POULTRY NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 244, 12 September 1940, Page 4

POULTRY NOTES

(By “Brooder.”) Not. for a long time have poultrykeepers enjoyed such a favourable breeding season as the present one. Climatic conditions have been almost ideal. Farmers also rejrort a minimum of losses of lambs for the same reason. Chickens, therefore, given a fair chance, should now be thriving well. With the conditions prevailing there is every facility for getting the birds outside, which treatment is the best known in order to keep them growing. Cold brooding could be practised quite safely this season. Care should bo taken tc round oft all corners in the brooder, for if there should be crushing there may be troube. Do not place.too much draping inside the brooder; it is not necessary unless tliero are very few chicks. Where there are numbers up to 50 the chicks will cluster and generate all tho heat necessary. A hessian (or some such material) ceiling low enough to touch the chickens will be helpful. Hessian will notcause sweating, the open fabric preventing this at the same time giving air to tho chicks, which is very necessary. The white butterfly has already made its appearance. It looks, therefore, as if growers of green feed, particularly cabbages, will have to get busy soon with the spray if stocks of these are to be preserved. Again, it must he emphasised that silver beet and spinach are the best stand-by. Sowings of these will give a plentiful supply of green feed to the backyard poultrykeeper at least. A small patch of lucerne would also be handy. This can easily be grown and.need not take up much ground. Farmers who have plenty of space should not hesitate to sow a patch specially for winter feed. Surplus stocks can be dried, chaffed and preserved for use when green supplies aro finished.