Answers to Correspondents.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1818, 2 August 1913, Page 15

Answers to Correspondents.

"Subscriber," Ohutu.—(l) Tho temperaturo .for eggs, is 103 for the first two weeks. It may bo increased to 101. for the Inst few days and during' hatching The best avorage heat is 103. .(2) Eggs should be carefully attended to during incubation. During the three days .they may bo left in tho incubator. : After that they shcnld be turned and aired twice daily. There aro many details. in' incubating eggs. Will give a special article on the subject next week. , (3) If on a small scale, boil the table scraps, add a scoop of wheat, njid mix together with shraps, bran, and meat meal. If feeding on <i dry 'mash, use 5011). sharps, 20 bran, 30 ground oats, 7 meat meal; Sib. may ( consist of salt, linseed, nnd charcoal. "Inquirer," Masterton.—Tho , deputation ' will wait on the Government during August, and bring the matter you speak of. under their, notice. "Egg Circle Member,". Hutt.—You should support one agent. It may seem a saving policy, to market to stive commission, but the savin? is apparent only, as the agent can get better prices when supplies are concentrated. Johnsonville— Hatch the heavy breeds during August and September, the lighter varieties during September and October.

Hints to Beginners. Pcmltry-koepinff is receiving an amount 01 attention at the present time which it ae y er received before. People are begin--1 P,'?S fully to realise the importance of . OTfinch of agriculture, and the possibilities of success aro .being readily admitted, even by those who formerly regarded cocks and hens in a very soeptical manner. There is, however, an ever-pre-sent danger that tlio beginner may minimise the difficulties, and over-estimate bis own capacity, imagining that what others have done, he can do. It is entirely a question of individual capacity, since one man will succeed while another will commit blunder after blunder, until the inevitable end is' failure. There are several fundamental principles which should be studied by every beginner. At the very outset, before even a start has been made, bo should have a clearly-defined plan mapped out as to what is his ultimate object, and all his ■ energies should bo to gain this end. Poultry-keeping is a business, and must be regarded as such— • that is, when it is undertaken with the intention of augmenting the income, or it may bo with . the idea of eventually making a livelihood thereby. The first thing should be to find out which will have the more ready sale, eggs or table chicken's, in fclie • particular district in which a start is to be made. ■ Commence in a Small Way.- • Whether it is to be the supply of eggs or table chickens, or perhaps both, it is always a wise procedure to start in a very modest way, and gradually expand as experience is gained. Very often when the prospective poultry-keeper is fortunate enough to have acquired a fair amount of laud for his venture, he begins by stocking it to its utmost capacity, acting under the impression that it is a. waste to allow any part of tlie land to remain unoccupied. This is, however, false economy, and will probably end in trouble. A con- : siderable amount of experience is needed to successfully handle largo numbers of fowls, besides which. When all the space is occupied, no room is left for development. To start in a smaJl way and to learn something about the work in its initial stages is an excellent rule, and is applicable to every, beginner. Economy nt the commencement is also, a matter for careful consideration. Very frequently one comes across cases in which the beginner has seriously crippled himself financially at .the outset by the purchase •of quite-' t|.nne_o&9nry." appliances/-, and when it comes actually to getting the fowls he economises by- obtaining inferior stock. This is, indeed, a fatal mistake. Leave fads severely alone, and allow those who take up poultry-keeping as a reoreation to ' indulge in luxuries. Egg Production the Main Object. When it is intended to produce eggs for marketing purposes,. the most profitable .plan is to start with two breeds, of. different types—one of the non-sitting breeds. Leghorns for preference; while the other breed should be'one or other of-the heavy winter-laying class, such as Wyandottes, Plymouth Bocks,'- or Orpingtons. By adopting this plan there . is greater chance of securing a more even distribution of eggs throughout the year, the nonsitters being Essentially summer layers, while the' general-purpose breeds will largely be responsible for the winter supply. Table Chickens the Main Object. There are only certain conditions under which even the most experienced should attempt to rear the best class of table chickens, and we would most emphatically advise the beginner not to risk much capital in this direction until he has had some practical experience. It is neces-' sary to understand the principles of housing, including proper ventilation, and all other necessary features, such as cleanliness and sanitation, and also something as to the general feeding of fowls. These are not sufficient credentials, however, to warrant the attempt to rear first-quality table chickens, since it is qnito an art to have chickens in tho best edible condition at the proper i»e andiat the right time of the year. The beginner will be well advised; therefore, if he is bent on supplying the markets wjth table birds, not at first to attempt to compete with others who have grown grey at the work of producing the first-quality article. Rather keep breeds the' pullets of which will pay in their egg yield, and the culls and surplus cockerels Can be fattened and marketed for table. .Thus the owner is slowly and surely gaining experience in the many intricacies of preparation for market. In this connection tho Faverolles is a breed that can bo relied upon to show a good profit, either as a table bird or as a layer. The Faverolles, probably, grows mere rapidly in its earlier stages than any other breed, and herein lies its great quality as ft table bird. Furthermore, it is considerably hardier than any of the purely table breeds, and does not require the same amount of preparation. The whito Orpington is another breed, either pure or crossed, that, to a modified_ extent, can be relied upon in the same direction. When some experience has been gained, and provided the locality demands it, there is no reason why the novice should not aspire to reach the top of the tree, and pin his faith to the Dorking, a breed which requires no words of ours to prove it to be the finest breed for the purpose that there is.

Purchasing the Stock. One may endeavour to mtet tie demand of the district by keeping breeds of the right class. Tho situation of the runs may bs all that can possibly be desired, the houses may be of an excellent type, feeding' may be strictly on the right lines, and the general management satisfactory. Yet all this is of small avail unless the stock is of good quality. It is a very common fault among beginners to be' lavish in their expenditure over appliances, yet they seem to begrudge a reasonable price for their stock birds. No doubt this is merely a proof of their inexperience. Wo do not suggest that fancy prices should bo paid, At the same time, it is a fatal mistake to save a few per bird under the impression that it 19 starting on economical lines. The stock, both pullets and cockerels, should be typical of their breed, and they fihould possess every characteristic that denotes stamina and sound constitution, since these are of first importance in the selection of- utility stock.