POULTRY KEEPING.

Franklin Times, 3 January 1923, Page 6

POULTRY KEEPING.

(By F. C, Brown in !N(Z. Journal of Agriculture). Although hatchinig is now over for the season., December will prove a busy time for the poulUry-keeper, from the fact that the maximum amount of stock the plant will carry should be on hand. Jfhis implies the necessity of taking special care that the quartet's do not become overcrowded.. The first thing necessary is the feeding and managing of all surplus cockerels to the best advantage, and getting rid of them Immediately they attain an) age of from four and a half to) five months. After this age they commence to produce their second feathers, and, obviously, when this process commences they lose weight instead of gaining iit, as they cannot be expected to .produce flesh and feathers at the same time. It is surprising how much flesh chickens will put on prior to the appearance of the second feathers if they have never received a check/ and aa*e, fed well and maintained in a healthy thriving state, and it is equally surprising how rapidly they can lose condition when the second ifeathers commence to-appear. The check during the development of the new covering is due not so mb.cli to .the sudden and new demand on the bird’s system as to the fact that at this age,'and especially in the lighter breeds, it 'will commence to indicate the propensities of nature’s jdlevelDiiment, even when the cockerels ai;e running by themfeelves, by sparring and fighting and generally taking considerable exercise. All this is against flesh-production. Therefore 'if any money its to pe made ouit of the cockerel it must be marketed in' prime condition before the second feather period. A point to be remembered in marketing cockerels early isj that accommodation and runs ate (saved, which is distinctly to the\advantage of the remaining stock, while more time is "available to attend to the main function of the plant;,

Ovarian Troubles. Many complaints ‘(ire reaching me of ovarian troubles, chiefly by • way “of profusion of the oviduct'. This is usually due to over feeding rich footstuffs. A b'ird does not,requites the same amount of forcing-food in the present natural laying season as she does in winter when egg production is more or less an -artificial act. Blood or meat meal, meat, or even milk, should be sparingly supplied now, especially where the birds have a range and thus an opportunity, especially after rain, of picking up worms, insects, etc.. When forced egg production is resorted to at this season of the year ovarian troubles and double yoked and shell-less eggs are -almost sure to follow'.

A Chicken Trouble 1 ! Many poultry keepers are. having trouble with..; 1 heir chickens after removal from the heated brooder, The first symptoms are- discoloi’atiion ,of the wings • arid hock-joints, -and later the .neck and head swell. At tlie latter stage death is usually not. far, off. Commonly when this trouble makes its appearance poultry keepers confuse it with some serious epidemic form of disease over which they fyave no control. There is no- epidemic about it ; the cause—in all cases, at any rate, which have come under my no-tice-—has been mismanagement, It may be easily brought about by overcrowding, damp quarters, and insufficient 7 ventilation. A most common cause of tb;e trouble is bedding the chickens down with hay, whicn heats and brings on a sweated condition, Hay may be used as beddingmaterial in a heated brooder, because it is there prevented ift'om becoming' damp, but with a tireless hrodder it should never be used, or trouble may be expected at any time. Straw, straw-chaff, or even sand or dry c,arth are always to be preferred, There is no cure for the trouble referred fo. It is merely a question of prevention. Do not overcrowd, provide, ample ventilation, keep the quarters' clean and dry, and check anything that tends to create a moist atmosphere.

MARKETING OF EGGS. If a record could be obtained of the loss in money value through weak methods of marketing the egg product it would probably run into, startling figures. One has only to visit - an egg-collecting depot to be made familiar with the weaknesses of marketing. For example, a surprising number of poultry keepers, and especially tl\ose who conduct the business as a 'side-line, still a^ljere 1 to the antiquated method of "'sending their eggs to market''-'in kerosene cases packed ..wtth straw chaff. Such eggs usually realise from Id to 2d a dozen'below those packed in approved crates, but this seems to be viewed as a matter cf small concern by the qareless producer, With the present system of pulping and freezing the great; bulk of the jsummer surplus of eggs for -ne use -of large consumers during- fhe scarce season, eggs packed in chaff