POULTRY NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 24235, 19 September 1940, Page 12

POULTRY NOTES

•By A. PEAT It is only the trapnester who can make a perfectly accurate job of culling; the. average producer has to rely largely on his own-,judgment. It is pretty safe to cull the early moulters, which by casting their feathers while the weather is warm will have little incentive for growing new ones and will probably continue in a .semi-haked condition till well in the autumn. Hens which have returned often to the broody pens and can easily be distinguished by the bareness of feathers round the breastbone can also be regarded as culls. Hens that are always inclined, to sit during the summer will be sluggish performers in the winter. Other signs of unproductiveness to look for are age, overfatness, poor condition, depth of leg pigment, coarse and wrinkled face skin, closely set pelvic bones and paleness of comb. The egg is a valuable protective food equal to milk in some respects and in general the best substitute for it. Egg production ranks next to milk production in the efficiency with which the protein of feeding stuffs is converted into edible protein for human consumption. For equal weights the egg is more concentrated than milk in respect of tire content of energy, protein, fat, phosphorus, iron, and the vitamins A, B, C and D and redoflavin. It is less concentrated in calcium. Apart from straight consumption as a separate article of diet the egg enters largely into a wide variety of prepared dishes of common consumption and adds substantially to their palatability and nutritional value. The egg is particularly valuable in stimulating the consumption of fresh greenstuffs in the form of salads.

CHICK SEXER Mr Alan Pirie, St. Andrew street, Invercargill, is the first Southlander to gain a chick-sexing certificate. Mr Pirie was a student at Massey College in 1939 and secured his certificate in poultry farming in a 48 weeks’ practical course. At the same time he studied chick sexing under personal tuition from Mr J. C. Jamieson, of the College staff. In July of this year Mr Pirie returned to Massey College and decided to sit in August for a secondclass certificate, which he obtained with an accuracy of 91 per cent. Mr Kissling, the manager of the college, said that while being coached he frequently sexed very well indeed, his accuracy running from 90 to 98. per cent. It is Mr Pirie’s intention to. return to Massey College in November and sit for a first-class certificate which can only be obtained with 95 per cent, accuracy; if successful he will return to Southland and begin chick sexing.

Those who do not have their chickens sexed by a sexer are always keen to be able to pick out the cockerels at the earliest possible date. To allow cockerels and pullets to run together beyond a certain age leads to precocity in the former and retarded growth in the latter. Once separated, however, each sex can be fed and managed in the manner’ which will produce the best results later in life; the pullets for future laying and breeding, the cockerels for table purposes or for mating in due course.

The following description should give valuable assistance to beginners .especially how the sexes may be distinguished at various ages. At a fortnight old the tails of female chicks will be a quarter of an inch or more long and will consist of actual feathers, while those of the males will show no plumage at all, merely a ball of fluff. At a month females will show considerable areas of feather which can best be seen by holding the bird up by the legs, head down facing you. These feathers will be most noticeable on the back and on the wing bows. The males will still have greater fluff areas as the plumage growth in these is less rapid. Now examine the legs. The females will be much shorter, neater and more finely scaled than those of the male. At six weeks the feathering is almost complete in the females, especially along the centre of the breast bone and in front of the crop, while the males will still show fluff areas beneath the body. The legs and stance are also guiding signs at this age. In the females the legs will be short, neat and fine and the body will be carried much closer to the. ground than in the males, which show long, well-built sturdy legs raising the body well up from the ground. At seven to eight weeks the body shape is distinctive, that of the females being long and shallow and that of the males deep, cobby and blocky. Tire males will show no tail feathers proper, only the baby fluff which has not yet been shed, while the pullet tail is as far advanced in growth as the remainder of the body feathers. If the wings are examined the majority of cockerels will be comparatively bare. The flights will be fairly well developed, but the covering feathers from the leading edge will be lacking. In the pullet there are signs of incomplete feather growth; but the wings are far better furnished than those of the male.

Finally the neck hackle feathers should be examined. At this stage the first feathers are being discarded, and their place is being taken by the adult furnishings. Look at the end of these as they are breaking from their sheath and the end of the hackle feathers will be found to be pointed if the chick is a cockerel and if a pullet it will be clearly rounded. It is indeed rare for this test to fail; but the difficulty experienced by many will be to recognize the adult feather. The same distinction in feathering, spear-shaped in cockerels and oar-shaped in pullets; is seen in the middle of the back, one of the first spots at' Which the adult coat of feathers begins to grow. Head points in adults are the most prominent characteristics, the comb in particular being far more developed in the male than in the female, especially the wattles. Care should be taken in looking for this .difference, for sometimes a frightened pullet will flush up when caught.

EGG-LAYING CONTESTS

MASSEY COLLEGE (23rd week). Light Breed Single J. A. Annan (W.L.) 5 117 *S. D. Morris (W.L.) 5 112 A. G. Mumby (W.L.) 5 112 F. Longbottom (W.L.) 6 111 •A. G. Mumby (W.L.) 5 110 Heavy Steed Single W. A. Larsen (A. 0. 6 115 Mrs R. Willers (A. 0. 2 , 112 F. Noughan (A. 0. 5 .107 S. Street (R.1.R.) 5 101 K. Mullen (R.1.R.) 5 99 Light Breeds (6 birds) J. Wilson (W.L.) 31 797 •(2 birds) B. Wilkinson (WJL.) 34 630 W. Stent (W.L.) 36 541 Heavy Breeds (6 birds) 1* W. A. Larsen (A. 0. 29 735 I2* J. Wealleans (A. 0. 54 549 R. Stephenson (A. 0. 28 460 AUCKLAND (24th week) Light Breed (3 birds) W. Spencer (W.L.) 17 350 Mrs Chappell (W.L.) 13 335 1* E. Wells (W.L.) 16 325 Mrs E. Henderson (W.L.) 11 316 1* F. Bluck (W.L.) 16 309 1* Mrs L. Lett (W.L.) 13 294 Heavy Breeds (3 birds) J. Nixon (R.1.R.) 18 391 R. (B.O.) 19- 350 Miss G. Wright (B.O.) 17 .343: 1* Mi's M. Plant (B.O.) 11 340 J. Nixon (R.1.R.) 15 339 1* R. Thompson (B.O.) 18 ' 338