they cvince an insatiable craving for it. As soon as they arc taken from the incubator, young ducklings should bo /'laced .in a brooder located in warm, dry quarters. Ducklings make the most satisfactory growth when they are divided into ■locks of from twenty to twenty-live. Provide plenty of shade in the runs where ducklings are raised, as they cannot endure the direct rays of a hot 5un —being most susceptible to "staggers," or heat apoplexy.

To ensure adequate ventilation, one •side, at least, of the cluck house 'should entirely m-ii or merely enclosed with wire netting.

l'or fattening uucklings the inclusion if a percentage of fat in their boned 'ce will be found to be all that is necessary.

In the natural state, ducks spend tho greater portion of the day in the vater, and seek their food by night. Bran will bo found an excellent food foj- stock ducks and the maturing duckings that it is proposed to utilise for stud purposes. Where it is found impossible to grant lucks absolutely free range, animal food \nd greenstuff must be provided in bundance if a satisfactory egg yield is desired. Ducklings intended for breeding purposes must have ample exercise to enable them to properly mature and reproduce themselves in a satisfactory manner. See to jt that, the water vessels used -ire sufficiently deep, to enable the birds lo thoroughly rincc their nostrils," which frequently become blocked, causing intense suffering and irritation ivhcn this is . neglected. . ... Considerable ..'.attention, is lic-w-.boing focused on -tho Br.if Orpington . duck, which is, without exception, one of the most profitable varieties bred. Guard against the water fountains running dry during the heat of-sum-mer, othont'ise disaster is certain to overtake tiro flock. if.. NOTES. The Chifstchurch Poultry Show will bo the largest and best south of the lino this season. Tho secretary of tho New Zealand Poultry Association is receiving a number of requests for egg circles to be formed in tho various districts.' Tho contmn^ r^^',gj^''or t '«gffl, the high price'ot'sharps c ss 'beginning to make poultrymen consider their position. The official report of the late Poultry Conference will be issued this month, and will make good reading. A. H. Piulman has repeated his.reniarkable performance of 1907-S by-lead-ing in four competitions. Here'is his wonderful positionßosewortky, 1162 - Subinco, 1141.;. Gat-ton, 1116: Kevbvlite, 819. .. . There will be' seven egg-laying competitions in Australia next year. New Zealand has one, and it' meets all requirements.