POULTRY COLUMN.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 109, 29 June 1911, Page 7

POULTRY COLUMN.

DISEASES. ;iy {'ovornnrv.it Poultry Fncpoi l .) it in not. intended here in -leal with j known disease 'to which in:-.is , ,U , or there a 1-3 f'O inn n r tiisn;Mint display- pra< iu;.,iy eh--.r.ino symptoms; and very often ilio Loapest treatment, in the enci is tiio „::e of tlio axe. Prevention’ is I ho, only effective means of lighting oss'.se in poultry; and the Irreedo.c a lip ■“;3p3 tire i'.ouses clean; dry, projnibly v. nit dated without diatts, tree I rein ■rmin, and who gives the birds van ample supply of grain, meat, and green foods, and also clean water, h-avcl, grit, and crushed oyster'shells need have little fear of disease.; , Outbreaks of disease can. mostly, he ;i-;u-od to neglect of one or.mhrc ( of ■’c above conditions, or to infection •-jing - carried with birds frontin' affected ■ yard. When disease is,, noticed the cause should ho looked for, aid the affected birds should he at rnce isolated and put into well-shel-,:red quarters, and, if possible, an fleeted bird sent to the Director of the Live Stock and Meat Division, Department,of Agriculture, Wellington, accompanied by a letter describing the condition of the flock and the nethod of feeding, etc. The appearance of any infections disease should tfc once he reported. Keep Fcviis out of fhp Rain. On showery and wet days the birds, a not shut in, arc apt to wait o.ut■,:cb for their evening meal, and go la roost with damp plumage: Egg>reduction is thus reduced, and the ilrds become affected with colds and •.inning at the nostrils, a frequPnV orerunner of roup. During hadWqa-’ Per the fowls should he confined 'iff ■flic house by night, and given-* the' aorning meal inside. Should they ,hp let out during the day, the evening l meal should bo given muclß; darif D than the usual time, so ’as to’ 'iiPoid;. keeping the birds waiting iii the *w6t. Vermin. , 1;i - r While not, strictly speaking,, to be. classed as diseases, vermin are the greatest pests of ‘poultryy - . There ire many kinds of insect vermin, vhut .the three to be most guarded against ire body-lice, fleas, and red-mites. the worst of all are the .last-named. They hide in the cracks and crevices 'by day, and torment the fowls at night, sucking the.blood qfj.ithp birds and causing great mortality. When charged with the blood of the fowls they have a deep-red appearance. The principal causes tire unclean and overcrowded 'houses, or too many birds beiii" kept under one roof, insufficient sun-rays, and want of proper ventilation. The red-mites make their first appearance under the ends if the porches, and can ho prevented from spreading bp suspending tho perches by wires, so that the .ends? i do.lot touch the walls .of ,thc . house.l i’lio ends of the perches should he dipped frequently in some strong, disinfectant. The house should have' i periodical spraying of one part carbolic sheep-dip to a hundred parts wafer. Dust-baths, which.are nature’s rcnir,. edy, should he provided to,enable the birds to lid themselves of the body-* lico. They arc not’ so harmful as the cithers, hiit they must he got iid of., , The fleas, mostly,' make -their ajpt\ poiivjui'c'c in the ucst-ooxes, ‘:thd (hey also'iced, upon tkc?(b'lfslld offline foU'J." If the nests are kcufycloan and well disinfected,they will'.seldom lie found. A good plan to prevent fleas appearing is to. place in each neat.; a camphor ball: these can be bought for a few■ shillings a grekfe. ' ! To kill hoad-lice on 1 young' chicks, apply very lightly to'the top of the head equal parts' ttjfeilPur of sulphur and hual ;i, also, frplilftmfdy dust the’ mother hen with equal’ parts of cab- 1 holic powder and floqr of ' sulphur! 1 Caro must ho takefrthlyt this reaches' tho skin. [ When in artificial rearing the chicks become infested with head- 1 lice the trouble is mostly dmv to filthy conditions.* Cleanliness is imperative;’ and occasional application of disinfectants is most desirable. ' ■ ■' . (To ho Continued.) , .

SEVENTH EGG-LAYING i COMPETITION.. TWELFTH WEEK. h Misses Bradley (28) v ' ... .. % ;'s4‘l G. H. Robinson, 8.0. (2,6)' 320 T. Kennedy, S.W. (22) •• ... 279 Kebetaunga Poultry , Co. (26) 277 A. Tisch (21) ..I . ...' , ... 259 A. It. Browne (32) .... ... 258 A. 11. Browne (19) ... 261 Hcretaunga Poultry Co. (21) 248 D. Y. Gibson (27)-' ...' . . 261 A. G. Wilson, W.W. (22). ... 244 E. W. Hawke (21) ' ... 235 E. Hall (26) ..." ... , '... 234 DUCK LAYING COMPETITION. Hcretaunga Poultry Co. (29) 341 W. Knight (18) ...‘ ■ ... 322 P. J. Keller (25) ... ... • 267, A. It. Browne (29) ... .... 253 : notes. ;' jj , Y I am pleased to learn that put .of-, four■ entries Mr. C. Downey, a local o; thusiast, secured four first prizes at the recent show in Palmerston. Lin Minorcas he took first in cock a'nch hen, and in Langshans -first cockerel and first pullet. .J „ - ■■