THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1848, 6 September 1913, Page 15

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

(By Chantecler.)

Answers to Correspondents. "E.E.D.," Lovin, writes, complaining of bad batches, and asking tho causo. It is difficult to placo the exact reason. From the description of tho eggs with chicks that did not hatch, thero was an excess of moisture, and tho chicks woro drowned. This is often tho caso. Operators should seo that tho machinos aro well ventilated. Eggs should also bo well aired. This brings tho air-cell down and gives tho chicks plenty of room to turn. Other reasons may also bo assigned. Tho breeding stock may bo weak in constitution, or may havo lacked nourishing foods. Ample green food- should bo given and exerciso provided. "J.T.F.," Hastings, asks tho reason of water bubbling from the intake to a hot-water machine. The causo is air in tho pipes. Tho machino should bo sot perfectly level, and tho boiler and pipes filled slowly, so that all tho air is driven out. Tho word "butlap" user in tho instructions iB tho American word-for scrim. I usually uso a piece of tho blanket in tho nursery. It suits tho purposo well, and. is oasily washed for tlid next hatch. v. "Ibid."—Many of the big poultry-men in America use concreto floors with nothing but litter strewn in them. Porsonally, I fill in tho sheds a foot deep. with clay and loamy soil, and then bed down with litter. Many poultry-mon use tho cement floors, and one can seo no reason why thoy should not bo a success, providing that ample litter is given them. "R. 5.," Hutt. —Watercress is no doubt? a really good green food. You should use it freely. Lucerne is undoubtedly the best and most nutritious green feed, this being shown by analysis. Still, if I were alongside, a good supply of watercress, I should make full use of it.. The best way is to chaff it, and' feed in troughs. "T.R.," Hutt.—Ypu should certainly concentrato supplies. Every time you sell privately you make it more difficult to obtain a uniform and equitable price. One does not find dairymen selling butter in tho fashion in which poultfy-men sell thoir eggs. It pays to appoint agents. Eggs are the only products which lack a .uniform systom of marketing, so join in with others, arid ooncentrato supplies. A Busy seajon. ■Roports indicate a busy season both, in tho selling of eggs .for hatching, and sales of stock. The day-old-ohick trade is growing rapidly, and hundreds are now adopting this method, of. replenishing their yards.- Hatching is now in full swing. Never has the -industry seemed so promising. Years ago people were accustomed to viow with ridicule what tho hen was .doing for America, but now things are changing, and farmers'who used to ignore tho hen are now giving her attention. Tliore is no branch of effort moro suited to help tho small settler than poul-try-keeping, and so far the industry is only in its infancy,. Incubator Hints for Hen Eggs. Follow tho maker's .directions; b<s made tho machine,; do as ho tells you. Don't be afraid to air the oggs;- ic makes stronger chickens. But, uso judgmont. If tho weather is cold and ths machine is in a collar, five minutes morning and. overling will bo enough. Don't opon tho machino for tho first two days, nor during tho last two days. Don't help chicks out of the shell; if thoy can't free thomselvos they would bo better off dead. Besides, tho opening of the door to take tho eggs out from time to time will be the means of killing more than you will save, the intraduction of cold air at this stage being most injurious. Clean the lamp daily, and allow no oil to remain on it: tho heat will evaporate tho oil, and tho fumes will bo drawn into tho machine to the detriment of the chicks growing within tho shell. Run the temperature at 102 to 103 deg. for the first fortnight, and don't worry if it jumps to 104 on the day of hatching, as it will, if tho hatch is to bo a good one. Just before batching tho chicks begin to get a movo on, and tho movement within tho eggs sets up a rise of temperature, so that it is really a good sign. But—.thore is a limit; don't lot the temperature exceed 101 or 105 degreed. Have the incubator-room well ventilated. A collar, with an open door and a window high up at tho otner end is a good place. Havo clean hands when touching the eggs. Turn tho eggs first, then attend to tho lamp and wick. Mako suro that the eggs como from strong, lean stock, and that tho incubator is a good one. , Seo that tho machine stands level on tho floor, and keop it 6in. away from tho wall, in order to allow of proper ventilation. Uso only sound-shelled eggs, of good shapo, have them all the same size, if .possible, but don't uso any under 2oz. in weight. Don't uso oggs moro than two weeks old in tho cold woathor, and one week old in warm weather. Notes for the Novice. If you aro running a brooder keep it cloan; don't allow it to smell. When you can smell it on entering the room you aro in\ for trouble, • Start it at about 95 degrees, and reduce as tho chicks grow bigger. Cover the floor of tho brooder with sand, and put dry chalf on top; chaff makes good scratching for chickens. Don't feed the chicks in tho brooder; mako thorn como out into tho run. Ypu may tell fresh eggs in this way: Plafce in a basin of cold water. If the egg Binks to the bottom and stays thoro, it is fresh. If it floats off tho bottom at all, tho freshness is doubtful, and if it floats on tho surface tho egg is quite bad. Don't keep a lot .of breeds. 1 Specialise in one. Look around. The men who aro boat known, owo their prominence to one breed only. . Uniformity in size and type may be got if tho hens in tho breeding-pen are from the sarno cock and hen, and the' malo bird is partly related to them. In tho poultry yard, as everywhere clso; mistakes must bo mado. Tho man who wius through and gets to tho top is tho man who never makes tho samo mistake twice. Tho man who nover makes a mistake —becauso ho is too timid to try experiments—novor makes anything, .and nover gets anywhere. If you aro out after a lot of chickens you should buy a good incubator. If you wait for broody hens, you will waste too much time, and end up by getting late-hatched stock. Provide plenty of crushed charcoal for your fowls. It is invaluable for growing chicks. Being a bowel corrcetivo and absorbent of evil humours, its use sets up an improved condition of hoalth. Up to date my cxpcrience, in tho matter of brooding tho layora, is that the strongest chicks como from a quick, active, second-season cock' bird mated with second-season lions. In my opinion, of nil tho breeding combinations this is tho best. Give your birds plenty of looso, dry earth for dusting in. Thore is no bettor method of destroying lico than by the dust bath; thoy breathe through tho pores of tho skin, and tho dust smothers them. A good-sized box with some loose, dry earth, somo ashes, and a little sulphur mixed together is just tho thing.- Havo a sheet of iron on tho top of the box to keoo out tho rain.

On Overcrowding. Don't hatch out. moro chickens that you havo spaco for. The chicks 1 an small to begin with, and take up little room, but it is by and by that' a heal of ti'oublo hits you. Give the. growing chicks plenty of room. Exorciso makef for a strong constitution, and the mon tho chicks can scratch' or run about the stronger will thoy become. A bat trouhlo from overcrowding is that the soil becomes saturated and foul' witt tho droppings, and then Nature takes s hand in the game, and smites the birds with somo pestilence or other which ii brod in tho filth that must be associatec with over-crowded quarters. Thfrn the unthinking man receives a sharp lesson •for Nature is a harsh and relentless teacher —violate her laws anywhere, and down you go. Tho man who hatches more chicks than the spaco will carrj must overcrowd, their vitality becomes impaired, tho ever-ready germ effects ar entraneo, tho defenders in tho brooc aro killed, and then half the chicks die off lilco poisoned flies, and half th« man's work goes for nought. In roaring chickens do not forget that flaked oats will build up a big, strong bodily framework —oats aro especiallj good for tho formation of strong bones— and hulled oats for bigger birds is the way to feed them, and it is cortainlj money well spent.