POULTRY INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2600, 23 October 1915, Page 15

POULTRY INDUSTRY

(By Chantecleh.) INCUBATING AND HATCHING OF CHICKENS. The Canterbury Ejfg Circlo held a most successful lueutiiig ut ChritstchurcU last week, ivlien Mi'. 1\ Ward read an excellent paper, entitled "Incubating and Hearing of Chickens." Wo tako the following ironi a Press report:— Jlr. Ward said, in introducing his eubjeet, it was well known that ho kept fowls, but what was more to tho point) the fowls kept hiin. He kept thoni for egg-production only, and oould certainly claim beyond dispute that, notwithstanding what many said to the contrary, it could be done successfully. Mr. Word explained exhaustively- liow ho selected his birds for the breeding pens. Ho nevor bred from birds kept ill closo confinement, and pointed out that it was a mistake to broed from pullets, especially if mated to young cockerels. Linobreeding, he considered, was best left severely alono where strong constitutions and maximum laying wete required. Hot-water incubators ho found more satisfactory under ordinary conditions. Though good results could bo obtained from hot-air machines, they required continual watching. Mr. Ward advised turning the eggs twice . a day, and cooling them for a few minutes at first to about twenty minutes for the last few days before closing the machine. The eggs wero tested twice—on the seventh and fourteenth days—and the machine run at a temperature of lOiMeg. When the machine was closed for tho last three days of the hatch, hot water was put in tho moisture pan morning and night. When tho chickens were all out he left them in "the machine for an hour or 60, opening the ventilators and turning down the lamp, leaving the machine door open for an inch or two at tho top for a few minutes. Tho temperature was thus cooled down somewhat before tho chickens were removed to the brooder. Mr. Ward rears all tho chickens in. cold brooders of his own make, and adopt the following method:—The brooder is first thoroughly cleaned, and tho bottom covered with paper. The bedding, oat ohaff, is then placed in the lower part about an inch deep. Two bricks are then placed in the oven until hot, when they aro put into the bedding and covered with it until it is nice and warm, and it is then ready for tho chickens. The bricks are removed when the chicks aro put in. This is the only time any artificial heat is used. The chickens are best watched v little for the first day or two, in case any of them run out from under the hover into the front part of the brooder and show any signs of being cold, then put them under tho hoveT. The chickens very soon find where the warmth is and givo very little trouble in' this respect. Grit, and food consisting of hard-boiled egg and shell, chopped lino, with .boiled rice and oatmeal mixed, is put in at the same as the chickens. Two eggs, two handsful of oatmeal, about a tablospoonful of boiled rice, a pinch of salt, and a sprinkle of pepper, is the proportion used. After the first two days about a tablespoonful of linseed meal and half a teaspoonful of sulphur is used. The food should be taken away when the chickens have had enough, and given to them again in about an hour. • A little "Chikko" is before them nearly all the time. After the chickens have gone into their hover for the night the food is put in ready for the morning. After three weeks a little Bharps is mixed with the food and the eggs gradually left out; a little mashed potatoes and gravy is occasionally given when the chickens are a fortnight old; and a little meat cut up small is given them froni the very first to make them Tun about. Plenty of chickweeil and ■ cut small is supplied, as well as milk and water for which should be kept vory clean. This is important, if tho chickens are to bo kept healthy. The hover should be taken out e*ery fine morning and placed in tho sun. Mr; Ward explained that the size of the brooder which he used for 100 chickens jvas ,6ft. in length, 2ft. 6in. in width, 12in. in depth, and made of 12in. x Jin. dressed boards. Five inches from the bottom of the brooder two strips of wood lift, long were nailed at/tho side to rest the hover on. • Two feet from tho back a piece was put across five inches high, with spaces (6in. wide) each end for the chickens to run in and out. Tho hover was made of strips of £in. laths to fit on top of the strips at the side and the cross pieces. A squaTe of flannel was then fastened on so as to hang down to the bedding, and strips hung down round the edges. A hole six inches, wide-was cut in the front of the brooder for tho chickens to run in and out of their Tim, end a slide is fitted to keep them in the first week or. two. Two pieces of 3 x 1 is nailed' across the top about two feet apart. At the end where the hover is make a movable board cover; the other two spaces have glass sashes, movable. No holes are made in the brooder for ventilation, as the glass sashes can be lifted for this purpose. . Legs may be pint on the corners, the. height required, if desired. Mr. Ward puts three-cornered pieces of wood five inches high in the corners at the back of tho hover' part to ■prevent any crowding, and a wooden cover is put oh top of the hover itself to prevent chickens getting on the flannel.

Mr. Ward answered a number of questions, and on the motion of tho chairmau was accorded a very hearty vote of thanks idv 'his paper. A special vote of thanks was also passed to the Gordon Hall boys for tho use of the room and assistance rendered at tho meeting.

Helping the Funds. The Canterbury poultvymen ara' evidently keen to help the .various war funds. The Christchurch "Pr-'ss" says: At the conclusion of "the reading of tho paper on "Incubating and Hatching," by Mr. ]i\ Ward, on Thursday evening, Mr. F. C. Brown, tho Chief Poultry Instructor, thanked tho Egg Circle for the invitation to be present, and said ho would bo pleased to attend further meetings of tho kind. Ho announced that Mr. C. Cussen was now stationed at Clvristchurch, at tbe Agricultural Department's office, and his duties were to help to build up tho poultry industry, look aftor tho small person, and go wherever he was asked to assist. During the evening Mr. J. B. Merrett conducted an auction sale of eggs and other gifts. Miss Feltiiain, a recent arrival from Queensland, gavo a hand-painted cushion, which realised .£2 13s. Gd., and a pnir of rabbits, which sold for ss. Tho total realised at the meeting was ,£G 10s., whioh will be handed over to the Canterbury Patriotic Fund, This amount will make the total, up to .£163 ss. for tho various war funds raised by poultrynien in Christclnirch through Mr. Merretfs efforts.

N.Z. UTILITY POULTRY CLUB'S COMPETITIONS.

The official results of tho twenty-eighth week of tho New Zealand Utility Poultry Club's eleventh egg-laying competition for fowls for tho week ended Tuesday, October la, are as follow:— Total Total for to week. dato. iVorrair Bros., B.L 27 018 E. Ljger, S.C.W.L 31 627 Waikato Egg Farm 5.C.W.L.... 20 657 Colder Bros., S.C.W.L 31 052 Eeretaun?a P.C., No. 1 . S.C.W.L 31 607 N. Solomon, S.C.W.L. ......... 32 530 J. Wordsworth, S.C.W.L 25 570 Dominion P. Plant, S.C.W.L. 31 190 M. P. Chapman, S.C.W.P. ... 35 575 Mrs. J. Mills, S.C.W.L 36 1i52 A. B. Browne, S.C.W.L • 30 621 Heretannga P. 0., No. 2, S.C.W.L. 26 008 T. M'llwrailh, S.C.W.L 27 521 C. Warburton, S.C.W.L , 25 466 A. G. Brailey, S.C.W.L. 31 660 Wainoni P..IVm,.S.C.W.L. ... 31 505 Glencoe P. Itanch, S.C.W.L. ... 33 087 A. W. Irvine, S.C.W.L. ......... 32 518 Ashburton P. Farm, S.C.W.L. 28 17!) Geo. Catlcrnl, S.C.W.L 30 527 L. T. Wright, S.C.W.L 29 CM L. Mncdonald, S.C.W.L 30 '107 Atkinson Bros., S.C.W.L. 33 521 ;A. E. Phillips, S.C.W.L 31 516 :Dal»mii' P. Yards, 5.C.W.L.... 32 666 •M. t*. 1,. Clnyson. S.C.W.L. ... 30 55!) Green Bros., S.C.W.L 2!) 015 Jack Green, S.C.W.L 32 68!) :A. K. Wilson, S.C.W.L 35- 611 ..\V. A. Nixon, S.C.W.L '20 510 , H. S. Woodnorth, S.C.W.L. ... 30 656 E, Roxburgh, S.C.W.L 29 522 11: k a! w

'L'. Fazackerloy imil Sons, S.C.W.L. M Kl! \V. Diivov, S.C.W.L :H tit) I AV. A. Nixon, S.C.AV.Ti. lit 502 1?. H. .lames, S.C.AV.L :!l l!»l R. Mills, S.C.AV.L 11l IKl'.l S. L. Leggett, K.C.AV.L iUI -IH2 R. Willis and Hon, S.C.AV.L. !l« (iffl George Clcc, S.C.W.L 1)2 Brill Green Bros., S.C.W.L .'ID . r io 7 I{iiiigiiiru Egg Ranch, .S.C.AV.L. 2.1 -l-VI Thus. Kenucdv, S.C.W.L 25 557 Gaidar Bros., "No. 1, S.C.W.L. :i:i lilil R. W. Mawkp, S.C.AV.T 2G .112 'itra. M'Kinnon, S.C.AV.L 20 5114 Green Bros., It.C.AV.L [15 GIG Totals 1-191 28,T0 HEAVY BREEDS. Total Total for to week. dato. A. W. Adams, S.W .'l2 I'll Gram Bros.. S.AV 18 Hit E. Oakos, R.I.R 26 .V2I! Cooper and AVainscott, R.I.R. 2S (152 AV. A. Nixon, R.I.R 18 224 A, E. AVilson, AV.AV 27 ,TO T. Kennedy, AV.AV 2.1 573 AV. A. Nixon, 8.0 .15 (10,' i AV. L. AVai'ker, 8.0 31 lilM E, AVillis, 8.0 21 738 AV. Bloomficld, 8.0 17 GOO Tofcalil 27G 5891 FOR DTJCKS. Tho New Zealand Utility Poultry Club's sixth egg-laying test for ducks. Returns for tho twenty-eighth week are as follow:—

Total Total for to week. date. J. B. Merrett, I.R 311 520 T. R. Hall, I.R -10 507 Gloncoe Poultry Ranch, I.R-.... 37 (>72 AY". Davidson, I.R 41 55:) Thomas Dowthwaifce, I.R. ; .'!5 458 AV. Knight, I.R Sr. 718 AV. Knight, I.R 21 504 Wainoni P. Farai, I.R 20 1G1) Totals 271 4181 Tho letters after each' entry denote the breed ->3 under: —B.L., Brown Leghorn; S.C.W.L., Single Comb White Leghorn; R.C.W.L., Rose Comb White Leghorn; S.AV., Silver Wyandotte; R.1.R., Rhode Island Rod; AV.W., White Wyandotte; 8.0.. Black Orpington, 1.E., Indian Runner.