POULTRY NOTES.

Shannon News, 18 December 1925, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES.

TIMELY SUGGESTIONS. During the summer months, shade is absolutely essential to the comfort of the birds. Bo not depend upon the laying house to suppiy unless you have given special attention to its ventilation. The average: laying house is entirely too hot for comfort at midday. Artificiaa shelters of any convenienit character may be constructed if no natural shade is available. If there are tall weeds or bushes under which the birds can collect, by ali means let them stand until the hot weather is over, as there is no other shade 1 so much appreciated by the birds. . MAINTAIN CLEANLINESS.

Keep everything sweet and pure. Experiments, have proved that fowls are injuriously affected by emanations from filthy quarters. It is, therefore, imperative that houses and runs be kept absolutely clean and sweet, and when the houses are -being cleaned it is advisable to see that the walls are properly scraped, as vermin often . harbour under the scales of whitewash and the like. Carbolic, in powder or spray form, will do a large amount of good, if properly applied. To be profltalble a bird must be healthy, and this desirable condition can only be possible if she is vermin-free. The daily removal of excreta from the poultry sheds has a. great bearing on the health of the hen, and a healthy bird spells good .resudits. Disease follows in the wake of filth and the first step is taken in tins direction by the poultryman who- allows droppings to remain heaped up in a corner of the fWI-shed. Everything possible should be done to provide aiiry, well-kept quarters for the flock cleanliness pays big dividends.

GENEiRAL, HINTS. One practical way of reducing the discomfort experienced by fowls during the summer is. to keep theni supplied with cold drinking water. Probably, it is as much 'to the poultrykeeper's advantage to feupply cool water in summer as to provide warmed water hi winter. Keep the drinking vessels in the shade and refill theni; as often as it is practicable during the, day. Eggs left in the. nest for several hours on a warm summer day are certain to be exposed to incubating temperatures, white even though the eggs niay be kept in a cool place thereafter, they will rapidly deteriorate, especially if fertile. Inasmuch as it is possible to have eggs of high grade during summer as ait any other season, it is. necessary, to keep males from tne flock, gather the eggs twice or three times a day, keep them in a cool place and market them promptly. Eggs for preserving should be placed daily in the '-solution and as doon as they are gathered; With feed at its present-price it is imprudent to keep ciockerels a day longer than is. necessary lor their fattening. As soon as they are plump and of a good size,, crate and forward thrau to the market. For growing sttoick there is scarce ]y anything more conducive to .a healthy condition than .that of changing the runs. To a poultryman with available space a wise provision is that of constructing runs on either side of the sheds. By thte means the ground does act become stale, and the grass is given an opportunity to renew its growth from time to time. "STAGGERIS." "Staggers" is caused by brainpressure, due to high or 1 over-feed-ing and is, perhaps, more common in male than in female birds, states a writer. At first the -afflicted one waves its head vaguely fnoan side to side,. generally at feeding time, though as the vertigo increases it will blindly stagger abqijt, rim round in a circle* or perhaps fajll to the ground, getting up a little later as though nothing had happened. At the first symptoms hold the bird's head under a stream of water for a considerable time, afterwards remjovlng the patient to a quiet dark corner. Feed a very low diet and include 10 grains of salts .in the drinking water for about 10 days, then return him to the other birds! Should the same symptoms return it will be ibest to get rid o-f him, as the fault is, no doubt, constitutional.