THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1587, 2 November 1912, Page 3

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

(By Chantecler.)

Advice'-to Beginners. ■ In poultry matters one feels it a matter of.duty to write hard-and often- for the beginner. The-tendency of the writer is.to stray away into advanced'subjects, but ho has to.restrain himself,: sridadhere to,tho elementary in'poultry culture. -For every one that is likely to benefit from.advanced teaching there are - scores crying out for information in the simple subject of .how to get the best from hens.as a beginner. Recently, somo useful articles were published through these columns specially for'beginners. They have now been printed in book form. V ■ Restraint;on Enthusiasm. . The poultry enthusiast is tie. victim •of a fever, and- needs to keep c001....He. probably .visits a plant, and sees the eggs being gathered by the hundred. He starts, to figure—most deadly agent of ruin for beginners—and immediately,he' wants, to "throw- up his; job" and. go ptultry.keeping. , He forgets that,-to get the layers, .means time, knowledge, and expense. With" a,piece of pencil and paper he can make poultry the most profitable and desirable acquisition on eartn. Often we have, seen the. initiated give, up .work; and take on the game, 1 only to be-severe-ly handicapped.with debt, and to quickly retire'from the game. When will be-ginners'-;learn/. the dangetr .of • such.procedure? ■ Each, year-sees the usual crop of failures',' No man should look io poul-try-keeping for'a living unless; he has had three years' experience, and has' either capital, ora good stock of'birds'to begin with. ' ' ..'•Care or Growing Stock. -The! chick season is nearly ended, and the young stock: will be leaving tho brood-, ers. .Great care is -needed, to prevent the' chicks from-getting a set-back. While young they receive every attention, and are fed; bountifully, but, when weaned' from, the brooders'they are.'left.to battle for themselyes. [■■: From three and four feeds a, day they are .reduced 'to two. They aro rim as .mixed sexes and sizes, and the weak have to give place to the strong..:';',lt is essential that the growing stock be.given all'the food they'viU'eat.' The sexes should 'bo run separately, "and the chicks divided according to size and age:-.. By doing this : they will tlirive, ■and come.to maturity much more quickly, and repay their, owner for extra euro. :' ;i' ~; V ': Do Not Force. ]' - ' -While"''it -may seem. attractive* to have layers producing large, numbers of 'eggs, we-invite the penalty which nature will surely enforce. " -Froinall parts cne.constantly/'receives .'letters stating that ; hens are dying-from-'-ovarian' troubles, and; great ';'; difficulty. is •experienced in maintaining- good health. The' big egg.yield ,has its drawbacks, and beginners-are. advised not to aspire after them. Having, a score of good hens, house,. feed, and water them suitably, -but do not'use force foods. ■• •■'•':••'.. "' '. \- Let the hens dp 'a fair -thing, and r/oul- ' try-keeping will-be.a pleasnro;. Too much "primal'.food-is a-danger.. Mixed/up m mashes.-.or fed'in / .the...form. uf cooked meat; every.day,', trouble, is.' bound, to'; follow. -The, eggs ('are, forced in such.awa'y that- the; hen's egg-producing functions are strained -or ruptured.'; Your young .stock, can be;overdone in:tho 6ame way. .. ■ /Take ;ao. notice of the breeder,.; Who advertises,' -and .makes af.boast, of having, his' stock on-.to' lay -at: four -months. Bather' pity him,-: and, • .above, all, ;;dpn't # invite trouble' by purchasing, his . stock."" ■ Give thf ybung! stock good .wholesome grain, ■ foods,.-plenty,: of "green, feed, :and you will ..be.amply repaid when.laying, is begun,,'','; : %\ tl^.'^ j • -Cable advice from Vancouver stt.tes tliat:. the trial; shipment of eggs sent n few' weeks ago landed-in splendid coudition, and were sold at.ls. 6d. per, dozen. This is highly satisfactory, and shows that eggs can be exported to. advantage from 'New Zealand. Arrangements are now being made to forward further; shipments during" November and December, aiod it is to. bo hoped .that, the business will grow as it.tends!to, give..ehcouragement..t6.,p'r'o-. d'ueers to know, there is .an' outside mar- ', ket. . The ■■•■industry., will',' go ahead by j leaps and bounds once "a : " good.'export trade is assured. . For. many years Bri- j tish Columbia .will,need: large, supplies'of , eggs,;,which.will:be, to. advantage. l to .poul: trymen in this Dominion. ( ; , '-,- ,;: Signs of Progras!,. ; -L : ';■ So. rapidly, is the'- day-old-<ihick business ; | growing in New, Zealand that many breed- ; ers .this season .'have h'adVto turn""''down 'j orders,', being -unable, to supply -the •: de- ; marid,,.' The Now Zealand Poultry'-Insti-.tutei! at Christchu'rch,. has decided,to, I 'or-' der. a' mammoth', machine for next season of. 3000 egg .capacity.' The machine-will •he of /English make, and will-be the firstof its kind in Australasia.' The farmers J finding that_ sotting hens are, unprocurable, are falling back on the day-old-chick supply.'.and .the tireless brooders to reproduce, their stock. ' ' ! ■?'.■'.' ;The Value of. Shells. ' /' . j - R. 3. Terry (the.Tasmanian Poultry,Bsper.t) in a publication just to hand, says: ! "Briefly, the .question-has.now'been settled that a large percentage of. the frame of the growing embryo—in ■ other words,, the ■ chick—is obtained- from the '* decomposition, and: the subsequent absorption, of the lime of the.shell of an:egg. ..This decomposition is brought 'about by the carbonic ■ acid- gas from tho• hen's body. Now, it is not only a reasonable deduction, ' that' if "alien is laying, say,"2oo' eggs or over in a year, it is probable that ■the contents .of her-eggs and also the shells, do not'-contain -as muoh lime and frame-growing material as the eggs-of the hen which: only-lays, say, 80 eggs in 12 months; and as most of the heavy egglayers . have, tho sitting propensity very poorly, 1 developed, a largo, number, of the eggs hatched from good layers are artificially hatched, so that the trouble of the yrant 0f.,-lima, is further, accentuated by the shell not.heing broken down.by,the carbonic acid; gas., Hence the .chick may be, perfect' in'.all-"other respects, except a food: strong bone or-frame; a very serious andicap And-.one'.which will have, to be seriously considered, especially ,by the possessors i.of' certain ■ strains. of ■ fowls:, that have comeunder my.notioe and show decided ..signs. of(;becoming'weedy.".' ..

LAYING COMPETITIONS. ': N.Z.-UTILITY POULTRY CLUB.' : • [Twenty-ninth .week of New '• Zealand Utility Poult™ Club's eighth laying competition for fowls.] - ■;■■<.[ '•':';/■ .'Total--Total • t- ... •-, - for ,to ' ■"•"■ "..' Week. Date. Wm. ! Scull, :.■; Ghristchurch,' • Black "Wyaiidbttes 37- 950 IV W. Green, St. Albans, W. . Leghorns-* ....; 31 904 A. W. Irviue,. Epsom, W.Leghorns, Nq.-1 .......; ; 87- . 842 W. A. Nixon,'Burwood, ; W. .'Leghorns' .....:..............;..;... 36 - 838Hcrotauiiga P.- C 0. ,: Silverstream,. B. Leghorns, No. 1... -35 ' 835. A. E. Kent, Shirley,, W. Leg-' ' horn's : •.:.. : ..,...:...;.. 34 ■ 830 H. R.'AVainman, R_\manga, W. Leghorns ; ......' 37 823. H.. Lcgcr, Weraroa, W. Leg- ■ ' , ' horns '......'.... ....'.;...., 34 * 822 Prankish Bros.,' Wanganui, W. Leghorns .; .:...... 31 819 Hei'etamiga P. Co. Sitvorstreani •W.. Leghorns, No. 2 ............ '35 817 . Win. Scull, Black Wyandottes, 3—639 • John Wordsworth, Geraldine,. White Leghorns, 32—753; James Ashton, Hahmer, Silver Wyandottes, 31-638; Martin Bros,,' Auckland, White Leghorns, 30-7-808; Verrall Bros., Swannanoa, Brown Leghorns, 26—805; W. A. Nixon, Burwood, Brown Leghorns, No. 2,. 24-733;-H...5. Woodnorth, Winton, Brown Leghorns, 33—733; W. A. Nixon, Burwood, Brown Leghorns, No. 3, 28-804; E.-M.- Smith, Auckland, Brown.': Leghorns, ■ 29—579; .Rangiuru • Egg Ranch,-Otaki, Brown Leghorns, 36—687; R. W\Hawko, Papanui, Brown Leghorns,' 31—725; R. Willis'and Son,. New Brighton, Brown Leghorns, 35—710; A..E. Wilson, Shirley; White Wyandottes, 30—412; D. Stewart, Normanby, ..Whito Leghorns, 30—700; Master. Or. Wilson, Shirley, Whito Leghorns, 33—6/1; Romain Mungbr, Lower. Hutt, White Leghorns, 23—736;' Mrs. R: W. Hawke,'.Papahui,. White 'Leghorns, 33—795; A! Stevenson, Karon, White Leghorns.' 30-590; A, B, Browne*,,' Petan's

Beach, White Leghorns, 34-803; W. Knight, Lower Hutt, Silver Wyandottes, 28—815;' J.T H. Shaw ami It. James, Chnstchurch, Win to Leghorns, 28-706; W. G. Goodwin, Thames, White Leghorns, 22—600; W. A. Nixon, Bunvood, Silver Wyandottes, 51—792; A. E. Wilson, Slurley, Silver Wyandotte*, 17—G69; Misses Bradley,. Papanni, Whits Leghoms, 32— ('0; T. Kennedy, Rangiora, Wliito Wyandottes, 25-*t4s; C. M, Peck, Avotnlale, White Leghorns, 23—553; N. Solomon, Westpprt, Black Orpingtons, 2G-858; C. M. Peck, Ayondnle, Black Orpingtons, 32 -046; G. S.. Bradford,-Oast; Silver Wyandottes, 25-606; A. W. Irvine, Epsom, W. Leghorns, No. 2, 27—726.; Middlepark P. Farm,' Riccatton, ' White Leghorns, 35— 754; T. Strong, Doyleston; White Leghorns, 30-669; P. Keller, Rollcstba, White Leghoms, 34-648; Percy Holt, Papakura, White-Leghorns, 33-774; W. Knight, Lower Hufct, White Leghorns, 37-693; ■G. Anderson, St, Albans, Silver Wyandottes, 32—727; J. W. Bradley and Sob, Fapanui, White Leghoms;'s3—63l; Mrs. J. Mills, Dunedin, White Leghorns, 28— 700; W. O, Sail, Ciist, White- Leghorns, 34—656; Crawford and Pudsoy, Lower Hutt, White Leghorns, 35-792; R. A. Lazarus,. Lower Hutt, White Leghorns, 28—811; -~W, O. Sail, Cust, Silver Wyan-: dottes, 17-622; Misses Radford and Harkeri Ohau, White Leghorns, A. W. Adams, Sheffield, Silver Wyandottes, 25-727; J. Cornet Beckenham; : White Leghorns; Sf-i-7i2;/"E.' H.'Borchatt,'l3l- - White Leghorns, 31-628; T. K. Col-, lins, Lower Hntt,< Black. Orpington's, 2G— | 550; Dominion ' P;: -Plant,!' Coro'mandel, White Leghorns, 30—760; T. Kennedy, Rangiora, Silver ' Wyandottes, 24—741; totals, 1809-43,038. . .". . FORDTJCKS.' .i ; [Returns for 29th week of/ the New Zealand ptility Poultry. Club's third laying competition, for ducks.] ! , ; n\: T'i. for. to' week, date.' Thos. Dowthwaite, Avondale,,. 'Indian Runners ............... 39 872 W.. Knight, Lower HutVln- ' diau Burners '. .... 25 667 S. H.. Scott,.-. Onehunga, Buff- . Orpingtons : 25 684 T. .R. Hall, Wereroa, Indian ■ ,| : Runners ;,.,..'...... 31 921 j T?. Keller, ; Rolleston, Indian. . .-' Bunnerii ~ 32 828 D. 'M. Peck,' Avondale, Indian 'Runners. 33. .680 S. H. Scott, Onchuriga, In- . dian- Runners .;. ......37. 496 Heretaunga E, Co., 'Silver-' stream, Indian Runners'... ■39 595 Miss A. J." Donald, 1 Dunsandel, . Indian Runners .'; .'3O 631, P. Keller, • Rolleston, ..Indian ' ] .Runners 39 688 ! i A WINNER OF COMPETITIONS.'. J The Egg-laying competitioao for 1910-11 and 1911-12.were.both, won by pens, reared on .'A. and P." Chick'Raiser. The first essential for : profitable,; poultry 'keeping.,' Obtainable from all Storekeepers.—iJdvt.