THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

Shannon News, 10 July 1925, Page 3

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

imuucuAu inu rjuun BILL. iwu mums a uuy \,, U i plenty m gieeu luuu is anqnc .or me auun atuum h ims jjeon uiscovereu ny a b yUa many pu ma y raisers mat me teeunig ui tm.ee meats a day is injurious. Tins, m course, uues nui <njyiy tq cinens, tiie leeumg qi wincn a utnetetn mutter.

me use m a lucerne chatter is a insanct uu\ milage Tn mese uays In high iced prices, many peupie ilium mat Utter mey nave unuwn a iiaiiutui or two- ot lucerne to their noex an jjusstbie nus neen .done to . secure goou resuiis. ihe feeding ot lucerne utien tne price oi cereals is high win uo muon lowarus economy ol' Upkeep.

me following method of i'eeduiy greenstun is u well-tried, one an,.. ...ay be recommenueu to tliqse iurmers who have not devised any sausiaclory methou ol their own; a., oju piece ot 2-mcn gauge wire netting, maue nno a bucket about one lam deep and ot one loot diameter, may tie suspenued irom the root or some oilier convenient place, at not 100 great a neigm, say one loot, irom tne tioor. Tin this with wuaiever greenstun is oemg led and the fowls will derive me two-fold beiiein oi goou loud and exercise.

With regard to the ieeding oi cereals, tiie ibiiovvmg ration has been proved successtui oy a nuiuiber of locui. poultry-keepers who have made a staoy 01 the weather and other conditiuits vviiicli prevail m the Levin district: From r to a parts of wheat, ode part maize, oho part oats. During me colder weatner a little more maize should he added, so as to increase tiie animal neat of the birds. A good deal of discretion needs to he exercised, in increasing the feeding of maize on account of its healing properties. It must be bourne in mand that, while wheat gives the nest ali-round results, the principle oi generously feeding greenstuff to the fowls will, • to a certain extent, make up lor the shortage in the wheat supply. Levin is essentially a poultry district and now that the price of cereals is so high—in moist cases far too high for the average poultry man —tiie dairy larmer should step-into tiie breach and make possible the use of sour milk curds, some dairy farmers give little else but skim milk to their poultry, and claim good "e----sults. The 'best results would undoubtedly be secured by', allowing the skim milk to stand in a barrel (or some similar container) until sour. Skim off the curds and bed out on clean tussocks, winch allows all the bitter fluid to drain off, and give plenty of green feed (chaffed) during the day, while a handful of grain per bird could be fed at night. Above all, be sure to feed at regular hours, in order to obtain the most satisfactory results. As the average dairy farmer has almost unlimited free range for fowls, he is in a .good position to handle from one hundred to two hundred, and moreover, -make them a paying proposition. ' m . . The first essential thing is a good modern house; the second, best quality egg-producing stock. For adult, birds a house 35 feet long, 16 feet wide, feet high in the front and 6 feet high at the back is suggested. A house 'Of these dimensions will accommodate from 100 to 130 head of stock. The long, high' side (facing direct north) should have 1-inch mesh wire netting from the top to within three feet from tiie ground in order to give plenty of sunlight through to the back of the shed.

Never rear young stock with the older birds as the latter are always inclined to prevent the youngsters from feeding, the consequence being that' thev receive ;i check from which they may take a long time to recover. Pullets grown under such conditions often become stunted and the coin-

mencement of their laying season may be delayed for as much as two months. Whether tiie hot mush should be fed in the morning or at night is a matter upon, which poultry keepers are not agreed, but the whole issue is governed by circumstances and local conditions. A good brand >Qf meat meal should be’procured as it is preferable to bloodmeal, and although it is not so stimulating it is safer to use. Two parts of ppllard to one of bran, mixed with 5 per cent of meat meal will give satisfactory results. If wheatuneal is. used instead of pollard, a little less bran should be included, on account of the bran constituent in the wheatmeal.