POULTRY NOTES DUTCH CHEESE FOR ALLIES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2944, 2 December 1916, Page 15

POULTRY NOTES

DUTCH CHEESE FOR ALLIES

{Br CsAHnctßK.) A Batch of Questions. A correspondent sends us the follow- ' ing, which nearly covers tho whole field of poultry culture:— Dear Sir,—Will you please give mo a little information on tho following, viz.: What is tho best breed for laying, and tho best for table, how to feed. I am feeding on dry inash information I got out of "Gordon's Poultry Book." What is the best system to tell a good breed and a good layer? Should you givo fowls salts? If so, how much per dozen? How many eggs per week should a hen lay to pay to keep her? What as tho best way to help a hen through the moult? Do you throb wet mashes are dangerous to continually feed fowls, and do you think dry mash is poor egg producer? Please give mo your idea w.hich is the best and cheapest method?. Will you please explain trap-nest system to me and the way to work it? Where can I get a poultry book for keeping account of eggs, money paid, food bought, etc.? Has the Government a poultry expert in or near us? Can you tell me how to treat broody hens, and the best sort of boxes to set them in? What is tho best cure for parasites of all kinds? Well, dear Sir, I hope the above will not take up too much of your -valuable timo and ; space.—'G.C.J. Answer: To comply with our correspondent's request in detail would occupy too much time. There is no best breed for laying, as so much depends on strain and system of feeding. The heavy breeds, Orpingtons, Rocks, and Wyandottes, are best for tablo purposes, and aro also good egg producers. The Leghorn is not to be despised. If fed freely and marketed young, it is an. excellent bird. To tell good layers, study type, eye, and constitution. Salts should be given sparingly—a packet once a month to each 50 'fowls is sufficient. If green feed is fed daily salts are not required. A hen should lav at least two eggs a week to pay for her food. To help the moult, feed freely, and let nature take its course. AVet mashes are not dangerous, but.are forcing, and should only be fed once a day. If found too forcing.feed mash three times weekly. Dry mash as a good labour saver, and egg producer as well. Tho expense of both systems aro about the same. A trap nest traps the hen when it enters, and she cannot escapo till released. You can then tell which hens do the laying. The A. and P. Food Company, Wellington, keep an account book for Is. each. The Government poultry expert will visit you on request. Address to care of Department of Agriculture in your district. Put broodies in a pen where there are no nests. Set a lien on a bos without an bottom to it, and make the nest on the ground. Place a little straw or hay -on the nest before placing the eggs under the hen. Use a good disinfectant powder for vermin, and paint the perches with tar and kerosene mixed to keep off red mites. Dea'jh of Layers. "C.S.Y." writes :-I shouM like to ask you the cause of the death of two of my best laying fovles. Thest ],ave both died within the past, month, and under very similar circumstances. I opened the first one and found that all the internal parts had broken away from the back orifice; in fact, what looked like the bowels were protruding. The second case was only yesterday. I first noticed it about noon. I saw that something had evidently burst, and the protrusion was evident. I washed her and tried to push kick' the affected parts, but she died some two hours later in great agony;/in fact, I chopped off her head to save tho poor thing unnecessary pain. The breed is White leghorn, and the birds are good layers. Extra good, I suppose they would be, and the two that have died aro the two best, of course.' I feed every morning table scraps, livening, maize and ./heat, plenty of grit and shell, with as much green stuff as they can eat. If you can help me in above matter I shall be greatly obliged; and if you can suggest nay means of meeting this difficulty I should be greatly pleased to hear it. No doubt others who keep poultry meet the same difficulty. . , Answer:—The weakness is constitutional, and is evident in all good layers. Possibly your feed is too forcing/ You cease the mashes in' the morning and fetd grain. Nothing can be done to save the hird once the oviduct protrudes. The trouble is very apparent among high class stock, and is one of the penalties we pay lor over-forcing nature in its work. It is better to feed for fewer, eggs than take the risk of spoiling your flock. An Amateur's Request Dear "Chantecler,"—l read your poultry notes every Saturday with great.interest, and I only wish you. said more about'the way to treat fowls' little troubles'. My hens lay well, but the fea-< thers beneath their tails are very dirty, so I suppose there must be something wrong with them. Three of them, White Leghorns, are affected in this manner, and' sometimes they, seem a bit miserable. They are not shut up, but run about the farm. They have pollard and bran mixed for breakfast and wheat for tea, and besides this I often cook meat for them. They have a warm, dry house to sleep in, but usually prefer the trees. I would be gfad if you would let me know what fir do for tnese hens.—(Signed) "Novice." • Answer:—Your birds are suffering from looseness of bowels, caused through young grass, and meat foods. Ease off the meat food and feed grains. We will keep your request in view. ECCLAYINC COMPETITIONS. The official results of the thirty-third week of the New Zealand "Utility Poultry Cluh's twelfth egg-laying competition for fowls for the week endea Tuesday, November 28, are as follow:— '

liangiuru Egg Eanch, W.L 2 136 Green Bros., W.I/ j }» Calder Bros., W.L 5 1;9 W. Davey, W.L J Jg J. I!. Merrett, W.'L 5 102 A. K. Wilson, W.L - Jl Mrs. J. Mills, W.L 6 Jfl Atkinson Bros., W.L J }5J B. P. L. Clayton. W.L 6 153 J. Wordsworth, W.L. ■ _J> __™ Totals 61 2003 FOR DUCKS. The New Zealand Utility Poultry Club's seventh cgg-Iftyinß test tor ducks. Returns for the thirty-third week are as follow:— Total Total tor to week. date. W. Knight, I.R. 27 844 Heretaunga Poultry Co., I.E. ... 30 979 H. W. Bower, I.R 35 1124 Totals 92 2947 Tho letters after each entry denote the lircod, os under:—B.L.. Brown Leghorn; W.L:, White Leghorn; S.W.. Silver Wynndotte; R. 1.1!., Rhode Island Red; W.W., White Wyandotte; 8.0.. Block Orpington; W.P.R,, White Plymouth Rock; 1.E., Indian Kunncr.

200 TONS PER. WEEK TO COME TO ENGLAND. Amsterdam, September 22. At a meeting at Gouda of the Dutch Cheese Merchants' Union yesterday, the chairman said that Great Britain had very strongly insisted on the Allies receiving one-third of the available cheese, and had threatened to discontinue the export of agricultural requirements in the event of non-com-pliance. He expressed the opinion that the best thing was to yield to the British demand. Another speaker said that an agreement existed between the Cheese Union and a. similar body in England, stipulating that one-third of the available cheese must bo sold to. the Allies, but, as Great Britain did not wish to pay tho high price demanded by Holland, the result was that; from June 1 to October 1, the agreed amount had not been exported. These arrears would amount, bv October 1. to 4000 tons, and it had finally been agreed to export this amount to England in instalments of 200 tons per Week.—Reuter.—("Dailv Chronicle.)