THE POULTRY YARD

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 514, 17 November 1928, Page 26

THE POULTRY YARD

(By

GEO. N. AMBLER.)

SEASONABLE THOUGHTS

NOVEMBER is undoubtedly the best month for growing stock. See that the youngsters are kept growing, separate the sexes of the earlier hatched stock, and keep a sharp look-out for ailments. The weather has not been too good lately for young chickens, and many rearers have made the mistake of coddling the young stock. Chickens need to be kept dry, but on no account should they be coddled.

It is foolish to hang on to any chicks hat are in any way delicate. I have ! >n more than one occasion (by way j >f experiment) taken delicate chickens in hand and reared them to the haltgrown stage. The strain of growing their adult feathers nearly always proved too much for them, with the result they began to go light and had to be killed. The correct procedure is as follows: Go out to-morrow evening about dusk and dig a hole. When > our wife is otherwise engaged abstract her big shears from her work-basket. Then take your flashlight, pick out the little runts, snip off their heads and bury them. After carefully removing all traces from the shears, replace them, go to bed and sleep soundly. They never will be missed. PARASITES In every breed of chickens there are | always some that do not seem to get j along as rapidly as the others, falling j behind, as it were, and in every case ' of this retarded growth there is a: reason, and we should ascertain what j cause is arresting the development of ! the chicks. Sometimes it is due to | lack of vitality; again, it may be due' to lice or other harmful influences. f Many people see their chicks standing around lifelessly, and wonder what j ails them, never thinking that these j parasites may be doing the mischief, i The head louse or tick probably stunts more chicks than anything else, and I it is surprising how few people guard j against them. When a little chick does not grow j as rapidly as the rest in the brood it I is advisable to look for these pests, j They are not found altogether on the j top of the head, as many folks imagine, but also are found down the neck and under the throat. Sometimes dozens of them can be found on a single chick. Measures of Control This is an easy matter, but it is a' mistake to wait until the chicks are half dead before a remedy is applied. A little carbonised oil. at a strength of I one in twenty, rubbed on top of the i head and all around the neck, will do}

the work. Head lice are usually touiul on chicks that are brooded by hens, and the treatment should be applied in the evening. The next morning the little fellows may appear to be covered with grease, and for a few days look dirty and unsightly, but never miud that—the vermin will have disappeared, and in a few days a great change will be noticed in their activity. As the chicks grow larger and become feathered there is less danger from thi3 cause, but then comes the possibility of body lice. These, too, are easily exterminated by dusting the chicks with Keating's insect powder under the wings, on the neck and around the vent. It is surprising what a difference it makes to have the chicks free from vermin and note the advancement made in their growth. While all this is being done there is another pest, and that is the worst of all when it once has a start. I refer to the small mites that infest the crops, and which, if allowed to multiply, will kill young chicks and serii ously weaken if not kill old ones. ! These mites are often started front j sitting hens and old nests in which ; hens have hatched their chicks. I have i seen nest boxes that were allowed to : stand around several weeks after the ! hatch that were literally covered with [these mites. They multiply so rapidly that in a short tinie the boxes are filled with them to a quarter of an inch in depth. To prevent this it is best to burn all old straw used for sitting hens immediately after the hatch, spray the coops several times during the summer with Yama, and apply the same to the perches in the houses where the old fowls are kept. Every poultryman should have this preparation on hand and use it. Feeding Growing Chickens It is surprising how soon poultrykeepers depart from common-sense feeding as applied to growing chickens. For a week or two after hatching they will attend most carefully to detaii,; and suddenly they depart from the! only correct system, and trouble com-1

! mences. It is quite common to find poultry-keepers giviug adult mixtures to chicks of but a month old—wheat, oats and whole piaize. In some cases it is ignorance, but in others there seems the desire to start with larger grains because they are cheaper than the small chick seeds. It is well to remember that chickens are babies up to three months or so of age, and must be fed accordingly. Before they have the large grain they must have an in-between mixture, such as coarse chick food. This will carry them on ; to six or eight weeks, when a larger grade can be introduced, but it should consist mainly of broken grain, except for whole wheat. Grain Mixtures for Chickens In all broods, too, there will be backward as well as forward chicks, and it is well when changing over to the larger grade to include a little of j the chick food for those that are backward. To give whole wheat, oats, and maize is but to interfere with the functioning of the liver, and in due course to lose chicks heavily from crop and gizzard compaction. The digestive system is a fragile one, and must on no account be overtaxed. One must not, for instance, give oats too early or in excess unless they be hulled, anil while at first they can be split or broken, they can later be used whole. Maize, however, should always be kibbled for stock of all ages. As chickens grow . they have strains placed on the system. Have they not bone, flesh and feather to develop? That is why the digestive organs must ever he running smoothly. Some chick mixtures are quite devoid of nourishment, as they are packed vith wild seeds and indigestible ingredients, but one must select an approved brand, and j on no account study cost. Cheap foodstuffs mean heavy mortality, and are in consequence the most expensive in the long run. Would that all poultry-keepers could see it that way. Value of Fresh Ground There is nothing like fresh ground and surroundings to push chicks i along. Wherever possible one should ■ select a fresh site for the rearing ground each season, so that the land can be properly rested. Then one needs to arrange for the broods to go up step by step into fresh runs. I am no advocate of the rearing of several hundreds of growing chicks as one flock, with cockerels and pullets together and chickens of all ages and sizes amalgamated. And where this is carried out we so often see a shortage of food troughs. Again, when the flock reaches maturity, we always find that several start to lay too early, small eggs, too. The best plan is to keep to small broods wherever possible from the time the chickens are eight weeks or so old. It means more trouble and expense, but one secures the best results, and too many are ready to sacrifice results for the saving of!

I trouble. Growing chickens need all | the room they can be provided with, | and, on no account, must they be overcrowded. GENERAL NOTES The following are the results of the Taranaki egg-laying competition to and including the 31st week: In the White Leghorn section laying has again been exceptionally good, one bird, belonging to F. M. McKay, having laid eight eggs for the week. W. Cannon’s hen has brought her score to 170, W. Ferguson’s bird being second with 164. A. J. Davey’s being third with 161 eggs. Black Minorcas are headed by J. K. Hawkiu’s hen and Andalusians by F. W. Williamson's bird. In the Black Orpington section G. L. Gaylard's hen is leading with D. M. Waddell's bird occupying second place. H. Kirkwood's hen is still a long way ahead in the Light Sussex section. O. C. Cleaver’s Rhode Island Red is now laying well, and her score is coming up. A. Gibbons’s White Wyandotte is still leading in this section, also ahead of ail her competitors in the heavy breed section. V. L. Gane’s duck has now passed the 200 mark, G. L. Gaylard’s duck being 13 eggs behind. In the White Runner section, D. M. Waddell’s duck still occupies first position. DUCK EGG RECORD An official sequence in laying eggs has been set up by a Khaki Campbell duck belonging to Mr. Dickson, of Chester, in the laying tests at the Harper-Adams College. This duck has laid 291 eggs without missing a day. The present record for laying is an English test is 357 eggs in 365 days in last season's Harper-Adama tests. There is a possibility of Mr. Dickson's duck establishing a new I English record for production during a year. The Dunedin poultry breeders have supplied one hundred cases of eggs for Bryd’s Antarctic expedition. The eggs have been sterilised under Drs. Crawshaw and Hercus and Mr. Oxley’s supervision. All three gentlemen are of the opinion that the eggs are in a state of preservation good enough to keep fit for consumption for a number of years. The poultry breeders who supplied the eggs gave a guarantee that all eggs supplied were sterile. The Canterbury poultry-keepers are ! shipping a further consignment of eggs s to London by the Port Darwin. This i makes the third shipment from Canterbury. A . further shipment of j

12,000 cases—3o,ooo eggs—will be shipped about the end of this month. Over 2.000 pullets and ducks will compete in the 1928-29 laying test at Harper-Adams College, England. The test ground is taxed to its utmost. Several hundred entries have j also been turned down. There are ! 40 pens (each containing 10 birds) in the championship section, while the breed sections for White Leghorns, White Wyandottes and Rhode Island Reds will each have 65 pens of five pullets. The Harper-Adams is the leading English test, and several hundred pounds in prizes and cups are allocated to the different sections. LIGHT AND HEAVY BREEDS The English Poultry Club has ruled that when “light” and “heavy” breeds are specified in show schedules, without further qualification, the’ terms shall be interpreted thus: Light Breeds.—Ancona, Andalusian, Campine, Game (Old English), Hamburgh, La Bresse, Leghorn, Minorca, Polish, Redcap, Scots Dumpy, Scots Grey, -Silkie, Spanish, Suftan, Sumatra Game, and Yokohama. Heavy Breeds. —Brahma. Cochin, Creve-Coeur, Croad Langshan, Dorking, Faverolles-Game (modern), Houdan, Indian Game La Fleche Langshan, Malay, Malines, Orpington, Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red. Sussex and Wyandotte. As shows in New Zealand are judged under English Poultry Club standards the above ruling will applv to New Zealand as well as in England. Mr. Alec. McNickel, Christchurch, who has for some years held a strong hand in Anconas, is now interesting himself in English White Leghorns, and informs us that he has several cockerels of the well known Ambler strain which are showing great promise. We hope these potential winners will turn out as expected. One thing is assured when “Mac” pens his birds—they will be in the pink, as condition is a strong point with him. Mr. Povey, Waimauku. who is well known to fanciers in the Auckland Province, has just returned from England, where he has been visiting his relatives for the past 12 months. Mr. Vic. Hanson, who recently bought a farm at Buckland, has sold out and returned to his old home at Mount Albert, where he intends interesting himself in his former favourites —the Black Minorcas and White Runners.

Mr. W. B. McKenzie, Wellington, has written to the Christchurch Poultry, Pigeon and Canary- Club, asking the club to consider the placing of classes for Angora rabbits on next ye-ar’s show schedule. Fanciers in New Zealand generally look to the Christchurch Club to take the initiative in matters relative to the fancy. So far as An-

gora rabbits are concerned, they have to take second place to the Auckland } Club, as the latter club added classes to its 1928 show schedule. Mr. R. Pearce recently imported a couple of sittings of Ancona eggs from Australia, from which he hatched 17 chicks. This is a better percentage than many fanciers get from eggs sent through the New Zealand post, as one rarely hatches more than 50 per cent, from them. Mr. B. J. Finnegan, who is well known in fancy pigeon circles, has taken up the breeding of Silver Wyandottes and has quite a number of chickens of this popular variety. If Mr. Finnegan is as successful with his Wyandottes as he has been with his pigeons he will be a hard nut to crack. The New Zealand Utility Poultry Club, some time ago, instituted a library and, through their librarian, Mr. C. W. Tritt, are appealing for a further supply of books suitable for either fancier or utilitarian. PERSONAL NOTES Mr. W. A. Hanson, Epsom, the wellknown Silver Wyandotte specialist, has about 60 forw-ard chickens, bred from his winners, also a fine lot of utility AVhite Leghorns, all showing promise. Mr. Hanson considers his Wyandottes are the best he has bred for years, and “W.A.” knows a Wyandotte. His son, Roy, has not had quite so much luck with his Pekin Bantams, fertility not having been of the best. The few bantams he has reared are, however, good. Mr. N. Dickey, the well-known Whangarei fancier. reports having bad a most successful breeding season and tells me he has some very promising Black Orpingtons, bred from his champion cockerel. He has also a grand lot of White Leghorns, bred from his show and competition pens. 1- or many years now Mr. Dickey has been one of our most consistent winners in the show pen. His birds have also put up good records imthe laying tests. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS iM? reall . y a very great wonder that the chickens have not shown signs -Tf weakness l°ug before this. You nr?J lt „o rJ I„ e i ,Vlng a teaspoonful of cod li\er oil each once a day in their soft g reen food with great regularity. They should also have a little meat meal, and bone meal in their mash It h=re°7„ eve n' t|U !I C possible that you will r' e to allow them out on to the land w®onlrt hi’Y ar a P Ul : ed - Milk to drink hnoi? w ® g °° d help - 1 should like to is" not uTb) 5 011 &Gt ° n ’ The stove flue