POULTRY INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2217, 1 August 1914, Page 15

POULTRY INDUSTRY

(Bγ Chantecleh.)

Last Tuesday evening the Now Zealand Utility Poultry Club- arranged a debate at Christchurch oil heavy v. light breeds. The Mayor presided and there <was an. attendance of 200. Tho meeting was most enthusiastic.

The deputation that Was to have waited on tho Primo Minister has been postponed, waiting a favourable opportunity for Mr. MaSsey to receive them.

"deatt-in-Sheli;" Why do chicles grow inside the shells, get on all. right iihtil thtj last day or two, and then die P. (asks a- correspondent). Every one knows about this "dead in shell", problem, for every one; from tho best to the worst incubator man, has had to face it in varying degrees ac'cording to.the knowledge and ability of the operator. Eliminating poor stock birde, wrong feeding, and eggs kept too long ; before being used, the problem .still remains. Tho' "dead-in-shell" trouble is .experienced by the best, men, whose birds are bursting with health and vigour; whose feeding is good,, whose eggs- are fresh when used, and wlitise machines and their'handling are all that could be desired; In my ..opinion it i; the fact that the ca'rboiii diox-. Ide (caroonlc. aoid gas), which is thrown off by tho chicks i inside the shells to a' greater decree tSian , at any other time' during- the hatch, cannot get away fast enough', arid suffocates arid poisons the chicks. The hen makes,a nest oil the ground. The car hon dioxide thrown off by her body and by the chicks in*side the' sheels is partly dispersed by tho air which freely circulates around her, and some of it passes into the ground, beneatli the eggs. Only some of it, , mark you, and not much at that. And the small amount, that doe& drop through may bo absorbed by.the earth, or is dispersed by the air which gets ■to work.and, plays,round and -through the eggs when the. hen is oft' the-tfeat. In my opinion, the whole trouble of this ''dead-in-the-shell" business., may- be found In, the inability of. the wooden floor of the machine of the incubator to absorb arid imprison the oarbon dioxide, and the fact that the air passing into tlie incubator is not sufficient in quantity as.ttf be able.to disperse the noxious gas. ......