POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 181, 26 April 1919, Page 12

POULTRY NOTES

Notes for the Novice. Tick may lie kept off fowls by giving eaeli bird a bit of bread dipped in herosine. Tho odour peniicaUia t-he body, and is most obnoxious to this insect- post, which, while the odour JasU, will keep uff the fowl. > . Green food is required .ill the year round to obtain the best results in the poultry vrird, mill it is especially necesBifry in the hot weather, when the bird* are slack and out of sorts. If you cant manage the tjreenstuiV, soak some elian in hot, water overnight, and mix the liquid with bran aad pollurd next morning. If you can't nuinage tho ehail, dissolve Epsom aaltH (one packct to 20 grown birds or to 30 half-grown ehickens), and add to hran and pollard once or twice a week. If you aro too tired to use the salts, then all you can do is not to worry when the birds.becomo sick through the lack of a blood cooler. ' In feeding grains to tho birds, don t forget that those that have a lot of husk are apt to cause internal irritation and inflammation if led too continuously and in a raw state. If these grains are fed the fibre of the husk may bo broken down to a largo extent by cooking. Takeiuall round, good, clean, wheat is probably tho best grain food for fowls. It doeß uot contain much egg-forming material, but it maintains the tlesh and blood in good order and condition, although its over-use will cause the formation of internal fat. . At this timo of the year, when the birds are becoming slack, and therefore more liable to contract aiiy ailment that jia.y bo about, it is a good preventive to aad a few Condy's crystals (permanganate of potash) to tho drinking: water; just sullicient to colour, tho water.a light pink. In the handling of the heavy birds don t forgot the point that they, should ha\e moro greeu food than tho light, skinny layers. The heavy breedß aro not so active, and consequently are more prone to lay on internal fat. ' Tho greeu Btnff acts as a preventive in this direction,"inasmuch as it ia a laxative or scouring agent. The best way of'getting I'owlb through the hot weather is to dainj) a soft patch of ground with water and rig up a shade over it; The birds will scratch holes m the damp earth and lie in them; also where they can back up behind shelter from tho wind, they "will get on better. Wind is destructive to fowl 6, as it quickly puts them off their food and out of sorts generally. There should be no male birds with the lienß at this time of the year. They aro only wanted for breeding purposes, and ore useless lor any other purpose except to ■ eat. There is a natural breeding season for every animal and so far.as fowls are concerned the time is in the spring and early summer months. Why? Because at this time tho weather is warm, insects are moving (tliey provide tho natural food), tho grass is going to seed (and the seeds are natufal l'ood), if the hen leaveß tho nest for a long timo no ill results occur, because tho weather i? warm, and the embryo in. the egg does not got chilled. Finally, because it is Nature's time for production. If you don't want diarrhoea among tho birds, keep the drinking water in- the shade, and supply a- fresh lot every day. Sun-warmed water is.a prolific cause of the disease, and particularly so if it is stale. The reasons?- Warm, stagnant water is an ideal breeding place for noxious germs. Disease may bo prevented from spreading ..if the iirst affected bird is removed at onco from the yard, and the drinking • vessel scoured with boiling hot water. Why should the -water not be scoured? Because a-sick fowl is almost always a fovcrish fowl, and a feverish fowl drinks a lot, and in the drinking quito likely leaves 6ome germ-infected mucus in tho water for tho other birds to pick up. The boiling hot water will kill the germs, hence tho reason for - the scouring. It you fiud any of you old birdß weak on their legs and are suro there ia no tick about tile place, you may treat tjhem for rheumatism as follows:—Dissolve Kpsom salts (1 packet to 20 birds), add to tho bran and pollard, and do it once or twico a weolt. For local treatment rub t-he legs every day ivith turpentine and salad oil (half of eileh) until cured. , - .

EGG-LAYING

'UTILITY CLUB'S COMPETITIONS. The New Zealand Utility Poultry Olub'B fifteenth egg-laying competition opened on April 8, . and will continue till March 31, 1920. The following aro tho sccoiid week's results :— ' SINGLE BIRD CONTEST. LIGHT BItEEDS. Total Wetkly to total, dato. White Leghorns— W. A. Gee and Son 0 3 Groeii Bros. (No. 1) 5 9 .. E. K. Maraden 6 9 J. B. Merrett.- '■ 7 10 'I'. Fazaclterly' 5 9 * ■ Beck and'Oaliloy (No. 1) .. 5 9 W.. Newell 4 4 George Gee 4 8 W. 0. Sail 0 0 Calder Bros. (No. 2) 5 9 , . Beck and Oakley (No. 2) ... 5 9 Green Bros. (No. 21 6 8 ; 11. Williams (No. 1) 6 10 ■■Miss .Inssie James 5 9 Waitoitoi Stud Farm 4 4 Colder Bros. (No. 3) 5 10 H. Hunter 0 0 ■ Calder Bros. (No. 1) ;' 6 8 ■ S. L. Beer 7 10 .1. Liggiiiß 6 9 G, 11. Bradford 1.:..;... 5 10 Mrs. E. D. Hunter 6 8 Black Minorcas— ' Mrs. lioach 5 10 Williams 5 6 Totals ! 110 181 TWO YEAKS' TEST. Traeey King 0 291 W. A. Gee and Son 3 264 . E. E. Marsden ;....... 0 191 Totals 3 746 . HEAVY BREADS. Total Weekly to total, date. American Barred Rocli— Green Bros. 5 10 Black Orpington— J. M'Douald 6 8 Rhode Island Red— H. Hunter 0 1 Totals 11 19 EXPERIMENTAL SIXGLE PEN CONTEST. Total Weekly to total, date. 0. Itenn (Black Orpington) 6 7 H. Meadows ami 11. Hoss (Whilo Rock) 6 11 0, H. Bull (Rhode Island Red) : 0 i ■ Beck and Oakley (Silver Wyandotte) ' 0 1 . Progress Poultry Farm American Barred Rock) 0 0 E. li. Ve.rcoo (White Orpington) 0 0 Totals 12 19 White Leghorns— 'I'. J. Richards b U C'aldcr Bros. (tVo. 1) ■..,. 0 0 George (Ice 3 5 Mrs. S. Dick 6 9 S. Dick.......... 3 4 Oaldcr Eros. (No. 2) 0 0 B. Marsden 7 11 Beck and Oakley (No. 1) .. 4 8 Waitoitoi Stud Farm 0 0 . Traeey King ; 0 1 'I', Fazackerley 6 a J. Liggius 4 8 W. E. Gee and Son 4 6 o'. Wilkinson 6 10 ■ Atkinson Bi-ob. 0 0 T. E. Comvay 5 9 Green Bros. (No. 1) 5 9 CtUder Bros. (Xo. 3) ..: 6 7 Green Bros. (No. 2) ' 5 8 Waitoitoi Stud Farm 0 0 Progress Poultry Farm ... 5 8 J. J. Rowbcrry 0 1 . Progress Poultry Farm ... 5 7 Web!) Bros 5 9 Totals 83 LIGHT BREEDS CONTEST. Total Weekly to total, date. Black Minorcas— H. Williams 6 9 White Leghorns— . Green Bros. (No. 2) 2 6 ' S, L. Bcor 10 14 Traeey King 13 18 Bock and Oakley IA 38 MI. F. Blackman 6 11 U. Campbell 8 11 ■ .1. Liggi'ns ! 28 47 N. Stark and Son 15 28 O. J. Norton i 0 0 G. 11. Bradford 7 ' 11 . H. Ball 25 30 llcrotaiiiiga Poultry Farm 14 22 ' il. S. Stevens 10 18 G. Bonnett 0 0 E. G. Terry ... 19 38 ' F. L. Ozanne ! 0 3 0. .11. Izard 9 i 7 J. T. M'Harg ..; 13 26 . W. J. Chambers 22 39 >K. H. Marsden 18 28 C. Renn 23 42 Mrs. K. D. Hunter 21 36 A. Clegs 19 35 J. Nancarrow, senr," 10 20 R. W. Hawko 12 16 Dalmuir Poultry Yards ~ 23 31 Oalder Bros 8 '11 Greon Bros. (No. 1) 14 25 W. J. Richards 0 0 L. Couch 22 39 Master A. Iliiloy 5 9 W. A. Geo and Son 16 22 D.- F. M'Dougall 0 1

Ileclt and Oaliloy 20 3 5 li. T. Wright 0 0 I*. -freeman V 10 lira. Gorinski 23 J8 WuiUiitoi Stud Farm 8 It) W. Davey 2 3 U. -I'l. Tomkies 3 3 Oxford Poultry l''arm 13 26 jr. W. OooinbC!! 24 48 Verrall Bros 11 17 Itaiigiuni Kt'ff lianoli 1 2 (.!. Uee 7 7 ■ Inder and Phillips 19 31 A. 11. Sicilian 10 13 , .1. Jtobertson 14 28 A. .V. Ijovd 10 sail. Graham , 14 18 C. Thomson 29 49 .1. Webb j. 6 7 - T. Hichards 9 15 Brown Ijesrhorns— 11. Hunter . C 0 Verrall Jiro 4 6. Totals v C:t 1088 TWO VUAE-S' TEST. White Leghorns— 1 11. W. Heel! 18 1619 .Mis. Gorinski 4 1558 J. biggins 7 144-1 Blaeit MinorcasJl, IViiliams 12 1089 Totals 41 0010 ■ IIEAVr BKGKDS COSTIiST. Total Weekly to total, dato. Silver Wyandoltes— T. Kennedy 0 0 A. W. Adams 0 0 T. Dowtliwaite 7 ' 11 White lloeks— L. 1). Adams 0 0 American Barred iioelis— D. Allinshair, 0 0 Blaek Orpingtons— 0. 11. Izard (Xo. 2)' 12 18 T. E. Conway (No. 21. 12 ■ 19 W. Hlomfluld 0 2 U. >1. Norton 5. ■ S C. H. Izard (No. 1) 4 . 4 J. Nam-arrow, senr ;.... 6 . n lihode Island Rgclh— P. E. Knyvett 0 0 Totals 4o 70 DUCK CONTEST. Total Weokly to total, date. Indian Jtunners— 1). M. Copland 12 17 G. Bennett 29 50 T. Dowtlnvaite 8 14 W. T. Green (No. 1) 7 13 Mrs. C. H. M'Dougall 0 1 J. Donald 22 23 Heretaunga Poultry Farm 0 0 W. T. Green (No. 2) 9 ■19 . Mrs. E. D. Iluuter 0 0 Totals 87 137 TWO YEAHS'- CONTEST. W. 'I'. Green (Indian It.) 10 MJ3 ■ SINGLE DUOK CONTEST. Total Weekly to total, date. Indian lliinnersJI. Meadows i 7 W. T. Greon 4 4 li. Wadham 0 0 T. • Meadows 7 10 J. Donald 0 0 Totals 16 21

TO-NIGHT'S ORGAN RECITAL . .f. An organ recital will lie given in the Town Hall to-night by Mr. Bernard' L p .. Page (City Organist), and tho programme is one of considerable interest to all music-lovers. It consists of the following:—BorowskiVSonata (Xo. 1); (a Mcdi-tation-Pricrc (op. 90)- No. 40)' (b. Canzona (op, 90) No. 35)—Guilmant; 'Debussy's Eountain—Music anil Duet from (Act 11, Scene 1) "PeHeas aind Melisande"; Piece Heroitiue—Cesar Franck; Arcadian-Idyll "Serenade Musette," "Solitude" (Lemare); Kliapsodie (No. I) Op. 7 by SaintSaens, and Karg-Klort's Air and Variations (upon a Theme of Handel's).