POULTRY INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2652, 24 December 1915, Page 15

POULTRY INDUSTRY

(By Ohantecx.sb.l

Answers to Correspondents.

"Inquirer" writes:—"l have been reading your notes on poultry in the Saturday edition oi Tub Dominion, and I found tliein to bo of great help to me. X would like to presume on The Dominion's good nature by asking a question. I have a white Leghorn hen, say, about three years. SJio has a lame foot; between the claws right underneath there is a Targe lump— a hard, swolleu lump which comes up through at each side of the middle claw, and I seo now it is extending a little way up at the back of the leg. At iirst it had a black spot in the centre. I have tried several remedies, but without success. Could you please givo me any_ information as to what it might be, and now or what best to do to it? The hen has been lame for aboilt six weeks. She has good liberty to run about all day on a. small grass plot, good water to drink, 60ft food during the days with grass to pick as she likes, and good feed of grain at nights. Thanking you in anticipation." Your bird is suffering from burnblo foot, induced by irregular perches or perches too high from the floor. By repeatedly jumping down from the perch, or by some other means, she has injured lier foot, and developed tho trouble. Coop her, and laneo the foot, and. apply a linseed poul-> tice. When the wound is cleansetti of all foreign matter, apply carbolic oil. "Leghorn."—You fail to give details. Write again, giving the nature of the swelling. . It may be crop-bound or have a watery swelling, or an injured breastUono. , ' "Indian Game."—The cause of your bird wasting away and refusing food is through enteritis. It can only be coped with purgatives and a germicide in the early stages. Your other bird is suffering from worms. We always use a little worm powder in the mash once a week .as a preventive agains.t these parasite. Enterprising Poultry Women, i A short time ago two young ladies. Misses' House and' Sands, in Australia, announced that their settings would be eold during October and November at 7s. fid. each, and tho proceeds devoted to the. Wounded. Soldiers' Fund. These enthusiasts received .£25. Their effort did. them much credit, and should prove a stimulus to others to follow their example." The Value of Cleanliness.' The yaat-of'cleanliness is the primary cause of most diseases among, poultry. Houses, runs,' brooders, yards, drinking vessels, and good:.troughs are often allowed to get into such a state that it would 'be a. miracle to avoid diseases. The secret of avoiding disease is to keep everything scrupulously clean, Disinfectants should .be used, and. as much care taken of poultry to keep them clean as it is possible to give them. Aggressive Papers. The Bendigo "Independent" is; organising a single-pen laying competition, to commence at Kosedale Farm, Kangaroo Flat, on April 1 next. There will be two sections—heavy and light fed on the Wet mash system. One bird constitutes an entry, and the entrance foe is 7s. 6d. The birds are to be housed singly in pens Ift. by 3ft. There will be •three sheet, facing east, each 210 ft. lung. Bach bird is to have her own perch, nest, and water system. Yards lSl't. by 12ft. to every four hens will be provided, and tho birds will be let out in rotation dur : ing fine weather. In addition to the "Independent, the ."Sydney Daily. Telegraph" has given hundreds of pounds to egg-laying tests that 'have proved such educative factors in poultry culture. ; Maize Feeding. i. great number of poultry keepers do not favour maize through the summer, but there are several iii Canterbury trying an experiment this summer of feeding .one-third maiza of taho grain ration, and 'they are pleased with results. Mr. Walron, an Australian authority, declares that best results are to be obtainod by feeding maize, but he makes a proviso that the birds must have access to an abundance of green food. - A Plea for Harmony. Years, ago there existed an unfriendly spirit between the fancier and the utility manj' as it was claimed the former lost a great deal of business by the advocacy of the latter. ! Things are better now, at which an understanding has been arrived. Tho fancier rightly goes on his way in his.hobby; the other goes on making liis living. A- spirit of harmony old misunderstandings are quickly disappearing. . Whore friction does exist it is only among men of bias who are unfriendly disposed in any avenue of life. A well-known-writer says: "The fancier and the practical poultry-keeper are not enemies, but friends; not strangers, but brothers; and if their relationship were better understood there would be no friction between them." As Britishers, we have no time now for petty things,_ and the spirit of good-mil should prevail." Hiflh Price of Feeds. In a few "brief weeks the spirits of the poultry producers were encouraged by tho prospect of cheapor feeds. Pollard went down to ,£6; wheat back to 4s. Gd. Prices have again hardened, pollard being and wheat from ss. Gd. to 6s. These prices will lead to a culling of the flocks, and mean a big sacrifice in the production 'of eggs. To meet these high prices eggs should be regulated in the market, to give a profit. The want' of union is the weakness. Producers squirm at a ten per cent, rise in foods, but calmly lose 20 to 30 ner cent, in marketing and never murmur. Conosntration of supplies and tho equitable adjustment ofm-ices are the most, imperative in the industry at the preseint. Highest Possible at Bendigo. For tho week ended Novembor 11 the •White . Leghorns entered at the Bendigo (Victoria) competition by J.. J. west, or Maling Iload, Canterbury (Vic.), put up tho highest possible score—42. There are six hens in each pen, and they averaged 6 .eggs for each of the seven days of the week. Tho eggs were laid this way—s, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 7—42, On the seventh day, when the eggs were collected there wero six in each nest, and at dusk, when the manager was malcing his final tour of lnepection, he found the seventh egg on the floor of the house. The shell was a little thin, but tho egg was marketable, and, of course) was allowed to count. This was .Gendigo's first possible, and it was only a week or two ago that Burnley, in Victoria, also put up tho highest possiblo for tho weok, so that Victoria is going strong. That consistent South Australian (C. B. Bertolsmeier) had a good week with 41, made up of a 5 and 6 sixes. So is also doing remarkably well at Gattoii (in Queensland), where his Leghorns were a very closo second at the end of October with the score of SOO—B away from tho leaders—and had the top soore—l64—for tho month. It is probable that intestinal _ worms cause more deaths—and particularly among chickens—than any other ailment that affects poultry. Their presence may bo noted by droopy feathers, a listless gait, pale face and comb, loose watery droppings, and emaciation. There are many cures, but one that is simple, and as good as any, is to put some medicinal turpentine in the drinking vessol co that it forms a film on the water, and to supply plenty of chopped onions or garlic. Simple cases of dinrrohea may be cured with the daily administration of a pill made up of chalk and lard. It has not been proved that crooked breast-bone is duo to unsuitable perches. Probably the cause is duo to some weakness in the strain, and the way to. avoid it is to breed only from strong stock birds, and to kill every weakly oiiick. Simple colds may be cured by washing the head and eyes with warm water, and syringing the nostrils with warm water into which a few drops of Condv's fluid are introduced. Tho sick bird should be isolated until cured. Don't throw the bones away. Boiled up, tho water will be rich in. egg forming constituents,, aivl. if the mash .is mixed with it,' the egg supply Trill improve. Don't hutch any. more chickens, .Wkr?.

Because it is too late in the season for them to thrive properly, and for tho reason that they won't turn into lay until the time when eggs are in for the animal run of low prices. There are three things that tho fowls must have to do well. They are-1. Shell grit. 2. Small, sharp stone-grit (for assisting the gizzard, to grind up the wheat, and to allow; its full benefit to be received). 3. Crushed charcoal (to act as an internal filter and cleanser). Tho wny to supply these things is to cut a hole in, a kerosine tin. (turn the sharp edges baok), and fill up with tho mixture, equal parts to each. The liole should "only bo large enough to admit of tho entrance of the fowl's , head-if they can wholly get in they will scratch the stuff out and waste it. I'lie tin should bo so fixed that tho contents cannot become wet. N.Z. UTILITY POULTRY CLUB'S I ' COMPETITIONS. | I The official results of tho thirty-seventh week ot the New Zealand Utility Poultry Clubs eleventh egg-laying competition for towls. for tho week ended. Tuesday, December 21, aro as follow:— LIGHT BREEDS. Total Total for to .. _ - . week, date. Verrall Bros,, B.L. 16 868 H. Leger, S.C.W.L. 29 895 Uaikato Kgg Farm, 8.C.W.L...; 8t 922 Culdor Bros, S.C.W.L .' 33 926 Heretaunga P.O. No. 1 S.C.W.L, ...... go 8 57 JN. bolomon, S.C.W.L 2-t 767 J. Wordsworth, S.C.W.L 19 761 Dominion '.Poultry Plant, S.C.W.L 28 753 If. P. Chapman, S.C.W.L. ... 30 851 Mrs. J. Mills, S.C.W.L 32 914 A. K. Browne, S.C.W.L 26 853 lieretannga P. 0., No.' 2. S.C.W.L ! 21 810 T. M'llwraith, S.C.W.L 25 719 C. Warburton, S.C.W.L 2t 679 A. Ci. Brailey, S.C.W.L. 29 920 Wainoiii Poultry -FaTm, S.C.W.L.- 29 823 G. L. Hayne, S.C.W.L 25 - A; W. IrvinoJ S.C.W.L. : 22 " 785 Asliburton , Poultry Farm. S.C.W.L. *. 22 ■ 713 G. G'atteral, S.C.W.L 24 781 L. T. Wrtght, S.C.W.L 1.... 33 921 L. Macdonald, S.C.W.L 24 723 Atkinson Bros., S.C.W.L 27 790 A. E. Phillips, S.C.W.L 25 781 Dalmuir" Poultry Yards, S.C.W.L. 30 349 B. P. L. Clayson, 5.C.W.L.... 19 778 Green Bros., S.C.W.L «... 32 890 Jack Green, S.C.W.L 33 972 A. E. Wilson, S.C.W.L 28 925 W. A. Nixon, S.C.W.L. 24 792 H. S. Woodnorth, S.C.W.L. .... 29 929 I?. Roxburgh, S.C.W.L 23 771 'ft. A. Lazarus, S.C.W.L 24 765 A. W. Adams, S.C.W.L' 31 '852 T. Fazackerley and Sons, S.C.W.L. 29 781 W. Davey, S.C.W.L 02 867 W.. A. Nixon, S.C.W.L 29 850 li. H. .Tames, S.C.W.L. ". 19 812 E. Mills, S.C.W.L 27. ' 91fl S. L. Leggett, S.C.W.L. 30 . ','46 B. Willis and Son, 5.C.W.L.... 27 858 George Gee, S.C.W.L 28 824 Green Bros., S.C.W.L. 28 740 Ransiuru Egg Ranch, S.C.W.L. 8 604 T. Kennedy, S.C.W.L. 23 795 Calder Bros., No. 1, S.C.W.L. 27 919 -R. W. Hnwke, S.C.W.L 21 754 Mrs. M'Kinnoa, S.C.W.L 25 780 Green Bros., St. Albans, R.C.W.L. 26 885 Totals 1277 40,576 HEAVY BREEDS. Total Total for to week. date. A. W. Adams, S,W. 20 610 Green Bros., S.W 18 692 E. Oalies, R.I.E 20 741 Cooper and Wainscott, E.1.E.... 24 854 ~W. A. Nixon, E.I.K 8 298 A. E. Wilson, W.W 21 "Oil T. ICeunody, W.W. 28 817 W. A. Nixon, 8.0. ;. 29 856 W. L. Walker, 8.0 ; 17 806 lE. Willis, 8.0 .30 983 W. Bloomfield, 8.0 25 835 - Totals 240 8187 FOE DUCKS. • T?Te Kbw Zealand Utility Poultry Club's sixth cgg-Inying test for duiks. .Eeturns for tho thirty-seventh.week are as follow: Total Total for to week. date. J. B. Merrett, I.E. 17 803 T. E. Hall, I.R: 21 877 G. L. Hayne, I.E 13 827 W. Davidson, I.R. 27 . 851 Thomas Dowthwaite, I.E 22 716 W. Knight, I.E 20 1009 W. Knight, I.R. 29 765 Wainoni Poultry Earm, 1.R.... 5 270 Totals .154 6118 The letters after each entry denote the breed, as under:—B.L., Brown Leghorn; S.C.W.L., Single Comb White Leghorn; E.C.W.L., Rose Comb White Leghorn; S.W., Silver Wyandotte; E.1.E., Ehode Island Eed; W.W., White Wyandotte; 8.0., Black Orpington; 1 1.R., Indian iCunner..