THE POULTRY YARD

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12609, 20 November 1926, Page 19

THE POULTRY YARD

. UTILITY JOHINGS HINTS ABOUT FOODS AND FEEDING

(By

GEO. H. AMBLER)

Sunflower Seeds as Food.—AH poul-try-raisers who can should grow the Russian sunflower, as it is easy to cultivate, aud yields large quantities of se4d, which is excellent food for fowls, being egg-producing and a good change for poultry in the winter time. Plant the seed in rows three feet or four feet apart, and the rows 1.) feet apart, placing two or more seeds together. If a patch is planted near tho fowlhouse it will afford shade during tho summer, and the seed heads can be taken down and .the fowls will ent the seed out, or the seed may be shelled when dry and kept for winter use. Five quarts will plant an acre, and will yield twenty or more bushels. The Use of Sulphur.—Where fowls are concerned it frequently happens that sulphur is regarded as a food and not as a medicine. True, sulphur is found in small quantities .in almost all grains, and other things ■ used for poultry diet, but it is not a food and should not bo given indiscriminately'. The sulphur that is found in grain is usually combined with some other substance to counterbalance it. There are times when sulphur may be given to fowls, but even then care must be taken. It should never be given during wet weather, ns it is liable to causo rheumatism or a stiffness of the joints. It is a sort of blood purifier, will arrest disease, and sometimes invigorates a system that has become run down. For twenty hens a teaspoonful given in the soft food once u week will not do any harm; but even that amount should be given only in dry weather. Sulphur is better withheld from chickens until they are at least three months old.

The Use of Green Bone.—Green bone for poultry is fresh bone and meat, as it comes from the butcher, cut up and given while it is sweet. There are two methods of obtaining green bone; one is to buy the waste product from your butcher and grind it in your own cutter, the other is to purchase the product ready for you. Green bone is given to balance the grain side of the ration, to give needed variety, and to induce exercise. in buying bones for hens get those of beef in preference to mutton or pork. Soft bones are easier to cut than the long flinty ones. The sections of the backbone, the round ends of tlio knee joint, make the best for our purpose. In buying bones you often get the trimmings of the meat as it is prepared for customers. Clean meat is worth more for feeding than is the fat. Often you must take just what is in the box or do without any. A good bone-outter is essential.

If you start out with the idea of making the supply of cut green bone as a part of your animal food you will like it better. There are two plans of feeding that work out well in actual practice. First is to give all the green bone that the fowls will clear up in ten minutes, giving it as a noon meal three times a week. Tlie other plan is to find out how many pounds are required in a week for this way of feeding, and then divide the amount into seven parts, ona_.to be, given each day. Over-feeding of green bone will causo

bowel looseness. Giving green bone that has spoiled is likely to make the birds ill, often in a way that points to limberneck or ptomaine poisoning. We like the plan ot feeding three times a week, as then you prepare and give the whole amount of bone that you buy. The sooner you give green cut bone after it comes into your possession the better for your flock. Age adds no value to green bone —it adds danger. Green cut bone helps to get winter eggs in time -of high prices, and used in moderate quantity aids in maintaining vigour and strength. Look into the matter of green bone ns a good food for hens and chicks.

Meat As an Aid to Production.—lncreased production of eggs has been the result in no smail degreo of the giving of animal foods, it is well known that for heavy egg production or for the growth of chickens there must be a considerable proportion in tho foods, because the ordinary grain foods, such as wheat and maize, do not contain enough of the protein elements. It is also well known that meat foods, such as beef -scraps, cut bones, or any kind of meat foods with a large proportion of lean meat, are very rich in protein. Beef scrap con tains about oO per cent, protein. That is, about half the weight of the beef scrap is protein, while wheat and maize contain some 10 per cent, to 12 per cent, protein. It was first a question whether a sufficient amount of protein in tho ration, irrespective of its source, was not all that was necessary, or whether such foods as beans, peas, linseed meal, that are rich in protein, would give as good results as tho protein found in the meat foods. Many poultrykeepers to this day claim that this is all that is necessary, in face of the fact that it has been thoroughly demonstrated by experiment that animal foods must be given to poultry in ordei to get good results, whether in egg yield or meat production. A number of experiment stations during tho last twenty-five years have conducted careful experiments on this point, and the results have invariably shown that vegetable proteins will not take the place of animal proteins. Why animal food or mineral material from animal sources is more valuable in poultry-feeding than the same constituents obtained from other sources is not known, but the fact has been sufficiently demonstrated by practical experiment. CULLING.

Those who have only a little time to spend with their birds should pick out the best and pay special attention to them; the others may be allowed to go wild. All wasters should be eliminated. With the price of wheat in the vicinity of nine or ten shillings a bushel, only the best stock should be retained. It is foolish hanging on to a number of young cockerels which will be of little value either as stock or show birds. If early hatched they should be fattened up for Christmas trade. Always remember when culling stock that it is better to have six good birds than sixty moderate ones. These six will cost less to feed, will not require so much attention, and will not take up so much room. These Bix would be quite enough to make and keep a reputation for the whole season, and tnen come in the next adult birds, both for show and breeding. All imperfectly-shaped birds should be cleared as soon as seen. Wry tails and hunchbacks will never prove satisfactory, and they spoil the appearance of the flock. Those that arc mismarked are best sold as soon, as possible. The plea that pullets will lay should not be considered unless there is exceptional accommodation. A few of the best .cockerels may be reserved for sales, which are sure to follow* prize-winning.

There is nothing like free range fol growing stock at this time of the year, and where suqh is available birds should be drafted out to the fields it flocks of forty or more, sleeping accom modation being provided in moveablhouses on wheels.