POULTRY NOTES.

Shannon News, 1 September 1925, Page 4

POULTRY NOTES.

SELECTIONS FOR MATING. It good breeding stock is required, culling should ,start with the chicks. Any chicks lagging behind the others, so far as progress in development and vitality are concern ed, should never be allowed to find their way into the breeding pens. The best and most positive assurance of this \yill be obtained by disposing of them. During the process of culling the undesirable features to be looked for among the flock should be birds possessing thin long heads, long beaks and weak-constitution. Further characteristics of the weedy bird are paleness about the eyes, while the eyes themselves may be somewhat sunken. A dullness of movement and general lack of energy is a good criterion of the low vitality fowl.

The qualities most desirable in breeding stock are fairly long bodies, prominent, spacious crop, deep! in the back, broad shoulders. Bright, ■ rather wild-looking, and prominent eyes are an unfailing indication of strong, virile constitution. " The tex- i ture of feathers and skin shduld be soft and velvety to the touch—a good test of a bird's egg-laying pro- : pensities. The short, stumpy back is a further sign of good constitu- : tion, while a very pronounced red ! wattle and comb indicates staying \ power—the depth of colour varying according to the staying power. CAUSES OF SICKNESS.

Tainted food, sour ground and impure drinking water, a litter of refuse in the runs; allowing birds to drink from old and dirty tins lying about in the yard; the throwing of food on the ground whereby filth and food 'are swallowjed together; too large a number of birds for the area of available space, all these encourage disease, especially diarrhoea. If this be present in the flock, isprinkle a little powdered chalk on some hard-boiled rice, in addition to some sulphate of iron in the drinking water, and give to the flock. Catarrhal roup, very closely allited. in its initial stages, to a common cold, may be treated by mixing a grain of sulphate of iron, a grain of quinine and three grains of powdered gentian root per bird with the mash or whatever food is chosen as the medium for curing the complaint. This mixture will be found to stimulate digestion and appetite and to generally assist the flock in warding off attacks of disease and sickness which a fowl :s heir to during the winter and cany spring months. Good health is an essential factor in obtaining satisfactory returns, and a high percentage of fertility, coupled with its attendant outstanding vigour, can only be made possible by giving the maximum of exercise to birds set aside for the breeding pen. During wet weather these birds should be given every encouragement to exercise in the scratching shed, this to be brought about by judicious feeding whereby the feathered stock are obliged to labour for their livelihood. The litter should be fairly deep in the scratching pen, so that the grain will find its way towards the bottom, thereby- compelling the birds to scratch vigorously—an empty crop is a fine incentive to work!. While on the question of feeding, it might be as well to mention the importance of maintaining the vigour oi the male bird. * Now that we have suffered a drastic change in the weather, and nights are very cold, increase very slightly the" maize ration of the flock. As almost everyone knows, maize, in addition to increasing the animal heat of a bird, also has a fattening tendency. Therefore, so far as breed ing stock is concerned the feeding of maize must be very conservatively carried out. Fat breeders rarely throw virile progeny.

Egg-eating may be caused by insufficient nest-boxes. Two or more birds may attempt to squeeze into the one box, and, in the ensuing scramble, break the eggs already laid. On the other hand, a lack of grit (which assists in the formation of the shell) is a contributory cause to soft thin-shelled eggs, resulting in breakage. Again there may be a lack of nesting material resulting in the egg becoming cracked through contact with the hard surface of the nest-box. Plenty of grit, a reasonable number of nests supplied with straw or sawdust, will obviate possibility of breakages. HATCHING HINTS. Wait until a goodly number of the

shells have "pipped," then open the machine and rapidly place all the "pipped" esgs together, pips uppermost and as close as possible to the door. Prompt turning will prevent a cthick {becoming choked if they liad pipped below the air cell. Close observation of their movements should be kept,, and any chicks that do not succeed in breaking through every time they move should be assisted by pulling off the top part of the shell, in order to give them air. Of course, if a chick can ihake its own way out, the natural method is to be recommended atid artificial assistance is not advisable unless the chick is struggling to free itself. Do not pull out the trays, and, when turning the pips upwards, work very quickly so that the outside atmosphere will not have sufficient time in which to produce a drastic change in the temperature in the incubator. If the weather be warm, remove the chicks from the incubator as soon as they commence to pant.