POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 146, 15 March 1919, Page 12

POULTRY NOTES

. » _ (By "Ohanticleer.")

Hints to Beginners, Every tlo&eu eggs of marketable size nvc said to contain' one pint of /water, so you will see how necessary it is to always Jiavo a full supply of water available to tlio birds, And a very necessary item is to.su,pply clean water. The lim.'s machinery will use dirty water tip so that the egg look? all right, but, good though the machinery is, it enii't eliminate the rank smell that is associated, with stale, dirty yrater, as if you won't give clean, fresh water every day, you should not bo. surprised when the eggs have a musly odour. Successful poultry-keeping depends not to imi,eh on the breed as on the owner and his methods; the man behind the gun is the biggest factor in the proposition, ■ In handling ducks, t-tike hold of them bv the neck-never by the logs or wings. ,'ln the rearing of ducklings the best results are obtained where a supply or clean, coarse sand'is kept in the dnnk-ing-water. , , A kerosene tin placed on its side and with a round hole cut at. ono end of the top, just big enough for the ducks to <'et their heads in, is the best kind oi thing lo use. Tf the ducks can thoroughly immerse their heads they will always keep their,, eyes clean and will not got "gummy." , / \ . When colds are about, or <lnrin 0 changeable weather, it is ft good preventive of disease to put permanganate of potash in thowaWr, using just enough to slightly colour it. It will not liaim the bird;"to use it every day. The ordinary backyard poultry-keeper could not, do better than .to stick up a shed with" a netting run m front of it. v aud beyond the run'have a strip-of land for growing green stuff; The shed to be 7ft. 6in. high in front. - and 6ft. 6m. at the back, with a gap of 6in. next t£e roof at the back for. ventilation purposes, vThe shed to be divided into as many sections .is desired, and the runs should bo cut up in the same way to give a yard in front of each division. Each shed section should be divided by fixing across tho centro ,an 18-in. board on its side on the floor, and tho space beyond the purchase should be - filled with scratching litter. On cola, windy, or wet days, the birds should be confined to tho shed, and they will beep clean, lay better, because of the warmer conditions, and tlie gathering of e«v.s will be attended with comfort. On dry, sunny' days, they should be let out into the run.in front of the shed for necessary exercise, and when the winter is over they may be allowed to Tun outßide for good, and will then bo quite fit for breeding purposes. If there ib a run in faint for exercising purposes a 10ft • by 12ft. shed will accommodate 20 grown 'liens.- Every three months or so the scratching litter should be replaced, the old stuff being shovelled into a. harrow. '"heled down tho yard, and pitched -vr r*v foiK-e on to the rrreen-feed plot.It is a good scheme for the suburban backyarder this semi-closed house proposition. <