POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2953, 16 December 1916, Page 15

POULTRY NOTES

(Br Chantkclbr.)

How to Get Fertile Eggs. Tho question of fertility and infertility is continually oropping up, and probably there' is no greater loss in many poultry yards than that occasionod by infertile eggs. Tho cause of infertile eggs and weak germs is usually one of two things —either the hreeding stock is not right, or the conditions and general management of the birds aro wrong. Inbreeding lias spelt disaster in. many a yard beforo now, and it ia well to remember that breeding for high pedigrees has its bounds, and that those bounds can only, be overstepped with, fatal results. Strength, health, and a vigorous constitution on both sides of a mating are absolutely necessary to produce strong, robust chickens, and these must be obtained at all cost. Inbreeding may answer for somo time without any apparent upset, but it must not bo forgotten that a gradually' weakened constitution may bo handed down which will annul the economic qualities of any breed. The housing and feeding of breeding stock are just as important as their constitutional vigour, and no birds kept in cramped, nnventilated, damp, or draughts' surroundings can bo expected to throw healthy chickens.

Feeding lias more direct bearing, perhaps, than almost any otber factor In egg-production, and the nature and com-position-of the diet must be largely governed by the prevailing conditions. Where birds are restricted in the'matter of range a certain proportion of their food must be made up of animal and vegetable products, while those on unlimited range will for a large portion of the not all—require little other than grain foods. Why Eggs Vary in Colour and Siie. Eggs vary in size .and colour throughout the season. The longer tho lien continues steady laying, the smaller the sizo of the egg wilt be. There will also be the samo variation in colour. After tho hen has had bor rest (during moulting) and again starts laying, it may be noticed that the shell of the egg is a dark brown. As she continues laying, gradually this oolcur becomes more light, often reaching a creamy-white in appearance. Colour is given to an egg-sbell by a pigment, thac la located in tho lower sac or, egg-organ. As this colouring matter is more largely drawn upon it- becomes weaker in tint, -which explains this change. In, other words, the heavy laying hen changes the oolour of her eggs more readily than does the' ordinary layer.

It is the same with tho size of the egg. The pullet starts with a egg, which gradually increases in size and weight until, in her second year, she lays an egg almost twice as. largo .-as tho hrst one. In her first year she may start with a good-sized egg, but if she is a heavy layer this size will gradually grow smaller. When a hen becomes too fat the fat accumulates about the egg organs, and she is apt to lay round eggs, double-yolked eggs, long oggs, and eggs with humpß and ridges. The Tecord hens do not lay eggs of as .good size and weight as the ordinary layer, but there is more money in quantity, sinco we sell eggs by the dozen, and not by weight. The Open-front Poultry House. What is meant by a good poultry fy)uso? It is a home that is comfortably built—erected in such a way that it is warm in winter and cool in summer. It must be roomy and convenient. It must afford good ventilation without causing draughts. Going back twenty years, 1 Temember the agitation in the poultry Press about the proper methods of ventilation. Ventilators in the roof, holes on the east and west sides near the roof, wooden chimneys, or, rather, regular airshafts, and all sorts of contrivances wero advocated, and with what results? There were .fifty oases of Toup reported to one that is reported now. Tho stock was continually suffering'from colds, and there seemed to be no end to troubles. But then ■ came a. change—the open-air scratchihg-shed house .became popular, and from that day to this we read no more about the ''proper way to ventilate a poultry house." How to Prevent Insects on Chickens, . Keep the coops clean, dust the chickens at least once a week if they are in care of a- mother hen and put her through the same process. Lice probably cause more deaths among chickens than any other one thing, unless it Tjo chilling. Both are indirect' causes of bowel troubles and both sap the vitality of the little birds, leaving them fit subjects for the organisms of disease which are always ready to ravish the flock. Unclean quarters invariably lead to lice. Lice lead to low vitality, and low vitality opens the way for every form of disease. These things can' often be traced diiectly to negleot, and explain why so many farm flock 6 fail to make a profit. An hour each week sjient in spraying the coopb and m proviuing the hen a place in which to dust herself will make a material change in the prontß of the flock. ; . , , If the hen is given a place in which to dust and if the coops are sprayed a couple of times until they are free of the lice pests, it will require little effort properly to care for them. The longer these things are left undone, however, the harder it becomes to get them righted and the less are the profits in the end. ...ECC : LAYINC COMPETITION. The official results "of the thirty-fifth week, of the Now Zealand Utility Poultty Club's twelfth esg-layins 'l r fowls for tho week ended Tuesday, December 12, are as follow LIGH*T BREEDS. Total Total. for to week, do-to. Verral Bros., B.L. 21 918 Brackenfield Farm, B.li 30 762 W. Davey, Wi. 32. 930 J. B. Mcrrett, W.L. 32. It. G. Shearman, W.L. 25 916 Heretaunga, Poultry Co., W.L. M 829 H. Ball, W.L. ..... 32 9M M. A. Curnn, W.L. 27 934 Dalmuir Poultry *n.r d s, W.L. .. 2V 897 Mrs. H. Graham, W.L. 18 820 J. Wordsworth, W. ; L 820 H. E. Ross, W.L. - jfc 96° R. H. James, W/L 16 742 0. J. Norton. W.L 30 692 Alfred Eaton, W.L. 36 890 SI. H. Walker. W.L. 32 829 Green Bros. (No. 2), Wi 34 949 H« LsEcr, W.L 32 992 J. JJanoa'rrow, W.L 31 1,020 Calder Bros., W.L 31 1,008 E. Pounsford, W.L 29 924 A. W. Adams. W.L 29 977 A. E. Phillips, WJj 23 935 T. Kennedy, W.L 25 803 V. J. Hill. W.L. 31 923 B, P. L. Olayson, W.L 18 916 T. E.. Conway, W.L 28 801 Heretaunga I'. Co. (No. 1), W.L. 28 938 "Rtuiciuru Egz Ranch, WJj. ... 53 994 S. Dick. W.L. ~ 32 930 G. ■ Gee. W.L. !4 853 H. 0. Sates, W.L 25 823 K. P. Amyes, W/L 28 893 A. E. Wilson, W.L. 31 880 Mrs. J. Mills, W.L 35 1,078 A. G. Brailey, W.L. i 30 733 Green Bros. (No. 1), W.L 27 885 Atkinson Bros., W.L 30 944 A. A. Hoare, W.L. 19 781 1.. T. Wright, W L 24 921 Te Anau Utility Stud, W.L. ... 34 938 T. M'llwraith, W.L 3 4 872 It. A. Lazarus, W.L 35 909 11. W. Bower, W.L 32 860 H. S. Woodnorth, W.L 34 799 Hokowhitu Poultry Co., W.L. ... 25 780 Calder Bros., IV-L 30 986 .T. D. Merrett (No. 1), W.L 30 934 Jack Green, W.L 26 1,013 Totals 1,400 43;984 HEAVY BREED TEST. Tolal Total for to week. date. T. Kennedy, W.W 13 609 Green Bros, W.W 15 729 W. Knight, W.P.lt 32 821 ,Y. S. Cooper, R. 1.8 24 811 Miss E. Willis, 8.0 15 833 0. J. Norton, 8.0 26 856 T. E. Oonway, 8.0. ..- 24 965 J. Nancarrow, 8.0 23 887 Miss J. James, 8.0 20 850 T. Dowthwaite, S.W 14 835 A. W. Adams, S.W 21 727 Totals 227 8,924 SINGLE PEN TB3T. Total Total for to week. date. A. S. Cooper, R.I.R 3 156 A. S. Cooper, R.T.R. 6 176 It. H. James, W.L 7 190 T. L. Wright, W.L 5 133 ltangiuru Egg Unnch, W.L. ... 0 137 Green Bros., W.L 7 177

Calder Bros., W.L 4 1M W. Davey, W.L. ; 6 181 J. B. Merrett, WM. 4 111 A. E. Wilson, W.L — 41 Jitrs. J. -Mills. W.L 6 19J Atkinson Bros., W.L 4 161 B. P. L. Olayson, W.li 5 164 J. Wordsworth,' W.L 6 122 Totals 63 2,130 FOR DUCKS. The New Zealand Utility Poultry Club's seventh egg-laying test lor ducks. 'Returns for the thirty-fifth week are as follow:— Total Total for to week, dote W. Knight, I.I! 25 907 Heretaunga. Poultry Co., I.lt. ... 25 1,029 H. TV. Bower, I.E. 28 1,184 Totals 78 3,120 The letters after each entry denote tho breed. «s underßJj., Brown 'Leghorn; W.L., White Leghorn; S.W., Silver 'Wyandotte ;. R. 1.8., Rhode Island Red; W.W., White Wyandotte; 8.0., Black Orpingtoni W.P.R., White Plymouth Rock; 1.R., Indian Runner.