THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1234, 16 September 1911, Page 14

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

(By Chantecler.)

"STAR BOARDER" HENS.

POULTRY EGG RECORDS NEEDED,

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. Pnlmerston.—The prico of Zruoline is 2s. 6d. ft bottle, with sufficient liquid to treat '100 eggs. < Inquirer," Khandallali. —Day-old chicks means any time during the first week of the cluck's life. -They are usually two to five days old when being shipped. Yes, they can be safely sent from one island to the otjier.

"8.M.," Petone.—'The conference is to bo held during November. See particulars in this week's notes. "Novice," Hutt.—Look up last Friday's issuo for notes on chicks dead in shell. "Utility," Wellington.—'The next competition will begin at Papanui on April 8, 1912. Accommodation for about pens. "8.L.," Brooklyn—Get "Utility Poultry Farming" from Whitcombo and Tombs. Price as. The Poultry Conference. The committee elected to draw up the programme for the Poultry Conference met in Christcliurch this week to mako, arrangements and select subjects for discussion. A splendid programme has been arranged, and considerable time will bo giveu to visiting poultry plants. The Gordon Hall Poultry Club aro to entertain the visitors on the first evening of the conference. The gathering will he held in the lecture hall, and refreshments are to be provided. Mr. Eose, Burnham, will give a paper on "Chicken liaising." The delegates will be entertained in the competition grounds at Papanui by the N.Z. Utility Club, and a visit will bo paid to the Burnham State Poultry Farm. The. commercial, aspects of the poultry business will be dealt with by Messrs. Kent, Bull, and Rutherfurd. llr. E. \V. Hawke will give a paper on "Lessons' from the Egg-Laying Competitions," "Food and Feeding," by Mr. A. G. Jlumby, aud "Preparing Table Poultry and Modern Methods of Poultry Culture,' by Mr. I'. Brown, will also form part of the programme. The event will prove highly educational, and do much to promote "the welfare of the industry. Every poultryinen who can 'make it convenient to attend should be there. Selection and Breeding.. Mr. F. Brown gave a lecture this week by invitation from the NZ.U.C. on "Selection and Breeding of Layers." He is jnst the man that can do justice to tho subject, and the excellent audience that greeted him was enthusiastic in its, appreciation of Mr. Brown's lecture. Next week we shall Tefer at great length to the lecture as soon as particulars reaoh us. Fruit versus Poultry. No ona will begrudge the fruitgrowers all the assistance which they get,from the Government. A photograph of abo<ut a dozen inspectors and instructors in fruit has been freely circulated, and . brings to mind how slow poultrymen are to push their own barrow. Here we have a small industry in fruit, representing a value of-about ,£'250,000 per annum, while, in poultry, the figures easily reach ono ;ind~a half millions. In fruit we have an expenditure of 'about to pay instructors, while, in poultry, wo havo about .£250, and only ono expert. Mr. Brown is about the hardest-worked man in the Agricultural Department, and gets about tho most meagre pay. It is true that wo havo poultry experimental farms, but these go a long way towards supportingJ themselves. With Mr. Brown's acquirements, ho should be worth considerably more than he receives, and poultrymen at tho conference should stir up matters and . mako themselves heard: It is understood that, at..the .conference, it will be 'arranged that poultrymeii will make a point of obtaining from Parliamentary candidates a pledge, to support the further development of tho industry. In tho question of export no help is being given. Tho fruitgrowers are guaranteed one penny a pound on apples exported, 'while poultrymen have to do their export trade unassisted. A box of fruit

will go 100 miles for Gd., whilo a box of eggs costs four times as'much. Poultrymen, wako up and "howl," it seems the only solution of tho problem.

Interesting Report. The Director of Agriculture, South Australia, has received the following report from tho poultry expert:—"On July 31 the eggs and birds at the Roseworthy and Kybyfcolio poultry stations were weighed, with the following results:—Roseworthy.— Section I—The1 —The following pens failed to reach the weight limit of eggs:—Whito Leghorns—Pen 14, 230z.; pen 29, 230z.; pen 41, 220z.; pen 50, 230z.; pen 55, 230z.; pen 02, 220z. Buff Orpingtons—Pen 118, 21J0z.; pen 110, 22}oz. Silver Wyandottes—Pen 123, 220z. Heaviest Eggs.—Section I—Pen 48, 28J0z., White Leghorn. Section 2—Pens 107 and 114, equal with 2Soz. Ivybybolite. —Section 2—Silver Wyandottes—Pen 40, 220z.; pen 41, 23Joz. White Wyandottes— Pen 43, 230z. Black Orpingtons—Pen 48, 23Joz. Langshans—Pen 50, 23)0z. In accordance with rulo 12, these pens are debarred from further competition. I, however, propose, unless' the owners object, to keep theso pens until the end of the test and to weigh the eggs later on. It will bo interesting to note tho total number laid, and also if there is any subsequent increase in tho'weight of the eggs. The' owners of these pens have been communicated with." Laying competitions are being organised in the United States of America by prominent breeders, working with the officers of various experiment stations. It is stated on good authority that the States are passing through a record poultry year; business is very good. The more sensible journal writers are discounting what is called "hot-air literature"—tho get-rich-quick system—and literature tending in that direction is not selling well. Curious to remark, the old-time White-faced Black Spanish is undergoing a revival; it is being boomed in the States. Scaly Leg—lts Cause and Cure. This is caused by a parasite, and if neglected will cause great disfigurement to a' bird's legs, and ultimately cause it to assume a grotesque and ruined appearance, altogether unfitting it for tho show pen. Such cases ought to be isolated from other poultry, as scaly lee seems very infectious, anil in time will spread to all the members of the pen or yard. It is often recommended to brush the legs well with hot water with plenty of soda in it, nnd then dip the legs regularly in paraffin onco or'twice a day, treating meanwhile with sulphur ointment made with sulphur and petroleum golly, usually sold as vaseline. Any application of sulphur is always beneficial, but. anything of a greasy nature causes dirt to stick, and does not penetrate under the scales like a lotion will. Several lotions can be recommended. The hypo used'by photographers comes in usefully, as a preliminary lotion in the strength of 6oz. to 1 pint of water. This can bo allowed to dry. The legs should be so held that the lotion can penetrate under the scales. Every alternate day give a soaking of spirits of salt, loz. to 'l pint of water. This will do the trick in less than a week. Or, again, boil together lib. of limo and lib. of sulphur in a gallon of water. Keep it stirred. Bottle in dark bottles. Keep in a dark place. Steep the legs in the solution every day for a week.

Disinfection of Fowl-Houses. Infectious diseases of various kinds are so frequently founij among our domestic poultry that periodical disinfection is desirable in our aims to keep, a clean bill of health. In case, however, of actual outbreak of such serious and virulent diseases as tuberculosis, liver disease, cholera, or enteritis, it becomes absolutely imperative, after isolation, to submit the fowl-houses, to thorough and completei disinfection. It is not sufficient to sprinkle about with mild antiseptics and deodorants to merely 'sweeten the place. What is needed is an effectivo chemical bactericide, which will bring about complete destruction of the disease germs. The most effectual for the purposo is formaldehyde vapour. This gas is soluble in water, and is usually sold by chemists in 40 per ceut.. solution. In this form it goes 'by the name of formalin, tho term

formic aldehyde or formaldehyde being strictly applied to the free gas. A simple and expeditious method of generating this powerful gas in a fowl-house is concisely stated as follows:—First makeup all cracks, windows, and ventilators; then place in the "centre of the floor an old bucket or other receptacle. For a house of 150 cubic feet put into tho bucket loz. of permanganate of potash, and pour quickly over these dry crystals 2 fluid ozs. of formalin. Get outside at once, securely (closing the door to mako it all airtight.' Chemical action between the reagents takes place, in the process of which free formaldehyde gas is given off. Keep tho place closed for six hours or more before releasing the gas, when complete disinfection and sterilisation will havo been fully secured.

EGG-LAYING COMPETITIONS. The following are the returns to Sep, tember 11, 1911:— To Week. date. G. H. Robinson, Black Orp. 32 CGO T. Kennedy, SAV 37 G49 Misses Bradley,"VV.L. ..........:......i ;jjl ; 636 A. R. Browne, 'WX 34 >>9<. Total for week, 1902. Grand total, 27,611. Ducks. To • • Week. date. Heretaunga Poultry Co 40 642 W. Knight 36 631 A. R. Browne •••••• -9 Total for week, 139. Grand total, 60/9.

The conversion of a flock of hens that barely pnvs for tho feed it eats into one which will lift the mortgage from the home farm is largely a matter of the elimination of tho. "star boarder, and the conservation of the 200-cgg-a-year hens'. Prof. Dryden of the Oregon Agricultural College.has made, a special study of this subject, and is a firm believer in the trap nest. Ho fays: "To discover the egg type of hen we have got to use the trap nest, or some method of keeping a record of eggs laid bv individual hens. The trap nest is about the best thing we have discovered in tho poultry business. We will mako slow improvement in breeding without an e<"» record for each hen in the flock. The objection to tho trap nest is that it requires too much labour for the farmer. That is -true. Not many farmers can give it tho necessary time. J believe that the State or experiment station should come to the rescue here. There should be a breeding station, or several breeding stations, in every State where farmers could secure at nominal prices cockerels of good egg-laying pedigree to mate with their flocks. It would not take very long to furnish every fanner with a male bird whose ancestry for two generations had an egg record of 150 eggs a year or more."

Can a bird be overfed? There is no statement more erroneous and more generally circulated .than that tho laying bird can be overfed. Certainly a bird can be overfed if it is the type that converts its food into flesh, but the hightvpo layer can never be treated too well. The Americans are putting up good records in milk-production because they are studying the art of feeding, and aro giving their record cows every ounce of concentrated food they can consume, lou cau only get out of an animal what you put into it. —F. C. Brown. This is not tho time of year to cull the poor lavers. It should have been dono in tho autumn. They have been probably eating their heads oft during the past few months, and you are getting tired of them. The natural laying season is approaching. It will now pay you to keep them going until just before the nest moult comes on. AVhen a high percentage of infertile e<*"s is found in the breeding-pen look for the cause. Hundreds of pounds' worth of eggs aro wasted annually merely for the want of observation. Tho male bird may 1)0 too kind to tho hens, and allow them to get more than their share of tho food, and ho thus gets run down in condition. The number of hens may bo too many or too few. Perhaps the hens are 100 fat and have insufficient exercise.