POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 252, 18 July 1919, Page 16

POULTRY NOTES

Colds in' Young Slock, At this time of the year young Block arc very apt to eaten touts, especially it' I lite weather is at all eliaugeame aim the conditions under \vnit'll u<-y. arc i;ciit i« nut liivourauie m every respect. Jiany eases of eoias atiec-iing young birds, sum in an advanced stage, nave been'reported, says Air. i\ C. jiruivn, Uniei Uoveniment J'utnti-y uis.ruelor. Lolas are umaiiy trie result ol allowing bnus to sleep in .'llvoiuuatcii anu mriy ijuai'iers, whereby they become ovoi'-lieatca ny incut, and ale susceptible to cum Ui.mcuiaa-iy tney go out of doors. I'roijabiy ine greatest wcaj;-nis.-:fi in ims respect is the Keeping of welliii'oiva birds m a smail cumuteu coop wnioii in mo ordinary way wouki 113 only suitable for a hen and a small brood 01 youiiit cnicks. 'I'hc want oi suiticient air-siuee is generally responsible ior Ue trouiits. At one. place in: uron-11 iound | no lower man u.s'nt ncariy matured ptuleis noused 111 a coop in. by oit. Jn tins no propjr means 01 \. j .ir.iia,tioii was provided, tno only opening: being a small door by wnien live birdß eiitereu and leit tho eoop. 'true, tuey iiad a free range by day, whit'.i nclpea them 10 combat me ilieu'ceU 01 Ine uiifavowaulc night conditions. L'onnned quarters, however, uro not always responsible for colds. Sometimes they arc due to extremes in other respect, sued as exposure to wet and cold, or by allowing the birds to sleep 111 a cuaughiy house, etc. The most common symptoms of colds are sneezing, cyc3 watering, and a discharge from the nostrils, to which di. oust adhere. In severe eases the dit.„ii>rgc will usually be found on the feathers under the. wing, by reason of the ■bird sleeping with its head thereunder. When once the trouble has reached this stage tho bird rapidly lose? weight, and its general appearance presents an mititrifiy and feverish condition. For tho latter reason it will drink to excess, and will show little lucliiiatlon for food or exercise. Colds are the forerunner of roup, and should therefore be checked at the earliest possible moment, for if roup once gets a good foothold there is no telling when it will bn stamped out. The first essential is to find the cause and remove it, for, like mcD. troubles affecting. poultry, it. is next to useless trying to euro tho trouble if tho pause is not first removed. During the cij-rly stages of eolds a little Condy's fluid or crystals put into, the drinkingwater, 6uilicieut to give it a rich pink colour, will generally prove clftctivo in checking the trouble. In cases, however, where the cold is well developed 0, good plan is to dip the bird's beak into pure kerosene sufficiently deep only to cover the nostrils, holding the bird in this position until it breathes. This will have the effect of drawing tho kerosene- to the sent of tho trouble. This treatment should be repeated on alternate days until a cure is effected. The beak should be wiped with. a dry cloth after each operation. This will prevent the kerosene frpm getting on the face, etc., which might have ah injurious effect. Some Breeding Hints, The size of tho fowls and the character of their plumage deneiid larpe/y 011 me care and feed they receive. In fact, exceptionally large birds do not make good breeders, especially tho males. If an extra- largo, overgrown, malo sizes a-ny chicks they are likely to be wean. Urn/ maturing birds,, that will not reach the average size of Uie breed. In breeding for extra large size, the tiest results come from mating medium weight cockerels to medium large 12-months pullets, or two-year-old hens that lay large eggs. This mating will produce chioks which will be large and vigorous when hatched, hut the size to which. they will attain depends largely upon the amount and kind of foed they receive during the first six weeks of their lives. If an abundance of nourishing feed is given during this period, Naturo' will tako advantage of it, and plan to produce a mature bird built on generous lines, both as to size and. shape. If, however, tho food given during the first six weeks of the chick's life is scant in amount or nourishment. Naturo will make the best of it by planning 'a- bird of a size and Bhape that will reach maturity in due time upon a, scanty food supply. If hard grain is used entirely It mnsit bo fed sparing to young chicks, but if a llttlo mash is fed alternately with the cracked grain for tho first three or four weeks, the chioks can be given 0, liberal amount of feed, astho mash is light and easily digested. After tho chicks are three or four week/ old a more concentrated ration may bo given, but plenty of coarne, fibrous fo«d is necessary \to develop 'large digestive capacity. To attain tho largest size tho chicks should never bo allowed to put on fat during tho growing period, but should be fed to develop bone, muscle, and largo digestive oapacity. ■ Larger chicks can be reared better on oats than on tw other feed, as tho grain is high in ash and protein, the elements which go to produce bono and muscle, and the hulls cause. the development of large, strong, digestive organs, which aTe tho prime fac--1 tor in producing either large-sized birds or heavy egg producers. Boiling the oats ! affords variety, and renders them suitable to feed to young. Increasing tho number of - 6tock kept does not necessarily mean increased profits. Strict attention to details is tho great determining factor, tho essentials of which arc tho right class of stock, good housing, cleanliness,'and a sound system <jf feeding. A. most common cause of hens flying ont of the run is their not havo a sufficient supply of food. , A good layer must necessarily bo a big eater; and must therefore have a large crop-development. Absolute cleanliness is tho great safeguard in keeping Insect peßts at bay. Overfeeding of rich foods and want of exercise are the ohiof causes of leg-weaknes in growing stock, while it is sometimoß due to constitutional weakness,