POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 288, 24 August 1918, Page 13

POULTRY NOTES

4 (By "Chanticleer.")

Lino Broodinu. Mr. 0. D. Ambler, who rend a nnnnr in C i°™ I SS ?-^ P vP ll,b 0" Tuesday evSL lug on Scientific Line Breediiiß," liad a most successful career in England, and is a gentleman o£ very higli Htanditiß in the Wn.? 101 ,v i° rld ' .J" "Pooltry-keeping on Monej-inakmß Linos," written by W. t.l °, n ,' en ' ho P 3 3' a tile following tribute to Mr. Auibier:—"SpecialisinK Pays: LlHewhere m this book I have impressed upon readers the importance of spccialising 111 a certain breed. A fancier friend, Air. G. H. Ambler, has kept White Leghorns for fifteen years, having won in this single breod over 2000 premier awards. I remember his Belling an unbeaten Whito Leghorn cockerel for £42, a record sum for Una variety. This bird had a wonderful record, winning at the Crystal Pfiiace show alone, first P.O. Challenge Oup, Rold medal, Leghorn Club's Challenge Cup, and international championship's trophy." What a day's outing! Layers in Large Flooks. Business an usual" has beon adhere to Mr. S. iiliis at his Mammoth Poultry iarm. isydney, during tho paßi few months of cnsiß in the industry. He is one of those who has been able to obtain regular supplies of foodstull's. The farm still carnos itH thousands of Leghorns and a few hundred other breeds-just how many altogether the owner does not know. Improvements and extensions have gone on and are in progress unchecked. Tho divisional pen syßtem is giving place to large semi-iulensive houses and yards. The comparative teat of the intensive and somi-intensive methods carried out .during the past twelve months at Hawkeßbury Collogo with 200 of Mr. Ellis's hens haß ' a convincing lesson to their owner of the respective merits of tho two systems. And it is backed up by his own experience at home. Mr : was one of those who caught on to the intensive suggestion about n™months ago. and ho spent nearly £SOO m building a block of sixteen such nouses, each to hold forty hens. Now he has no time for the system, even if, as J le , sa ys. any poultry farmer could afford to build sufficient houses to carry an adoauaU stock of layers. Ab an economy of labour and space, especially the former, he is converting hiß plant to the semi-intensive system for his laying stock. He is not deluding himself that he will get as good an average egg yield'as with divisional pens, but he r will carry more stock with much less labour,- and thus show a neater profit. At present he has the block of intensive houses conyerted to the semi-intensive, to hold about 650 hens, and two houses cach accommodatinE 1000 hens. These latter are 80ft.-by 20ft,. built of weatherboards and iron roof, ' tho latter beinp lined with inch pine. ' The floors are of concrete, and half the space is allotted for roosting and the other half is covered with litter for scratching. A further house, 160 ft. t x 20ft.. designed to accommodate 2400 hens, is nearlng completion. With this finished, a couple more on tho same lines will be proceeded with, and thert will be then accommodation for 10.0C0 hens, apart, from the nn.mernim bvondinir, nens. It is plain that Mr. Kllis has no fiiir that the bottom has dropped out of the industry. The.s«mi-intmisive sys'em'hoa not b»en !>dorited altogether on oHhodoy I'ncs. Tho hens cannot be confined if desired, for tbo reason tbftt the w.iJer troughs ("fitted with ball-cocks) are nlaced in th» yards. Th°n, priin. Mr. Ellis, after consldernblo tr'nl. still favours wet mash, and is (adhering to it. The ration includes no o-tiimn 1 food, and thus the h"nvy work this involved in the nasi in eliminated. H» is satisfM that his esc yield has not suffered thereby.