POULTRY POINTERS.

Shannon News, 24 November 1925, Page 3

POULTRY POINTERS.

* rFEEDING SAHT. Wheal preparing the mashes that are to comprise the morning meal, it is wise to add a little salt to the mixture. This increases palataibility, pro vided it is added as rationally as it would be in the case of the human family. When mixing the mash see that it is not sloppy, and that the birds, are given as much as they will eat quickly, -Do not overfeed. The best way to guard against this is. to make a tour of the sheds some, little time after giving the feed, .and removing the mash that has been left. In the warm weather, mash that is left in the troughs will soon go had, and it is most unwise to feed bad mashes to healthy birds. They nourish only on the very ibest and most wholesome diet. FEEDING YOUNG STOCK.

Young stock should always be fed to assure that growth is being made, and they usually consume and digest a good deal more food than the adult bird. Care and caution should, however, be exercised that one does not feed too rich a ration, and, inversely, one lacking in body-building constituents. Either will cause a,set-hack that results in. stunted, unprofitable stock. If pullets are stimulated and forced- tq lay before they have matured, their growth will receive a check, as with the approach of maturity a pullet passes, through a very sensitive period. OVERCROWDING. •The crowded bird never proves satisfactory, but the more space for the youngsters to fun in the 'better will be the results. If one makes a study of chickens that have made the nest growth, it will be seen that these

which enjoyed- the most room as youngsters are those that have made the 'best development. The 'bird that was crowded in the early pullet stages will he under-de-veloped, and is very unlikely to become an entrant for the competition pens.

A very undesirable feature of overcrowding is that the runs become tainted, droppings accumulate and the first seeds of disease are planted.. DO not attempt to rear two pullets when you. have only sufficient ground for one, Hn other words, aim at quality, as against quantity as it -is futile to attempt to raise more chickens than you have room for and can manage. Cull rigorously and with-a eye to the future. THE EGG ORGANS. On attaining maturity a pullet Has hundreds of yolks in her organise won that are waiting to bear thet. part in the forming of eggs. • The rate' at wlhichi the eggs ripen is iargely governed by the nutritive quS* lities of the food, some of which ripens the eggs quickly and the 'bird lays often. Inversely, there are foods which induce slower egg-production, and there are foods on the market to-day containing elements that were included on the score of cheapness instead of considering the question of their food value. "Feed the best to get the Ibest" should be the poultrymen's watchword—<the day of haphazard, unbalanced rations is fast fading, and the time will come when the vendor of poulfrv-meal that has little food value will find a shrinking market for his products. This can only be accomplished by unified action" on the part of every poultryman. Instead of relying upon their annual conference to work all the miracles, ! they should adhere closely to co-oper-ative principles, get»together periodically, and fully discuss all problems, however, seemingly insignificant they may appear. Reforms are seldom achieved by the efforts of an individual whereas one listens with respect to the considered opinions of a sane, co-operative body of men,