THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1794, 5 July 1913, Page 15

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

« 1 (By Chantecler.) ,

Answers'to Correspondents.

Hutt.—Explanation of tho now system of brooding chicks by a. lamp sufficient to heat a room'to accommodate 1500 requires more space than I oan give you hers. An article will be given shortly illustrating the whole system. The system is beiinjr tried in New Zealand, and tho results will be riven in this column. "H.W.L.," Dunollie—Dubbing means cutting off tlh.e comb of the male bird. It is done in cases where a good breeding bird has met with an injury to his comb, causing it to lop over, when tho comb has a tendency to run to an excess of size, it is an advantage to dub the bird. The operation is simple. It can ba done with a large pair of scissors or a i sharp knife. Boracic acid applied to the wound stops the bleeding. ' . Ibid. —Ducklings may be hatohed in, nreless brooders, but when large numbers are raised l , lamp brooders are preferable. • * Ibid.—Nicking means a skilful blending of those dhairacteristice it is desired

to perpetuate in the flock. "8.J.P.," Eltham.—To hatch ducklings successfully, you require to watch the moisture supply carefully. The air oell must come down well during' the first three weeks, if not the duckling has no room to work cm the day of hatching. Moisture may be added by spraying the eggs with lukewarm water. , , "J.W.," Hataitai, asks an important question re male birds in the pen. His letter runs"Begarding the advisability or eifeot of running a'male bird with laying fowls, one reads one day that the presence of a cock does not'influence the egg yield one way or the other, ajrd the next day you read (I saw it in the poultry notes ot some paper, I forget which) that a male bird must not be run with 1 the laying flock. What do you say? I ask because laßt-year I averaged six eggs per day from nine hens, and this year'l am only averaging between seven and eight from eighteen (sewn of last year s hens and eleven pullets). I have plenty of room, I think, for the increased number, eo crowding is not to blame. This year I hare a Pacinian oockerel, and I am wondering if his presence is responsible for the lack of a reasonably higher average. Am I unwise in keeping the cockerel, and if so, what is one to do, m., view of the approaching breeding season? To pen him by himself would only wear him out running backwards and forwards to met out, and .I have no. run out of ejßht of the fowls. I may say that my little flock is looking in splendid fettle, and. nearly all, I think, are laying—all but about three or four at any rate. I quite admit' that one is apt to read strange kinds of advice in different gapers, but many of the repeat la same old fallacies copied from one paper to another. Practical advice should be your guide. It makes no difference to the egg supply, but, it does to the quality of the egg to include a male bird with the hens. In summer tho eggs soon decomposo and lose market value, and for this reason the male bird should be taken away, so that the eggs may have better keeping properties by being infertile. The difference in your egg supply may be due to the different' strains you admit tnat you have, or to 'the difference in ages of the birds, or maybe your feeding is not; the same. Would advise your removing the male bird as soon m the breeding season is over. I should add that tne season has a. lot to do . e ?^ supply. Last year ,the hens aid late into the autumn; this year they left off early, and henc® the dear prices that have ruled. But this year the hens are back to -lay earlier, henoe tlx' drop in prices how. I think you will find in this an explanation to the difference in your, supply, and you may look for better averages from now on. Ibid.—The meat..meal has, values, ' for, the "period you montidn.. i_at\may bo devoid of 6omo of its moisture, but ... -its feeding value will not be impaired, ' unless it has been "kept in a damp (place, and become mouldy, m which - case I should- not use it for fear of ptomaine, poisoning. Canadian Progress. ' Thie writer has received a, very instructive booklet from the Canadian Board of. Agriculture, setting forth, the reforms that are being instituted in the markets of farmers' eggs. It is a yaluable pamphlet, and further comment will be given next week.

Masterton Man's Appointment. Mr. B. 0. Jarrett,' o« Masterton, has received the following letter from Mr. D. O. Lively, Chief of the Department of Live Stock, in connection with the Pana-ma-Pacific International Exposition :rWith the authority of President, Charles C. Moore, Director-inrChief, Dr. F J. V. Skiff, and Director of Exhibits, Captain A. C. Baker, I take, great pleasure in appointing you a member of the Advisory Committee of the Live Stock Department of tho Panama-Pacific International Exposition, charged with the* duty of encouraging a display of poultry from New Zealand that is in _ keeping wfth the importance of the industry. Please use every avenue of publicity to that end. Your patriotic devotion to the poultry fancy and your success in promoting an international as well as local interest in poultry will inspire confidence among the exhibiting members of your association who might come to San Francisco in 1915. This Department is inr debted to the American Poultry Association for information as to your interest in poultry culture. The assurance is made that any exhibit which may come from your country will be gladly received, and will be given special attention. It is purposed to hold in San Francisco in 1915 tho greatest poultry show that the world has ever 6een,. and your co-opera-tion to that end i 3 earnestly solicited. . This appointment will continue in effect until the close of the Exposition. Your acceptanco thereof as a direct and personal representative of- the poultry industry of New Zealand will insure the success of the poultry section and will be a source of congratulation to the Panama-Pacifio International Exposition, to. the members of your association, and to this Department.

A Progressiva Stats. We cannot help admiring th« t aggressive policy of the Government m Now South Wales. It makes ono feel as if 0110 would lov© to bo in the battle of progress. 1 The poultry industry, is receiving great attention, and we cannot help but think that every encouragement is given to indue© the poultryman to market his goods and produce them in the largest quantities. One groat advantage the Now South Wales poultrymen have is in the marketing of poultry. The Bailway iJepartment furnish poultrymen with coops free of cost. They hold twelve pairs of fowls, and are taken free of charge to any station required. The freight of the birds to market is very small, and much less than in. New Zealand. The coops are not allowed to leave the railway premises unless a deposit is left with the stationmaster, and if not returned within three days they are charged demurrage at the rate of 2s. 6d. per day. Here is scope for improvement in New Zealand. At present farmers have to pay railage on. coops sent to them, and the raiiago in with the goods and out for the empty crates making Diarkoting expensive.—"New Zealand Poultry Journal.'' [The above paragraph has been quoted in an English poultry paper, and used ns an argument for the British Board of Agriculture to devote more time and money to developing the poultry industry.] Things Worth Knowing. To start correotly is one-half the battlo, and this is certainly so in poultrykeeping; To nail the roofing-fpit on to the poul-try-house roof securely will prevent the former from tearing and tho latter from wearing. \ To treat the ontsido of tho poultryhouse at regular intervals with tar, or similar preservative, will prolong the life of tho house and make it the more rainproof. To koep a box inside the poultry-house filled with a mixture of crushed oystershells nnd flint Brit will lend aid to egg production. To isnlafco a bird directly it shows siuns of sickness will prevent other fowls catphine tho malady. , To keep & resulw supply of clqaa

TOtcr both inside and outside the house will f urther assist to ensure a full eee nskei, 1 To seep an eye open for lice and vermin, in corners and on tho perches, will bring its duo reward in the way of healthier stock mid cleaner houses. To raise the eurtli insido the house is beneficial. To buy and to give to the birds some Rood corn is far better than tryine to economise by purchasing 1 the cheapest food obtainable. To have good paths leading to the chicken run will greatly add to your pleasure and to tho upkeep of your temper on a wet and muddy day. To keep one .breed of fowls and understand their characteristics is better. thrun stocking your place with a dozen varieties and make a mess of ■ the whole concern. . {To onconomise is good, but it is extremely bad if tho birds have to suffer in consequence. To admit you are a failure as a poultry-keeper when you cannot get egss, or make the birds pay for themselves, is better than preaching that you have met with great success and lose all your monoy. To ask when you do not know is better than being proud and doing tho thing you ought not to have done. To pay for the damage if your fowls get over into another garden and eat the owner's prize plants is cheaper than raying a solicitor to fight the case, and ultimately paying for the damage in addition.

To securely fasten all wire-netting is a sure preventive for the keeping within bounds of the average fowl. To know what to do is one thing, but to know how to do it is another.

. To tell your friends how well you can truss a chicken is dangerous, because they may ask you to do it for them one day! And, finally, it is a fact that to use a little common sense in all matters pertaining to poultry is better than a lot of elaborate ideas.