THE POULTRY RUN.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 530, 4 January 1913, Page 2

THE POULTRY RUN.

WHITE ORPINGTONS.

Those who are partial; to a white pluma'ged fowl that combines, good laying propensities with superior table qualities cannot do better than go in for the white Orpington, an illustration of which is appended. It will be seen from this that it is a bird of excellent shape, and very pleasing in appearance. Its plumage is particularly white in colour, and this, coupled with white legs and bright red face and earlobes, combines to make a, very handsome

bird. For the open country there could not be a better breed, but when- kept in towns and exhibited at shows? it is necessary to wash them before despatching. During the past few years many have gone in for white Orpingtons, and, as there are classes provided for them at nearly every show, there is every encouragement given to those who do so, as when classification is provided for a variety of a popular breed, a ready demand is created for the birds reared. The white Orpingtons are of exactly the same type as the buffs, differing only in colour. THE MORNING MASH. The warm morning mash is an impbrtant essential in the dieting of fowls. It stimulates the eggproducing organs into acting, owing to the fact that it is quickly and easily digested. Fowls may d» all right on a staple grain diet when the nights are short and mild, and the birds can forage for many hours over grass land in search of insect and vegetable food, but during seasons, when the nights are long and cold, the fowls require something for breakfast that will quickly assimilate and nourish-them after their long fast. -In preparing the mash for fowls it should not be made too moist in nature, as fowls dislike sticky /messes. When the meals, table scraps, or b6iled vegetables arc put into the mixing bowl, enough meal —sharps for preference —should be added to work the whole into a moist crumbly mass. If the mash is mixed to the rightconsistency a portion of it will, when pressed info a ball by the hands, hold together, and when the ball is dropped it will crumble into particles. Food prepared in too dry a state causes the birds to drink to excess after feeding, whilst food too sloppy is liable to cause bowel troubles. In feeding the mash it should be placed in troughs, and not thrown upon the ground to become chilled and tainted. The feeding troughs should be a sufficient length to prevent 'ft the fowls bustling each other in the endeavour to get at the food. Steaming hot mashes should never hs given to fowls, as they cause them to sweat, and make them susceptible to after, chills. If the food is nice and warm it will be right for feeding on the coldest morning. In hot weather the mash can be served cold to the fowls, but it should be previously prepared by cooking, or scalding with hot water, as cooked food is more digestible than raw material and, therefore, accounts for better health and more eggs.

STUDY THE TAILS.

When a flock of poultry has been laying for several months and the breeders are required for the following season, a rough and ready system which answers very well is to study the fowl's tail. It will generally be found that those with their tails worn down to a stump are the best layers, whilst those wilh the tails not worn are the drones. This applies more to the Leghorn and breeds of similar type. This system is only of use when the birds are laying in small and high nest boxes, when the tail always meets an obstruction; obviously,, the more often the bird visits the nest the more ragged the tail becomes. Trap nests and single pens.are valuable in determining the actual laying power of individual birds intended for the breeding pens, the idea being to test one season in order to breed from them the next, and this is essential where a man is not a student of a laying,tvpe. The greatest success will not' be achieved, unless a man is able to pick out ac- . cording to laying t\pe the best pul*lets for trap nesting, - for obviously to select birds at random for trap- , est testing may exclude, the besr laying birds in .the flock.© A knowledge of selecting :*civ><\iing to type - is, therefa.-s\ to success. Sortie are gifted" injhaving a notu'raj eve tot fo^ny^UtjMjjpicleob