POULTRY NOTES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 169, 4 August 1937, Page 13

POULTRY NOTES

When New Blood Is Required METHODS OF SECRETION One of the greatest difficulties of the poultrykeep.er is the sale introduction of fresh blood into the flocks. Extreme ,care has always been necessary w.hen iatrodueing new blopd, but tod?.y it is i-ar mora easential to take eyery preeaution, of the resulta of years pf careful braeding may be completely ruined in a |ew months, Tliis may be—(l) to maintain stamQna, (2) to prevent loss of bedy size, (3) to give the Btrain certain qualities which they do not possess at the present time, (4) to prevent too " close in-breeding. To mate brothere to sisters, for instance, is close in-breedihg, and will result in a losa of body size, a lowering of stamina and an increased likelihood of disease, ajxd chicks ditficult to xear. In the Bearch for new blood, it is necessary to" keep to strains most suitable for the parbicular purpose, be it the production of eggs, the rearing of table birds, or the breeding of exhibition stock. New blood can be introduced into a floek .by any of the following ways:— By buying males, females, day-pld chicks, or by buying hatching eggs. The most popular method is to buy in males, but extreme caution must be exereised, for the simple reason that a male influepeps far more chicks than a single hen can mother. One mistake may aifect a considerable number of nest season's pullets. Eithpr old inales or young cockerels may be bought. Probably the best plan is to buy coekerels frpm a note.d breeder who has' used these in his own breeding pen, and can give an assurance as to what sort of progeny they gave. In buying an old male, one is also assured of ' ' livabiliity ' 3 because the old bird himself shows proqf of this. Points To Watch. - An old cockerel, however, should definitely show signs of keenness and vigour, and should not be tired or lazy, and lacking in movement. He should have a bold, young-looking head, with a fine quality face, bold, bralliant eyea and a short beak. He should be an easy moulter — meaning that he grows his plumage without suflering a severe strain and needing tonic to see him through. Re should be well fleshed along the breastbone, and be free from lice, which ara often found ropnd the abdomen. Finally, his appetife should be good. An old male can be xnated up at once if necessary, for there is no need to wajit for him to mature. If it is preferred to buy a 1937 cockerel, the eaf est plan as to examjne his sisters to see they are vigorous and fit, and to see there was no mortality when they began to lay. He should have been hatched at a time so that when required for mating he will be fully matured, at least ten months and a half old. His comb and wattles should be ' nearly fully grown, he should show & fine quality face, brilliant red and clean head gear, sound legs and neat. plumage. The less-experienced poultryk'eeper may not realdse in this connection how really important the legs and feet are where any stock bird is conperned. Apart from any obvious defept, such as crooked toes or knock knees— for which the bird possessing them should have been scrapped long ago — there are others not so easy to detect without handling. First of all, watch the bird as he walks, and see how the fourth or hind toe spreads itself out behind at each step. Some have this toe close up against the shanx, and not well spread— duck-footed, as at'is termed— and this means lack of balance. The shanks are not unimportant, and any flatness in front or at sides is undesirable; those that are stout and well rounded without a ridge at baek are best. Take the feet and toes next: Beware of those with any little lumps at joints^ for sires with. gouty or rheumatic tendencies are going to be oifcolour for breediing in hard weather. The whole foot should be well spread out, thus giving the bird a firm stance as he walks and runs. Finally, look at the pads underneath. Is everything clean and normal? No hard skin or core forming in the middle? Males with corns there or a tendency to bumble feet will be more or less useless as they grow older. Many partly-fer-tile stock birds are so on aecount of some defect in legs or feet. Another method -of introducing fresh blood is to buy in over-yeared hens for mating to home-produced males. This is a safer plan, because, should an introduced h%n 'throw -poor progeny, they will come from that one hen, whereas, if a new male is used, the whole of that hen's progeny will be disappointing, On the other hand, if one requires the same number of pullets with new blood, one will have to buy ten or more females for the one breeding pen When to' Buy Pemales. If it is feared that the introduction of new blood may not improve the stock, then it "vvould certainly be wiser to buy in oue or two new females. Old hens should not look old, but should have a fairly youthful f'ace^ not too Bhaggy plumage, clean legs, and should not have a heavy, fat-clogged abdomen. Young 1937 pullets could also be purchased, but to an inexperienced breeder it would be unwise to breed from these tMs season unless table poultry were the aim. The buying in of young pullets for fresh blood is not recommend4, because of their unknown risk of

breaking down. One couldj of course, keep these pullets for production, and then, next autumn, select a few of the best for breeding. The cheapest way of introducing new blood is by buying hatching eggs, but then, one has to wait eight months before one can judge thear qualities. It 'is often possible to introduce more expensive blood than could otherwise be afforded — from a breeder 's best pens, perhaps— by buying eggs, but one will have to wait seven months before the pullets lay and eleven months before the cockqrels can be used, so that this method. is not advisable where quiek results are required: It is a good plan to buy in hatching eggs each year, and then one wull always have new blood to draw upon when the breeding pens are made up. To buy in day-old chicks is an excellent plan. This saves the expense and losses of hatching, and chicks from the best pens can be afforded. One must take avery care with the rearing, because if this is ineffieient, the birds may be so damaged during growth' that they will be quite unsuitable for breeding. t