THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1049, 11 February 1911, Page 10

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

._> (By Chantecler.)

EGG-LAYING COMPETITION.

FORTY-FIRST WEEK. Tlio return for tho forty-first week of tho Papanui ogg-lnying competition is remarkably good in tho hcn'division. Sails position has improved. Bradford's lino return promises him tho second place, next to Sail's fino strain noxt week. . Following aro the highest scores for tho week :— Bradford, 36; Bannchr, 33; Nixon, 31; Sail, '30; Brown, 30; Mills, 30. Total, 1245. Tho total number of eggs laid to dato is 57,437, tho leading aggregates being :—Sail, 1283; Knight, 1258; Baleh, 1255; Bradford, 1254; Rangium Egg Ranch, 1219. , ' \^' mu Tho week's return in tho duck division is poor, the total being 52. Knight's fino pen is unassailable with 18. Hammond scored 12, which places him second again. Aggregates:' Knight No. 1, 1055; Hammond, 948; Knight No. 2, 946.

A WORD TO FARMERS ON EGG PRODUCTION.

HOW LAYING FLOCKS MAY BE IMPROVED AND THE INCOME FROM THE FARM' GREATLY . INCREASED. ' ' . •In our numerous conversations with farmers, it is surprising how few ever dovoto any study to poultry raising and yet it. is from the farms .wo got our largest supplies , of, eggs .and poultry. It would simply amaze them if a littlo extra caro. wero' given ■ the hens to watch the growing profits from .this'branch of farm work. 'We know' quite a numbor of ■:■ farmers look on poultry-keeping as a woman's work and were it»not for tho farmer's Wife little would bo dono in tho matter of eggproductioii. Conversing with a large land owner ho expressed tho matter nicely when he said: ''You watch" a man tako up a pieco of land.- -He builds a hut, has his dog, etc.' 'Ho,puts things ready and sends, for his wife'and family.' What docs .sho take? . The; furniture and knick-knacks,- of courso, .but she never forgets! to fake! a, few.fowls with her." It:is truo. .Women ; know the, valuo of : a .Sow fresh eggs. When other luxuries .are* distant she can always rely on these ■ and' can provide many dolicacics that tho man would nover think about. On many- farms tho only oaro that is given the poultry, is that shown by the women. A; farmer's wifo. recently went for a day's change in tho oity. On her : return at night she asked her husband if he had attended to the fowls that day. "Bai Jovol" he replied, "I forgot all.about them." Just so; if it were not for tho wifo tho poultry'returns from our farms would bo very littlo. ■...'• ; HOUSING 1 ACCOMMODATION:! '■ It wiH'bo a long timo'beforofarmors estimate" tho truo economic- value of good sheds:" • You'seo-drays, ? binders;; disc harrows, harness, etcir^oft'out'to tho morcy of tho weather. It.is only herb and .there whore you find shed accommodation that lengthens tho usefulness of theso things for many years. You may well expect to find no accommodation for tho poultry. Thoy roost in trees, fences, or accept any shelter where thoy ajogood open-front 'fdwlho'uso is' only a matter of a few pounds.'; Tho wife should give tho farmer no peace 'of mind'till that' house is .built. : The winter is coming on, arid from March to September there will'bo few eggs. The fowlhouso, if built 28 x 12, will accommodate 100 fowls. The back may bo 5 feet high and tho front 7 feet. The front may bo mado of wiro netting, at least half-way down from tho top nests can' bo placed at tho front, while a dropping board will enable the droppings to bd-'clcanod away daily without any trouble.'. ■ As; ]the poultry on most farinV. rxm at largo'; tho. run's are n nr+.tcri that, can. bo", adjusted if required,; .-.•//..; ,V: ..!'

THE VALUE OF'CULLING;

Wo all know tho typo of farmer that hangs on to his broken-mouthed sheep, his run-out grass paddocks,'his poorlytesting cow, even though'to cull would mean heavier "fleeces, '.better staple, stronger Jambs,.better number of stock to tho acre, and moro butter-fat. One of the last things a poultryman learhs'is to cull. Ho feeds hens that havo left off laying and tho pullets so long 'to maturo and cuts down his profits accordingly. Wo mak'o a practico'of culling regularly/and it- is astonishing what'a number from several hundred birds aro required 1 to, bo isold each wook. In selection of tho young' stock wo requiro to keep wo lay, great importance on'tho sex clement.-. Wo legband all tho pullets ; that. como. to maturity and begin • laying - without showing any suspension in growth: An arrest of growth spells ruin, 1 and onco a bird gets a sot-back in this way it never recovers. You can tako no risks. Push forward tho young stock and give them tho greatest care. It is hero where so many farmers loso on_ their poultry. As soon as tho hens raise the chickens and begin to lay again, tho younger stock tako their-place among the older birds and-have to bo content with what thoy can find, and tako pot luck at meal times. If calves and lambs received similar treatment as- young chickens, tho sheep and dairying indus T tries would bo at a standstill.

THE NEED OF CLEANLINESS.

Cleanliness is godliness to the poultryman. No farmer's fowls will thrive whoso poultry-houso or birds, aro -infested with vermin. It is an easy matter to keep these down if you will uso a sprayer. You have that halfdrum of sheep dip left over from dipping tho sheep, and you havo a force sprayer that you uso in tho orchard. If you will spend ten. minutes onco a month in spraying tho'fowl-houso you will havo littlo troublo to copo with vormin. A whito wash sprayed on onco a year will help you to increase your C)? g supply. Clean nests—you havo plenty of straw—clean water, and you havo'littlo to worry, your birds during tho year.

WHY DO THE HENS LAY?.

It- is not our forcing food ' or our breeding of cgg-lnyirig strains that causes tho hen to lay. Sho has an instinct to rcproduco hor kind.' This instinct to propagate a species causes death in somo creatures, and tho- hen shares tho awful ponnlty. Many a hen lays herself to death prompted by tho instinct of reproduction, while tlio owner lias forced to incrcaso Ms bank account. 'Well, we can go too far. When ft man gots to 200 egg averagefrom his birds ho has gone far enough, while the farmer can bo content with 150 to 180 eggs'per year from, each bird. Do not allow yonr malo birds to run with tho hens all tho year through. Sell oft tho old birds, fatten tho cockerels and lcavo the hens to themselves. In 'August you will want to mato your hens. Select a fow of tho best and obtain a good malo bird. Remember early chicks mean eggs when prices aro' high, and tno marketing of cockerels when priocs\mako 0110 joyful. In ordor that you may increase yonr egg average, you must select tho. best. Loam whafctypeU required of .tho Kreed. seo that tho bead ib fine, tho

eyes bright, and the tail worn down before the moult.' Your breeders will bo selected from hens going through their first moult and into tho second year of laying. On tho farm keep your hons for two laying seasons, then, market. If you wero a poultry farmer with tho proper ■ appliances you would sell off after tho iirst laying season, and retain only those you wanted for breeders. You will hatch with hens. Your wifo will attend this part of tho work and mako a success of it. WHAT BREED SHALL I KEEP? A great deal depends on your locality. Generally speaking ono of tho heavier varieties are better for the farmer—tho Wyandottes, Orpingtons, or. Rocks. They givo littlo troublo whilo raising and mako fino table birds. If eggs alone is your aim tho Leghorn and Minorcas will suit your purpose. A groat deal of success of the 'poultry will depend on the treatment you givo thorn, so that it is practically immaterial which variety you keep. In-be-ginning seo that you secure your eggs or stock from a reliable breeder. Take no risks. You may as well have good layors as wasters. Tho wcrk is 'the samo and the cost of feeding is nearly equal. Don't bo haphazard in breeding. Crossbrcds aro all very well, but you get bettor results and bettor prices all round for purebred stock. Crossbred birds are getting' rarer every year. Farmors are learning tbo value of purebred stock in every department of farm work, and in no section does it pay bettor than among the poultry, : ,' ' A WORD ON FEEDING. Many a farmer feeds his hens . on whoat the whole year round. Undoubtedly it is ono of the best grain foods, but it is not from wheat alone tho best results are obtained. A good ,mash will work wonders. There is always some animal food available, if not moat meal or blood meal can bo purchased cheaply. It is in animal food : that tho protein, clement is found most abundantly,. and ; ,as the yolk and white of tho egg. are largely composed of this, animal food should form-a largo percentage of a fowl's food. Green food should never bo denied. Clover is ono of tho best, lucerne is tho best. Either of theso or kale, cress, beet, will suit the purpose—give tho fowls all they will eat.' It tones tho system, purifies the blood, wards off disease, and gives colour to the yolk of the egg. Keep oyster shell or cocklo shell grit always before tho birds. Scores of eggs are lost through want of shell material. A few simplo methods of attending poultry on tho farm would add greatly _to tho profits and mako poultry farming a most desirable pursuit in New Zealand. EGG RECORDS. Careful selection and breeding from birds of a sound constitution are bringing their, reward. A few years ago tho hen that laid 200 eggs a year was considered a marvel. Now wo have not on)y.ono ! 'hen, but six liens, doing 207 eggs "each in the short space of nine months. It is reraarkablo that such records as these aro attained. Each hen actually produces in eggs eight times its own weight during Uio. pine, months. Breeders are fortunate'to'have such stock. It is gratifying to find that the New Zealand competition, has gained a higher averago for tho nine months than either of tho five competitions being hold in Australia. Sail's pen averaged'atiFapanui; 207 eggs per bird, whilo tho best in Australia did not reach tho 203 average during the nine months of the tost. ~ ... NOTES. .. .. .; From experiments in Hawke's Bay it would appear tho tireless brooders are giving satisfaction in tho hatching- of chickens.' It is claimed" the brooder's aro; inoxpensivey'-ahd economical" in; working. They produce healthier chickens arid aro a saving in labour.,'..:''; Dunodin poultry producers are- able to keep up the price of eggs through their combination. They aro.working on egg-circlo lines, and will form.themselves into an egg' circle at an'early date. '■■'■'■ .■' '..".•' -'.:! -.

Tho.Dunedin poultry fanciers are in a state .of uncertainty as : to; tho holding of their noxt poultry show;' Through the big fire of'the A. and P. buildings they lost the only hall available. It does not appear as if the A.' and P. Society will havo a now hall erected in time for the poultry show season.

Tho high price of pollard is forcing many poultrymeh in tho south to use crushed wheat ,in place of sharps. It comes much cheaper and the full feeding valuo "of the wheat is obtained,