POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2895, 8 September 1909, Page 34

POULTRY NOTES.

By Terror.

— The conductor of* the Ryde laying competition, New South Wales, disagrees with many recognised authorities in their opinion that the heavy feeding* of poultry moans diminution of egg supply. He holds that birds under two and a-half years of age cannot be overfed if they are layers, and believes that the hens which put on fat do so simply because they are not layers. I have heard many good poultrymen on this side preach the same doctrine as does Mr A. E. Henry, the conductor referred to, but this gentleman puts the question rather more forcibly than others. He says : — '"Under ordinary conditions, and with a discriminating use of the ordinary foods used by poultry-breeders, it is quite impossible to overfeed laying hens if a full basket is the object in view. This is not merely an idle statement, but a proven fact The chief reason that such prolific production has been attained at many of the egg-laying competitions is that the heavy-feeding system has been in vogue. But not only -at these competitions, but wherever it has been tried, the 'full and plenty plan' has been successful. On many occasions I have seen a flock of hens and pullets apparently in perfect health, and upon inquiry have elicited the fact that the egg-viold was far fiom satisfactory. In noarly e\ery case it was discovered that the birds had been fed according to*' -the owner's judgment as to the amount of food to be given, leaving the hens' appetite to count for nothing. "In each instance it was .recommended that the birds be given as much as they would eat. and where this was acted upon a decidrd increase in egpr-production took place within a fortnight. One of our best known and most -experienced pjoultrvWedeis hamorously relates how his wife taxed him with extravagance in feeding his fowls; so he immediately handed over the department of the business to her. The result, to use his own words, was 'In ten days the hens were all to pieces,' and, he added shjly, 'it took me exactly ten days to bring them into full lay again.' His method was io give the birds all they would eat. It 13 a common saying that many hens do not lay because they are too fat. " Our humorous friend immediately replies. 'That is ali nonsense. It is not a case of them not laying because they are too fat, but that, they are too fat because they do not lay.' My own experience has confirmed me in the belief that there is a very great amount of truth in this latter aspect of the case. It must not be inferred from this that no fat hens are good layers, as «uch is by .)o fneans the fact. Many hpns that are :n: n extremely 'big condition' ire most prolific egg-producers ; but the fact reninins that a groat number of birds that are very fat have become so beoause Ihr?v are poor layers. '"I have stated that with a discriminating use of ordinary food it is impossible to o-verfopd layintr hens kept under ordinary conditions. The common foods in uso aie" wheat, maize, barley, oats, bran, pollard, meat, greenstuff's, an^l a few other w?H-known cereals and meals. Now, there must be a fair amount of judgment exercised in the use of thofe. Probably, few would think of feeding hens exclusively on meal. Upon this ration alone the birds would thrive and lay well for a while, but would eventually become lazy, exhausted, apoplectic, and unremunerative. "But there are many who use maize continuoush for birds confined in small runs. Now of all cereals maize is the one most i*»lmhed by hens. They will fairly gorge themselves with it; but as it contains far more fnt than any other useful cereal, combined with a very great amount of starch, it would be most unwise to use it

lon the 'fall and plenty system continu* ously for fowls in confinement. # Tbej would become uselessly fat, very subject to digestive troubles, and a falling-off in eggyield would ensue. But it is a fine cereal, and I would not hesitate to use it ireely for hens that have a wide range. From these two cases alone, therefore, it is obvious that a certain amount^.of discrimina- | tion should be used in thd variety of foods I given, and a study made of surroundingconditions. In confined runs, a hen would not consume sufficient of .any conhnuouslygiven 'cereal with the exception of maizeFor the same reason, it T-.-ould be unwise to give nothing but soft food composed of the same meal or meals. The question then is, how to proceed to obtain the best results. It is clearly necessary to provide, in an appetising form, food that will supply all the elements required for the perfect health of the bird and full maintenance of the bodily functions. This is • what- is known as a 'balanced ration,' and, without, going into the details of the composition of such, I give_a very useful daily- ration that may be varied considerably according to circumstances. Morning: Three parts (by. measure) pollard, two parts scalded lucern6 chaff, one part lean minced meat, and n little salt. Miy the whole to a friable con-; sistency— neither powdery qor sticky Mid** day or "afternoon: Fresh "succulent green stuff: Evening: Wheat and maize. (Wheat to be the most favoured.) ' If- the hens are of the laying kind, and are well housed and sheltered from severe winds and sun heat, and' if they are given as much ass ever they- will eat, -and have an abundance of cool water, plenty of grit,* and an occasional dose of Epsom salts, a 'high tide egg basket will be the result. Far from being overfed, the great majority of laying hens are very much- underfed." — Fresh-boiled or scalded milk (sweet skimmed milk will do) is an ideal food for chickens of all ag«s if they will take it, which thej will do if fed to them fron» the time they are email. Especially w it good for yoxxng -.-rowing chickens and laying hens, f urnishing them with an abundance of proteids, co much needed bj rapid growth and eg£ production - — Indian runner ducks, says an enthusast, have no -lice. They, have no roup, n: ga.pss, no scaly logs, no roosting in trees, no sore heads and broken bilk through fighting, no crooked breast, na dust baths to provide, no nest boxes ta make, no perches required, no flying into neighbours' gardens, no scratching lawns, no crowing at daybreak ; they lay more and larger yeggs than fowls. — During the past decade J:he whne Rock have made /rapk" strides forward) both in colour a«d true Plymouth Reck chape. Not many years ago they were narrow in body, with long, narrow tails and high combs. The males were brassy, • and'tha female* were creamy. Id fact, -O snow-white 'bird was a i_r« exception, noc t the rule. To-day in America M ' ie just ( . the reverse. Beautiful white -birds are the rule, and the brassy and creamy ones the exceptions. — One thin& to bear in mind in feeding young chicks is that the abjjity to . select nourishing foods from injurious or harmful substances does not develop co quickly in the brooder chick as in the chick ihat associates with the hen. This instinct does not develop In the breeder; chick until it is eight or 10 days old. -. The time, of course, varies with strain and breed. The same chick under a hen will be able to iistinsguish feed in two or three days. Ifroin the hen the little chick seems to acquire this ability to knowinjurious or noxious substances. When the chick is placed direct *rom the incubator in the brooder it does not t( have this ability, and shows a tendency to eat anything that it can swallow. Knowledge of this makes tKe matte-r of feeding little chicks very simple. Green food shoulf not be neglected in the little chick's diet ; it must be provided for in some shape or form, even it the chicks are upon a grass rang*. — Ducks drink and waste large quanties of water, and the replenishing of ths drinking pans for large pens entails much labour, as the supply must or on account be allowed ever :o run dry. Very long troughs, fiofn 2in to 4in d-esp, to holt! a considerable supply, and protected by latin, should therefore _be used, and re- • plenished dailj in the most convenient manner available. 'Where a stream, however small, ca>n be arranged to pass through the ends or bottoms of the rear- , ing-pens all the beter. but it must bo fenced off with laths, as abov«. so that the ducklings can get their heads in only : Large, shallow, galvanised iron- Vessels or the ends of barrels, etc., let into and levet with tli© ground, with the top covered with laths a suitable distance apart, should" only be ur;d if there' is a constant supply, ov-en though very smell, of fresh' water ' running in and out, otherwise the water gets -too stagnant and dirty for d-rinlc ingi • purposes. Clean drinking water and appliances are essential «c success. Filling the drinking-troughs with cold water on ■ar hot day will cause cramp and colic. Shade from the sun is absolutely essential, a* exposure to the sun's heat kills more ducklings than any other cause. — Xo feed of any kind' should be given until the chicks are at least 36 hours old. Then some water and grit should be provided, and whole corn for the hen — A great mistake is made in saving- egga too long \t order to ge enough to fill an incubator. They do not hatch well, am! the chicks from old eggs are very likely to be puny and hard to raise — Eggs will keep well for two to four weeks in a cool, even temperature ; and 1 where an incubator is used it is sometimes neceseary to hold eggs until there are enough to fill the machine But wher* eggs are held long they ehould be turned 1 occasionally. — Wateiry egpes, sometimes called weak" eggs, are caused by pooi food — food that is deficient in the necessary element to produce a good egg- Poor food not only, reduces the quality, but the quantity Ife pays to keep hens "well supplied with good egg-forming material, and pleniy of it. — The be«t way to nake the nest is t<J . scoop out a iittle earth from the ground? an»] then Ihe earth in the hollow should , be beaten down quite firm in the shape, of the nest. When no earth can be re-, moved a few shovelfuls of soil should bat obtained and moulded into the shape __■- an ordinary nest box. — The most modem and popular way oft preserving eggs, especially in moderate quantities, its with water-glass. It is called* a glass because it is an alkaline silicate* Vendors of water-glass for egg-preserving usually send directions for use. I* i_ necessary to follow these directions, as the water-glass variee in strength. Boiling'

water is used for mixing with the glass, and the solution must be allowed to cool for at least 24- hours before use. — The hen turns her eggs twice in each 24 hours, a.nd when the nest is properly made the eggs turn quite easily, and do not roll one on the 'other. When the hen is sitting her wings rest on the side of the nest and her feet go to the bottom, and his i 6 the reason why the comfort of the hen should be studied. j — The different breeds of bantam a<re so' numerous, that the" most fastidious tastfe j can be readily suited. The most • popular | arte tfac 'Game bantams, ex«et duplicates i of .the ordinary ,Game fowl, produced in the same colours. A cock and' three- or fetor hen* are enough to make a beginning with. -B'rds- should be selected -with long heaSs and *««clos, brood shoulders and cbeeta, short, narrow tails, loag legs, and fleet feet, and plumage hard and glossy. — Whether hatching be do.ne by incubation or the hen,, the. average '-jioultrj man usually conigiratulaites himself wihen he gets good hatching results, and- if "from hens 10 chickens from 13 egigs, or 75 -per cent, by incubator, is considered good. The most , frequent trouble and disappointment k, however, usually experienced in rearing the chickens, for what does it benefit a man if the majority of the egp£ hatch, and all the chicks die." While such wholesale dieaateT is rarely experienced by an>y breeder, at the same time some people lose a considerable percenitase. the greater number of these being incubator hatched ; not from any subtle ill or weakness imparted by the machine, but rather to the unnatura' method of rearing. The fatalities u^tiaHy. begin a few 'Jays after hatchimr,_.a#d' J aiie invariably due to either over-erow-dicg-in the" 'foster-mother, or faulty temperatures, the mos 1 ore-vailing error being in having it too "high. For the fiwlfc' few days 85 or eliarhtly over is quite sufficient, and this can be reduced by five degrees each successive week, until five or six weeks of age, when they require no mere artificial heat. Some imagire that tbe fatalities are due to errors in feeding, which is not the case, as several instances could ba given fche,, present season where flocks of from 10 to 13 chickens, brooded by hens, and led in as many different ways, are aJI dofeE^ ■exefejß^htly.f Some commenced with_ boiled^ egg and" breadcrumbs, and in a week or two followed with" the usual bran and nollard. Others gave coarse oatmeal: flaked oats were supplied by others. The dry chicken mixture of the produce merchants is used by a number, while in at least two instances the kitchen scraps, orunrbs, and other waste food are bringing the chickens ud excellently. To overcrowding. ill-ventila+f»d brooders. under an over heating, are due the many deaths associated with artificial rearing. HENS. INCUBATORS, AND BROODERS. A writer in an Anvarican contemporary desires information on the following eruptions — namely, wihich is the best course for a_ poultry-breeder to pursue when he desires to derive the best result* from setting eggs? The inquirer suggests the following .alternatives, and asks whether the best method to pursue is — First — By incubator and brooder. '. Second — By hatobirig under hens and raising in brooder. ' Third — By hatching in incubator and : - raising undcx hens; or, Tburth — Where hatched and raised by • " hens alone. - - - _A reply, that is attached to „ the query is Interesting as throwing a light upon Americkm methods, which, to a certain extent, abay be expected to diffftr from those in vogue in ibis country, .owinjr to the climal io influences \akjbcig so considerably. Perhaps, therefore, some of our breeders may be inclined to give ''their views, which "no d&u-bt will be found .instructive to those of 6m*H experience in the' science of phultry culture. " * 'The reply of the American "writer was as follows : — * "I think that most of the poultry-keepers wlk> combine artificial hatching and natural brooding do not limit operations to this feimple combination, but aL«o make the other possible combinations of the two nrethods, and in phort us? all the combinations enumerated, the idea being to make both systems work together as may best suit the convenience and advantage of the poultrv-ma-n A great many poultrymsin hatch wi+h both machines and hens, and brood only in brooders. Many others use both m-ethods

of hatching, and brood mostly or solely with hens. Iso rarely find one who hatches only with incubators, and broods only with hem, that I could not offhand recall such a case. The usual way ie to s=t hens and the incubator at the same time, and then give all the chicks to the hens. "If one could 1 be sure of having enough broodies that had stuck to their nests for several days ready to take the chicks as hatched from the machines, he could set the machines in advance, and save some of the hens' time, though not a' full three weeks. But broodinese is so uncertain that if one is depending on hens to brood his chicks, he takes rather long chances if he sets the eggs in machines, not knowing whethea 1 or not he will have broody hens to take oare of the chicks. The safe way — even if one intends to use hens as far as possible — ia t< have^ brooder or brooders to use in case they are needed, and thus be in a measure independent of the hens. It is quite as. easy to get bens to take chicks a week or even several weeks old as to take tivetn when newly hatched, and the proportion of hens that will not accept young chicles they have not hatched iG very small. Indeed, if a little diplomacy is used, most broody hens can be induced to mother chickens'. "Given hens that have been sitting on egjys for several days or more, the easiest and surest way to place newly-hatched chicks with them 's to go in the day+ime and slip a few chicks under .each hen. Probably four out of five hens will, under such circumstanoes, after a few minutes, accept the presence of the chicks fls a matter of course, and behave in the most approved motherly way. When it is seen that they are satisfied with the chicks they may be removed from the neste to a box or closed coop and given rhe> full number of chick* intended for them. Close watch should be kept of hens thus sivan chicks in the day- ' time until ie is apparent whether they will ( accept thsin or not, for if they do not j accept them they arc quite likely to kill them. j "Hens that will not take chicks in the ' daytime will often bake a brood without i objection if thr chicks are put under thcim at night. Thsv cannot see to pick them then, and by morning have become reconciled to the unnaturally abrupt change in condition cf the contents of tihsir nest. It is, however, always best either to darken the nests so that the bens will not rare the chicks before the keeper makes the rounds in the morning, or else to make the rounds early enough to note anything going ' wrong bafore a 6urly hen hae a chance to ' injure the ohicke. j "If it were more generally undeirstood that it is a comparatively easy thing to get hens to adopt chicks, even at five or six weaks old 1 , mamy nice broods weaned too young by their mothers might be ,=aved. With thf Asiatics, more than with other fowls, but still to come extent with hens of all incubating -\arietiee, the maternal in- j efcinctfi are so strong that the broody hen J will frequently take almost any chicks rather ' than no chicks. CENTRAL PRODUCE MART (LIMITED). Messrs Reilly, Scott, and Gill, proprietors, report for the week ending Saturday. 4th ' September. The pa.st week we received the ,' heaviest consignment of turkeys we have j received this year: in all* bl buds' came forward, and all realised good I price®. A iair supply of ducks also came to hand. Though entries of prime cockerels and hens were light, yery satisfactory prices were secured for oui consignors, cockerels making 2s. 2s ! 4d, 2s 6d, 2s 9d, ss. and 3.<= 3c 1 'each ; ducks 3s 6d, 5s 9d, 3s lOd, 46. and 4s 6d each; ! hens, 2s, 2s 2d, 2s 3d, 2s 6d, 2s 9d, and 3s each; turkey gobblers B£d, hens 6£d amd 7d, j jocks 6d per lb. Eggs have been ir fair supply, but as we hold la.rge orders, we could have done with another 200 cases. ' Case eggs realised ll£d, crate •eggs -Is, crate and stamped Is O^d to la Id per dozen. We hold firm orders, aw) strongly advi&e early consignments. Butter still slow of sale, 6£d to 10£ d being the ruling price, though we seciuTed lid per lb for some special lines. Pigs are in splendid demain \. We secured some -very nice lines, all of which we cleaircd at 4jjd per lb. Fat is in steady demand from 17s to 20s iper cwt. Honey slow of sale at 4d to 4fd; rabbitskm3 from 9d to 2s 6d per lb : we placed both at the latteir price. Horsehair. Is 3d. Beeswax, Is 4d to Is sd. Settingfe of egg—Leghorn^, Minorca, silver Wyandottcs — all -n the best demand,, and range from

3s 6d to 10s, according to quality. Duck eggs have also fair inquiry at 3s to 7s od. Incubators and brooders axe moving sbeiadily. We strongly advise early hatching of ducklings.