POULTRY NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 22459, 2 October 1936, Page 2

POULTRY NOTES

FAT BIRDS ARE NOT PRODUCTIVE With birds that show a pronounced tendency to put on fat—and some will do so notwithstanding the nature of the mash served—the best thing to do is to make them work. Scatter the grain ration in deep and open litter. Some birds, like other creatures, will put on fat balance the ration as one may; they are only -fit for table purposes, unless some of their superfluous fat is worked off by exercise. A bird may be weighty and in good condition for profitable laving, but such a bird has not accumulated internal fat. Too much internal fat clogs up the system, prevents the functioning of the organs, with the result that the proper production of eggs is impossible. If all the birds are putting on fat then the fault lies with the management—i.e., the serving of an unbalanced ration. Probably too much maize or potatoes, or it may be too much is served at a mead, with the result, that the birds do not exercise. Too much wheat may be the cause. When wheat is thrown into the litter and the litter is not deep enough, the birds get what they really require too easily. Healthy birds are always eager for their food. In other words, healthy birds are hungry birds. When birds are in full lay they consume a lot of food, and do so eagerly. Watch the birds at meal times and feed accordingly—not to their production of eggs but according to their eagerness to eat.

SOUND FOODS—BETTER BIRDS. Clem Watson (a regular contributor to ‘ The Poultry World ’) directs attention to the fact that the poultrykeeper is often in a quandary as to the most economical and yet efficient food for his fowls. He remarks: “One has only to read through various formulas to see how they vary, and in many cases ingredients are mentioned which are difficult to obtain. The small man looks at a composition of a balanced ration, and he immediately arrives at the conclusion that as he cannot be bothered buying all the little things given he goes in for a made-up meal which saves him trouble and worry. Those who read the formulas given in imported journals must have wondered how it is that such wonderful production is obtained at our New Zealand laying trials by the feeding of the most simple and esily concocted mashes, such as every poultrykeeper mixes for himself. Wheat for one meal, pollard, bran, meat or meat meal, or meht soup compose the mash, and green food as an extra; with grit and oyster shell represents the competition menu. Clem Watson says:—“Some food factors seem to think that the more variety in a mash the better, and the long list may impress a few, but the majority think much of it is wasted. What is wanted to-day is sound food, then the stocks in the country would soon show an improvement. In the erase for greater production, foods have been created which may assist in this direction, hut at the expense of reproduction, for the hen is being forced.” SHELTER NECESSARY. Poultry of all ages appreciate shade and shelter, and neither growing stock nor adults should be subjected to warm sunshine without any i atural or artificial shade. A GLASS INCUBATOR. Another exhibit at the World’s Poultry Congress which attracted much attention was a glass incubator. It had a glass top and sides, showing the eggs during the last three days of incubation. These eggs could be examined through microscopes. NEXT WORLD’S POULTRY CONGRESS. It has been decided that the seventh » World’s Poultry Congress to be held in U.S.A, in 1939. Dr Karl Velter was elected president of the World’s Poultry Science Association for the next three years. THE RHODE ISLAND RED. The Rhode Island Red has gained the favour of many famous utility men. It is recognised to be a handy breed on all soils, a good layer, and not given to broodiness. In England it is valued as a good table bird, particularly when crossed with white-legged breeds. Crosslinked with the light Sussex female, the t sex-linkage is said to be very pronounced. As a show bird the R.I.R. breeds very true to colour and is easy to show. —General Characteristics.— The cock—Head: Skull strong but not thick. Beak curved, moderately long. Eyes large, bright. Comb (a) single, or (b) rose. Face smooth. Ear lobes fine texture, well developed, and pendant. Wattles medium size, moderately rounded. Neck medium length and profusely covered with hackle flowing over the shoulders. Body: Fairly deep, broad, and long; broad and full breast; long back, horizontal except where neck-hackle flows over shoulders, and the saddle gently rises; large wings well folded and flights horizontal; fairly small tail, sickles passing a little beyond the main feathers, well spread, and carried somewhat low.

Contribution* and question! for answering should he addressed to “ Utility-Fancy,” Poultry Editor, * Star ’ Office, and received not later than Tuesday of each week. “ UtilityFancy ” will only answer communications through this column. (Advertisements for this column must be handed in to the offic# before 2 p.m. on Thursday.)

By “UTILITY-FANCY”

Legs: Medium length; large thighs; well-rounded shanks, free of feathers. Toes (four): Straight, strong, and well spread. Carriage alert, active, and well balanced. Weight: 8ilb; cockerel, 7Jlb. The Hen: As in the cock, allowing for natural sexual differences. Weight, CJlb; pullet, 51b. • Colour: Beak red-born or yellow. Eyes red. Comb, face, ear lobes, and wattles brilliant red. Legs and feet yellow or red-horn. Plumage of the cock; Wing—Primaries, lower web black, upper red; secondaries, lower web red, upper black; flight coverts black; horns and coverts red. Tail black; coverts mainly black, but may be russet or red as they approach the saddle. Remainder: General surface rich brilliant red, except where black is specified, free from shafting, mealy appearance, or brassy effect. Under-colour and quills red or salmon. With the saddle parted showing the under-colour at the base of the tail, the appearance should be red or salmon, not white or smoke. Black or white in under-colour is undesirable. Plumage of the hen; Hackle red, the tips of the lower feathers having a black ticking, but not a heavy lacing. Tail: Black or green black. Wings: As in the cock. Remainder: General surface lighter and more even than in the male, free from shafting or mealy appearance, and, except where black is specified, a rich even shade of bright red. not as brilliant lustre as the male. Under-colour and quills red or salmon. —Points.— Colour (plumage, etc., 25, eyes 5) 30 Type, including size 30 Quality and texture 15 Head ... 10 Condition 10 Legs ... 5 100 Serious defects: Feathers or down on shanks and feet; badly-lopped combs, side sprigs on single comb; entire absence of main tail feathers; white eyes; feather entirely white that shows in the outer plumage; shanks and feet other than yellow or red-horn; any deformity. VITAMIN FACTORS IN FEEDING. Though as has been repeatedly pointed out in these notes, I do not consider that poultrykeepers need concern themselves in the feeding of their birds with the much-talked-of vitamins in view of the fact that green feed alone makes up for any deficiency there may be in other foods, there may be many who will find interest in the following table, provided by Mr H. F. Clinton, poultry expert, Vio toria •—- —Vitamin Values in Feeds.— No full record is available for all feeds, but the following table will give the relative value of A, B, and C in some of the common available feeds. Expressed in figures, the values shown read 0 = none, i = small amount, 1 = moderate amount, 2 = rich in vitamins, 3 = very rich in vitamins-

There is no definite information as to the amount of vitamin A in dried yeast. “Indicates rich in vitamin E. Possibly other green feeds are similarly rich, but information on this point is not at present available. Yellow maize, oats, and wheat all contain moderate amounts of E. SOAKED WHEAT FOR POULTRY. The feeding of soaked grain to fowls is gaining in favour, and many poultrykeeperß are now experimenting with it. Personally, I favour the feeding of hard grain, realising that wonderful production of eggs has been secured serving hard grain qlternately with mash. However, some authorities recommend feeding soaked in place of hard wheat, and they say “the fowls prefer it”! The ‘Smallholder ’ (England) says Sprouted grain and germinated gram are excellent foods, particularly during the winter when fresh green food is scarce. At this time of the year, however, soaked grain is equally good—and much easier to prepare. Soaked grain is appreciated by the birds, especially in hot weather. Their appetites are liable to be rather fickle, but they will always eat to capacity when this appetising food is provided. Given as a last feed, it sends them to roost with full crops, and this is, of course, what is wanted. Soaked grain is also good for the growers when they seem to be offcolour a little owing to the heat. It is a first-class food for the cockerels which are being reared for stock purposes.

When only a few fowls are kept, the easiest way of soaking tho grain is to take the necessary quantity of the ordinary mixture, place it into a sack, and suspend tho sack in a barrel of water. If there is a rather small, oldish bucket available, a hotter plan still is to make sonic holes in tho bottom, cover the, bottom with perforated zinc, and place the grain mixture therein, Tho small bucket can be placed into a larger bucket containing water, or into a barrel or whatever else is handy. The inner bucket is lifted out and hung up or stood over a drain grating to dram. A half-barrel is useful for soaking a larger quantity of grain. To let the water out, before tipping out the grain, a hole should be made close to the bottom and plugged with a cork or piece of wood. A cover of perforated zinc should be nailed on to prevent the grain coming out with the water. Soak tho grain for 24 hours. Start it during the afternoon, so that tho grain is properly soaked and drained before feeding time the following evening. HUMIDITY. Lack of moisture is not infrequently associated with excessive ventilation in certain types of incubator. It results from running the heater too high and counteracting the defect by allowing hot air to escape from the machine with excessive rapidity. This is a very real danger with the typo of machine in which ventilation and heat regulation arc both controlled by one damper covering an opening in the hatching compartment. It is essential that the heat from the stove or lamp should be so regulated that the clampers . only lift tho merest trifle in the early stages of the hatch. As tho hatch progresses, and the eggs begin to generate an appreciable amount of heat, the damper will automatically lift, thus providing the increased ventilation probably needed by the developing embryos. It is not often that excessive moisture spoils a hatch; but it can happen. Generally, it is the result of misguided efforts to provide more humidity, such as sprinkling tho eggs with warm water. _ It can be overdone. Nor should it be necessary if full use is made of the moisture devices incorporated in the machine. When, however, lack of moisture still results, the safest way of counteract ins it is to keep the floor of the in cuhator room damp. This ensures that tlie_ air, when drawn into the machine, is moistureladen, and is nearly always effective. It is not likely to cause a dangerous excess. When excessive moisture results from over-zealous efforts to prevent a lack of it the chicks are virtually drowned in the shell, and water will drip out of the shells if they are opened when they fail to hatch at the duo time. The chicks in these dead-in-shell eggs will be almost fully developed. Many incubatists are so afraid of loss of heat during incubation that they tend to furnish just a trifle too much. It is rarely that eggs are persistently under-heated while hatching. It can happen, of course, and a tardy hatch is the result. The chides may not even begin to appear until the twenty-second day.—‘ Poultry ’ (England). '

Food. A B c Young pasture grass 2 2 2 *Fresh lucerne 2 2 2 Fresh clover 2 2 *> Straw 0 0 U Cabbage 2 2 3 Carrots ... 2 1 2 Potatoes (raw) ... 1 1 2 to 3 Potatoes (cooiked 1 £ 1 to 2 Swedes 1 1 3 Barley .1 0 Maize (white) ... 0 1 0 Maize (yellow) ...j 1 1 () Oats £ 1 0 Rice (polished) 0 0 0 Rice (polishings) 1 3 0 Wheat • •• h 1 0 Wheat hraji i 2 0 Wheat pollard X 2 0 * Wheat germ i 3 0 Lentils ...J i 3 1 Linseed cake 1 1 to 2 0 Dried yeast 3 0