POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3160, 11 August 1917, Page 13

POULTRY NOTES

(By Chanticleer.)

QUESTION BOX. The N.Z. Utility Poultry Club recently held an evening dovoted to questions. The following are soino of the Questions and answers :— Question:' "What are the praclioal experiences of moinbers in in or fine-breed-ing?" ■, ' Mr. Kajsdcn ; said ono wanted to bo an -export to tackle line-breeding. i£e thought it safer to get < fresh, blood. JTr. C. Atkinson said he had found nothing harmful in lino-bueoding. He understood the first rule in exercising linebrocding- methods-was.a:sound.'.phys.idue,. Because the faults we're aa - faithfully transmitted as were the features one strives for, and therefore, unless the foundation was sound—which in tho caso of the utility poultryman is the physical edifice Quickly. crumbles, ifr. Atkinson referred to the team he had in last year's competition; three of the hjrds line-bred and three wero not. At the close of tho competition two of the three line-bred pullets wero still in profit, but the others wero in the moult. His single .pen.bird was line-bred also and going strong at tho close of tho test. Mr. A. E. Wilson contended that a breeder did not establish a strain until it was inbred or line-bred. He was as satisfied that in 08-line-brecding was as important "in its applicability to heavy laying as it was- to tho fixing of the show points of the exhibition specimen.

Question: "What is the reason of tggs having two skins, the inner skin being 60 tough as to make it almost impossible for a chick to get out of without ■ u'elp'?' ■"" "\ .'"" . ""• ..Mr. Hcwin'son. piloted tho Iter.. .Sturgcss, who said the skin would bo brittle if the •- help?" -.!.-- - Mr. 0. 'Atkinson said ho believed the reason of the membranes or skin enveloping the contents of an egg being so hard .. -or-.'tonjjli"tljat:--.-thc • chicksreannot-ireak-through'was' one of the problems "that' were hard to solve. Sometimes these membranes became glued or joined together during incubationj preventing, tho 'influx of 'air; which should - be plentiful .in the cavity,' and the oxygen of which is the life of the embryo" chick, so ths latter is suffocated. . Another member said he had always found a greater percentage of this class 'of egg. in flic'early part' of the'6«ason, when cold east winds abound, and the breeding stock were restricted, in exercise. Question: "Is it advisable or not to give meat in moderation to breeding hens?" ■JXt.. K. W. -Hawk* .said-he did.-juot-con- ■ sider ■ a 'little- meat harmful to • breeding hens. The most vigorous ones he possessed wero in an orchard, and they spent hours', scratching fp' geV.insect llfe'biit of "the ground. When incubating he'generally got eighty chickens out of one hundred eggs..- z ■ ■■/'_- ;'■-. ■' ''• " .. - Question: "What is the surest means of safoeuarding against fire when incubating?"" . ■" ."" '.'■.- "Mr." Walter' Breed • First, the" ihctfbator should be set out of the line of any draught. The burner of tho lamp -should .he kepi as..clean as boiling- iu, soda and water will make it. With Pood oil, often renewed clean wicks of sufficient length, thoro.ughly ..cleansed ..containers between hatches.and flame burnt neither too high nor too low. there will be little chance or an outbreak of fire when inonbating. It was also advisable to test all thermometers;- as- -they-' were- liable- to vary from age and other causes. Question: "What is the best green food for fowls during winter?" Mr. T. Fazaokcrley said ho grew amplo silver beet, and his' blfds enjoyed it. Mr. 8.--E. Mar-sdcn affirmed- that chaff lucerne was sufficient. ■•Mr. A. K. Whiting said he had found: chaffed green oats excellent, and he had never had moro eggs than during this ■winter.