POULTRY KEEPING.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 705, 10 February 1922, Page 9

POULTRY KEEPING.

MAKING A START.!

The beginner will be well advised to team something about bis subject before starting operations. This is absolutely necessary, since poultry keeping is a business, and requires learning as much as anything else that is to be taken up as one’s livelihood. Sometimes the necessary knowledge has been acquired; in this case, of course, success is not thereby assured, as failure very frequently can be traced entirely to the method of starting. It is inadvisable even for the most experienced to start on a gigantic scale tinless special circumstances warrant It.

The most successful man in the end is usually he who starts in a small way and gradually extends, since during the initial stages he is becoming familiar with the poultry keeper’s many and varied duties; and, if he is providential, he should at the same time, be getting together his customers for future trade. Without this connection, all else will be in vain. It must also be the beginner’s object ultimately to obtain a regular supply in whatever commodity he is specialising. Whether the outlet is the open market, the shop, or private customer, whether the trade is direct to consumer or through the medium of middleman, the same thing applies. The supply must be regular in order to gain the confidence of the large buyer. Although everything may appear to be clean in the poultry house, it may hot be so in reality, and it may be necessary to make it rCally clean by lisinfection. To do this it is necessary to spray or thoroughly wash (with a scrub-brush wet in the solution used) all parts of the house with a good disinfectant at least twice, allowing time between for it to dry. For this purpose 3 per cent, cresol solution is recommended. The chief thing is to use an effective disinfectant and plenty of it, and apply it at least twice. To complete the cleaning of the house after the second spraying of disinfectant apply a liquid lice-killer (made by putting 1 part crude carbolic acid or cresol with 3 parts kerosene) liberally to nests, perches, and walls. After all this is done, the house will be clean. In houses cleaned annually in this way the first step is taken towards hygienic poultry keeping. The same principles which have been here brought out should be applied in cleaning brooders, brooderhouse, and other things on the farm with which birds come in contact. Wbat has been said has reference primarily to the annual or semi-an-nual cleaning. It should not be understood by this that no cleaning is to be done at any other time. On the contrary, the rule should be to keep the poultry house clean at all times, never allowing filth of any kind to accumulate, and using plenty disinfectant.