POULTRY INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2570, 18 September 1915, Page 15

POULTRY INDUSTRY

(By Chantecler.J

' BEGINNERS' TROUBLES | F.H.S., Wanganui, writes"May I ask you.to givo.mo the benefit of your experience in : dealing with the following problems:— (1) My firit problem is moisture ivith hatching. I 'aiii -using a 360-egg machine. I had 2*13 eggs due to hatch. The result was ICO chickens, 32' dead in shell, and 42 chipped and unable to hatch, balance infertile. How is it that I had so many dead in shell? Answer.—There are many reasons for ;chicks dying in the shell,, and the -begin!ner is .apt to blame the machine, but ■ there are many causes behind the ,fail'ure. Tlio parent stock may bo lacking in constitution, the breeders may ' be wrongly fed. They may lack exercise, the eggs may bo kept too long before .' incubation, temperatures may bo allowed to rise , too liigli or too low, in-sufficient-turning and" - cooling," .or insufficient moisture': or ■ even ' too much moisture.. Our correspondent. attaches the blame to want of moisture, though'this would not appear to .bo' tho case, as he describes, the. shells having gummed up, indicating an excess of moisture.. The question of moisture has probably mora to do with the unsuccessful hatching of chicks, though there are other phases of incubation, but the air cell is always a fair,guide. In hot air machines the humidity in the atmosphere is usually sufficient without addition to moisture, whereas in hot water machines where the ventilation is more' restricted moisture is usually added. An index to tho' position is usually obtained from the hygrometer which registers the humidity in tho machine. But from practical experience I find the use of this instrument .unnecessary as. the air cell is a sure indication to right or wrong moisture. Chickens will never hatch - well

when the air oell is not down; To remedy it tho eggs should be cooled and turned more frequently. If this does not correct the-weakness they should be sprayed with lulie-warni water and immediately returned to tho machine. The e»ga will absorb the moistu'ro through the shell and when placed back in the warm atmosphere of the machine they will expand.and forco down the membrane. ' I would advise our' correspondent'- in the hot air machino not to use moisture, but •to. givo. more • attention to cooling. It is a machine having. an excellent reputation, 'and the directions of the makers ; do not advise ah addition of moisture. : No. 2—Our correspondent's next inquiry is as follows:—"I have some chickß that have a sort of cramp or paralysis. The legs go stiff out behind and tho toes turn in. I have tried to get tho legs in a natural position, but failed. They look bright and take their food." Answer—Tho cause of this trouble_ ia .evidehtly weak, stock., Faulty constitution is usually'the case of weakness of this kind. Thero may bo one o'ther cause. The brooder has too smooth a floor, and in an attempt to keep warm the chickens' feet slip out behind. To remedy matters, tack a piece of sacking over the 'bottom of brooder, place chaff on this, and yon will find this will help .weak chickens.

■ (4) Will you advise me (a) the height from floor of brooder to bottom of pipes?. Answer (a)—S to 10 inches is. a suitable boight, although this will largely depend on the capacity of your pipes for carrying, .hot water, the larger-the pipes the higheiv they may be from the floor, vas there is a greater heating surface. ' (b) Whether the flow or Teturn pipe should be next back of brooder. • Answer—lt is best for the flow in return pipe- to be in front of brooder as chicks usually nestle towards the back of : the box. It is ( there where the greatest heat is required.'.' (c). How far from baok of brooder should nefcrest; pipei be, placed, and . how far apart should'.the'pipes-bo? -' Answer—The distance the ; pipe should be from the^' back of the brooder would be 8 inches if .it is'desired to place tho hover to cover 'the 'pipes right "to' the back of tho box. The pipe 3 may be 6 to 8 inches apart. . (d) Could I put.the pipes in centre of brooder and have a curtain at back as weTl as at the front?

.Answer-«-You could put the pipe 3, in the 1 centre of the brooder, and have tha hover ( with, curtains attached falling each side ] to the; bottom of the box. Lprefer this < system, as it enables the chicks to get ,< out each side of the hover in the event of the temperature being too high for < them. It also prevents crowding, but at ( the lame time attention must be given < to : ieepintr .'up the temperature of the i pipes. JlitheV system, of_ course, will I work satisfactorily;! but in "the event i of the pipes running at the back of the i box and the hover covering same, it wilt ] be necessary to allow for ventilation from underneath the hover. , N.Z. UTILITY POULTRY CLUB'S COMPETITIONS. The official results of the twenty-third week of the Now Zealand Utility Poultry Club's eleventh egg-laying competition for fowls for the,week ended Tuesday, September 14, are as follow:— - Total Total • , - ' ■ ' •• . for to week. date. . Verrall Bros., B.L 31 503 H. Legev, S.C., W.L. 28 417 Waikaco Egg Farm, S.C.W.L. 32 513 Calder Bros., S.C.W.L. 30 491 Heretaunga P. 0., No. 1, S.C.- ■ W.L 83 451 •N. Solomon, S.C.W.L 31 390 J. Wordsworth, S.C.W.L. 27 445 Dominion P. Plant. S.C.WiL. 31 327 M. P. Chapman, S.C.W.L. ..... 31 401 Mrs. J. Mills, S.C.W.L 33 483 A. R. Browne. S.C.W.L 34 472 Herotaunga P.C., No. 2, S.C.W.L. 27 4G3 T. M'llwraith, S.C.W.L 24 388 C. W&vbu'rton, S.C.W.L 27 340 A. G. Brailcy, S.C.W.L 31 503 Wainoni P. i'arm, S.C.W.L. .. 31 409 Glencoe P. Ranch, S.C.W.L. , 32 527 A. W. Irvine, S.C.W.L 30 391 Ash'burton P. Parm, S.C.W.L. 29 342 Geo. Catteral, S.C.W.L. 27 397 L. T. 'Wright. S.C.W.L 33 494 L. Macdonald, S.C.W.L 33 295 Atkinson Bros., S.C.W.L. ...... 31 ». 349 A. E.Phillips, S.C.W.L. 31 393 Dalmuir P. Yards, S.C.W.L. .. 3G 504 B. P. L. Clayson, S.C.W.L. ... 25 • 427 Green Bros., S.C.W.L 33 400 Jack Green,. S.CAY.L 28 ' 534 A. E. Wilson, S.C.W.L. ... 32 470 W. A. Nixon,' S.C.W.L 28 399 H. S. Woodnorth, S.C.W.L. 30 499 R. Roxburgh, S.C.W.L 23 374 R. A. Lazarus, S.C.W.L 28 392 A. W. Adams, S.C.W.L 32 ' 430 T. Fazackerley and Sons, S.C.W.L 25 381 W. Davey, S.C.W.L. 35 '434. W.'A. Nixon, 5.C.W.L.,...;..... 31 428 R. H., James. S.C.W.L 33 419 R. Mills, S.C.W.L. ..: :..... 33 476 S. L. Leggett, S.C.W.L. .... 32 322 R.. Willis and Son, S.C.W.L. 30 481 George Gee, S.C.W.L. 30 399 Green Bros., S.C.W.L. 27 36G Rangiuru Egg Ranch, S.C.W.L. 28 327 Thos. Kennedy, S.C.W.L 33 . 414 Caldor Bros., No. l, S.C.W.L. 31 486 R. W. Ha'wke, S.C.W.L 29 • 405 Mrs. M'Kinnon, S.C.W.L. 26 401 Green Bros., R.C.W.L. 32 451 ' 1,486 20,950 ■HEAVY BREEDS. 1 Total Total to. . to-^ week, date, A\ W. Adams, S.W. 31 130 Green Bros'., S.W. 19 380 !E. Oakes, R.I.R, 32 ' . 384 Cooper and Wainscott, R.I.R. - 30 514 W.i A. Nixon, R.I.R. 19 • 151 ■ A. E. Wilson, W.W 2G '258 T. Kennedy, W.W. 27' 418 W. A. Nixon, 8.0 .': 32 437 W. L. Walker, B:0 37 474 E. Willis, 8.0. 39 585 W. Bloomfield,:B.Q. ~,.. 34 473 ... - 326 4,384 FOR DUCKS. The New Zealand Utility Poultry Club's sixth egg-laying test for ducks. Returns for the twenty-third .week aro as follow:— Total Total ■• ■: • to to ;' i week. date. ■T;'B Merrett, I.R- .......v. 38 396 T. R. Hall, I.R 39 404 Glencoo Poultry Ranch, I.R. , 34 489 W. Davidson, I.R : 39 370 Thomas Dowthwaite, I.R 30. 290 W. Knight, I.R. •»•••• ' •.,.527 W. Knight, I.R. — . 346 I Wainoni P, Farm, I.R. .......... 5 .99 } (TaUl «Hiv.i , .M. , .w , .'Hv.y.'" 1 "