THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1180, 15 July 1911, Page 15

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

Incubation and Rearing of Cliickcns Last week I lie writer, gave particulars of llie origin of artilicial incubation, ami now gives further particulars of how to Use these appliances. Y\'e have, this season, tended two machines each, of 501) egg capacity, and t'ho work lias been » pleasure. AVe spent a pleasant hour each day by attending the lamps and cooling and turning tho eggs. The following are the results:—No. 1 machine, 531 eggs, Ist test !)!) eggs out ; No. 2, fi-J eggs, Ist test', lil eggs nut. Kcsult No. 1 machine, nil chicks; No. 2 machine, 3tt chicks; total, (152 chicks. Two or three such hatches as these make the season short and the work of chicken-rearing a. pleasure. Of course, brooder accommodation is necessary, and there must I/O abundant breeding stock to supply the eggs as required. Care ot the Eggs. Breeding stock possessing strong constitution is a necessity Knowing this, care must be exercised that, only sound, vigorous birds are used. AVo use both second-year hens and early-matured pullets, our confidence in tho latter being strengthened more every year. Tho birds must be fed with plenty of good nourishing food. AA T e are not troubled much with over-fat birds. Thoso with a tendency to this are marketed weeks before; Three times n week, for three hundred layers and breeders, we feed from a copper boiler the previous day, an almost dry mash. A bucketful of carrots is run through a machine and shredded. AVith this a bucket of lucerne chaff is placed in the copper, a scoopful of meat-meal is added and when tho water boils, we have a tine soup. To this is added a bucket of mixed wheat and cracked maize. By morning wc have four buckets of rich food, nicely warmed. It is taken and placed in the troughs, and dried down with sharps. AVe never uso bran. It is a wasto product and of little use for egg-production. The food is placed in the troughs so that the birds may eat from them during the day. In tho evening mixed wheat and cracked maize are fed in dry form, with suffl-, cient for an early breakfast. The eggs are collected with as much care as possible, placed in trays at nil angle of 45 degrees, so as to have the air cell on an angle in tho shell. AVe place the eggs in the machines as fresh as wo can, avoiding any, if possible, more than a week old. They are left in tho trays in a room where the temperature never falls below 50 degrees, a very low temperature—3o to 33—spells ruin, and results in a lot of dead chicks in shell. AVo do not turn the eggs daily. AVe have tried it, but with no appreciable result. In fact, llie more the eggs are handled tho worse it is for (he embryo. The Machine Ready.

Just before placing the eggs in the machines, already heated to 103 degrees we thoroughly spray tlio egg chamber with zonoline. This is composed of carbon compounds. It assures tlio extinction of germs, and disintegrates the shell, making it easy for the chick to liberate itself. The eggs arc placed in the machine immediately, and left for four days. Circulation of air through the machine is reduced to a minimum. Too much oxygon from fresh air causes the ruptures so often seen in the egg. Tho little capillaries carrying tho blood are overloaded and break, causing death to the germ and resulting in red streaks. To commence turning too soon is perilous, unless very carefuly done. By leaving the eggs till the fourth day tho air cell is opened and t'he embryo is strengthened in its support. The temperature is run at 102. The moisture is watched bv means of the hygrometer, which should register a temperature of SG. If less, then this moisture is added. Failing no instrument to register moisture, the air cell must be watched. For tho benefit of beginners we print herewith the evaporation stages that should take place during incubation.:—Fresh egg air-cell, 1-8 inch; seventh day air-cell, inch; fourteenth day air-ce11,.5-8 inch.;' twentieth day aircell, J inch..

Testing Eggs. This sea'on Wo have something new in the way of an egg tester.. It consists of a concealed lamp.. On tlio side of the protection, right opposito the flame is a bull) containing wafer, through which the lamps cast a powerful shaft of light, enabling one to watch every movement of the embryo from the third day. With the ordinary lamp it requires six to seven days to discern the development. With the new idea eggs can bo tested on the fourth day with certainty. The book of instruction sent' with the incubator usually describes the method of testing. All infertile eggs should bo removed, all eggs showing a watery whife development, eggs with blood in clots should also be taken out, as they occupy valuable space and make work turning and cooling. Tnrnlf s ifl2 moling should take place from the nith day to the eighteenth. The time taken tor cooling must be left to the judgment of the operator. The temperature of the room will be the chief factor in determining this. Till the fourteenth day, ten to fifteen minutes will be sufficient, irom tho fifteenth till the eighteenth day twenty minutes will not be too long. The operation of moisture will need attention (hiring (lie last week. If too much moisture exists the chicks will perish in the fluid: if too little, they will stick to 'shells. I his is a well-known stage to the experienced hand that must be aimed at. The line of air cell and the healthv appearance of the shell will indicate what sort or natch may be looked for. It is an experienec that is understood, but difficult to explain. Should the chick bo hatching dryly, a kettle of hot water should be handy. A piece of blanket rung out in hot water and spreid over the eggs will have good results. Chicks that need helping out of the shell should not be bothered with. All cripples or weak ones should be destroyed. It is here that we begin the valuable lesson of culling. Sentiment comes in, and we would fain linger over the weakly chicks, but business demands a prompt act in killing off, which, after all, is the most humane treatment. The Brooder, The brooder shoul.l bo warmed to at least 9.5 degrees. \\ hen the chicks leave the machine they should ho taken to a temperature equal to that which they leave. It is here wheie many beginners fail—when chicks get their first chill that results in bowel trouble and death. Keep the chicks warm'till the third day. Nature has fed them, and they will better enjoy the feeding, when hungry. A little fine grit may be sprcid around,on a mat, and some coarse oatmeal in scalded milk, and allowed to con], then mixed with hard boiled egg will do for the first few meals. A ready-mixed chick-raiser may then he used, and with proper care and attention the little fellows will thrive and soon come to profit. GENERAL NOTES OF INTEREST.

The conference to be held at Christchurch in November next will be the greatest event in the history of the poultry industry iu New Zealand. A splendid educational programme is being arranged. Christchurch is well suited for the gathering, being one of the most thriving poultry centres in the Dominion. Foultrymen from all parts of New Zealand are signifying their intention of being present. The egg circle movement is spreading in many districts now that eggs are becoming more plentiful. The New Zealand Poultry Association is doing splendid service by placing Mr. T. H. Rutherfurd at the disposal of pouUrymen. His services are in keen demand. As an organiser he. is well adapteil ior the work. At Palmers! on over 110 people attended the leelure, a summary of which is given below.

EGO CIRCLES.

AN ADDRESS BY MR. RUTIIERFUHD. Sir. T. 11. Rutherfurd, organiser for the Nciv Zealand l'oultr.v Association, lectured to a largo Pnlmerston gathering recently 011 p'.'k circle matters. Mr. Ruthcrfmd stated that lie had taken a keen interest in poultry affairs for some considerable period, and hud been thinking over the matter of egg circles for quite n. long time. He continued tn follow the matter up till it reached a climax in the conference held in Wellington in

(By Chantecler.)

November last. Co-opcralion was necessary, because only Incn could lanuers market their rggs U> the bi"-l advantage, line of the main objects of the egg circle wasto encourage consumption. In many cases the public had been served with bad eggs, and this was decidedly unsatisfactory for all. Therefore to bring about increased consumption producers must supply good cjgs. Air. Kutlierfurd further pointed out tnat it would be far better for consumer, grocer, and producer if eggs could be kept at a reasonable uniform price. To obtain that, egg producers must bind themselves together. Not only were fresh and good eggs wanted on the market, but llie circle should, if possible, put on infertile eggs in' preference to fertile. Tho infertile eggs hat, no life, consequently there was no death and no decay, and would keep fresh for a considerable period. Again, the eggs must be classified according to size. The public would not buy small eggs when large eggs were obtainable at the same price. Another serious matter which poultryinen must keep in mind was that a vfrv Inrge quantity of eggs were being imported into this country. China alone sent to A'ew Zealand over JMOOO_ worth of eggs. Germany was also exporting eggs to N'ew Zealand, although they were subject to a duty of 20 per cent. In the interests of poultrynien this importation must be stopped. Such a matter should be looked into if the producers were to bo successful. A further consideration for the circle would be exporting. Great improvements had been made in preserving methods, which would allow of satisfactory exportation*. Tho latest methods hail been so successful that a preserved egg could now be regarded almost as a newlylaid one. This was not the. ease with the egg 6et down with tho preserving mixtures now on the market.

Mr. Rutherfurd pointed out that the circles, as each was formed, should affiliate with the association. This could be dono at the small sum of sixpence per member, and llio affiliation would Rive every benefit. The matter of feed was another serious matter with the poultrykeeper. There was one way of overcoming this difficulty,'and that was for the eirclo to apply for tenders for feed. It should, if formed, carry out this matter with earnestness. The greater the membership then the greater the concessions that would be allowed by the merchants. In the opinion of the speaker the market for eggs was-falling, lie read a letter by Mr. Loger, of AVeraioa, on the matter of co-operation tn keep the price at a constant: level. -That gentleman was also of opinion tlmt without this union the price must fall, further, a steady price would mean a greater consumption. He firmly believed that, the time would come when farmers would be united, not with the object of getting high prices, but of obtaining a steady price. The question of freight on eggs was also a great drawback. This should be reduced very much if the producer was to make his eggs pay. .As a body they must put the matter of reduction in freights before the Minister if they wished to have redress. Another advantage of tlio egg circle, as far as the consumer was concerned, was the stamp of the combination. Reach member of the circle possesses a stamp on which is printed liis number, registered with his circle. Consequently if'a bad egg is marketed it can bo immediately traced to its producer. As an example of what was being dono in the matter of egg circles, the speaker quoted the Masterton branch, which was working so successfully. He explained the conditions under which the circle worked and all the minor details connected with tlio business.—Mauawatu "Standard."