Poultry Scratchings.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 409, 9 October 1889, Page 3

Poultry Scratchings.

Sodnd Wheat the Best vor Fowls. — It is frequently stated that wheat ib the best food for laying hens, and on the strength of this statement some people (says a writer) will try wheat screenings, mouse "chahkings," musty wheat, wheat from sunken vessels, or anything that ever was wheat, and then wonder why the hens do not lay. There is as much difference in wheat as in anything else, and is it more easily damaged than maize. Wheat is good feed for hens ; but good sound barley or buckwheat is better than poor wheat. Eggs tn England.— Each adult in England is credited with eating 100 eggs per year ; of these 65 are laid by British hens, and the rest come from the Continent. The valuo of the eggs imported into England from the Continent is -£3,000,000 (three millions of pounds sterling). One ton of eggs would count as about 16,000. From Ireland there are 528,000,000 eggs sent. Ireland provided 33,000 tons of eggs last season, of which 10,544 tons came from Dublin, 7,000 tons from Belfast, 6,750 tons from Londondeny, 3,892 tons from Cork, 2,612 tons from (Ireenore, and 2,080 tons from Waterford. This leaves only a small proportion of the 65 per cent, to be provided by the hens of England, Scotland, and Wales. As the hot weather comes on take precautions against the vermin pests in nests and on roosts. Paint everything at least once a fortnight with kerosene, and always put a leat or two of tobacco, if you have it, in the sitting nests. Commence with one variety, or two at the most, and with only a few of each. Do not breed cross-bred stock at the start ; this is fallacious and unsatisfactory, at the best, even in skilful hands. You" will be disappointed at re&ults, and through inexperience will not understand why you do not get what you anticipated. Charcoal for Fowls. — It is a wellestablished fact that charcoal is one of the best and cheapest disinfectants and purifiers of animal sub&tances. It is of service to fowls in roup, or other putrid affections, by purifying the digestive organs when the fowl swallows offensive mucus, as is apt to occur in such case?. It aUo acts as a stimulus to the digestion, thus increasing the egg-producing powers of healthy poultry. Feeding Boxes. — Food should never be thrown down in dirty muddy yards. It is a good plan to have low wide boxes across whose edges laths should be nailed about six inches apart ; this arrangement prevents the fowls from standing in, soiling and scattering the grain. Once a day, the morning being the best time, a meal of soft food should ba given, boiled rice, potatoes or indeed any vegetable, with scraps from the table, crushed bones and chopped meat. When the fowls do not have free access to grass, a feed daily of green herbage, as cut grass, cabbage-leaves, turnip-tops, etc., is indispensable to health. Give your Fowls a House. — It is seldom worth while for those who rear fowls for family use to keep more than one breed, requiring merely a plain, cheap house, and one or two yards. A comfortable shelter for poultry apart from other kinds of stock is desirable upon every farm, for while access to the barn-yards and cow -sheds in the daytime is worth very mucli to fowls, especially in winter, still it is a bad plan to allow them to loost anywhere and everywhere they choose, as they are not only exposed to inclement weather, but a regard for cleanliness and order will demand that they be assigned to quarters of their own. Wang vnui Show. — Referringto this show, of which a special report appears elsewhere in this issue, a correspondent writes to us that the judging of Mr Dean, of Auckland, in the poultry and pigeon classes, gave universal satisfaction. He says he only knows of one exhibitor who said his bird? were badly judged. The Committee worked well, and in conjunction with Mr Drew, the president, and Mr Nicholls, the secretary, made the show a thorough success. MrJ. Walker, of Auckland, sent down some pigeons, but they arrived too late for competition. They were however greatly admired, and many of them were sold at good prices. Treatment according to lircumstavces. — To suppose that the same treatment will be suitable for all the adult fowls in your yard is a great mistake. Old hens have made their growth, and if to be kept over should be fed with a sparing hand, in order to prevent them from becoming too fat. Excessive fatness leads to a suspension of egg-production and predisposes to certain forms of diseases. Pullets, on the other hand, are growing, and should be fed liberally in order to promote growth and keep up their strength. There is little danger of their being too far. Breeding stock should be 30 fed as to be kept in robust health, be well nourished, neither too fat nor too lean, so that when the breeding season begins, they will be in proper condition to perform all the functions of breeders. The laying stock— and with them may be included the hens intended for setters— should be fed for eggs, forced to lay through the winter when eggs are high, and be ready to furnish plenty of hens which desire to set early in the season.— Eggs from this stock are wanted now. The stock for fattening should be sepaiated from all the rest, and be so fed as to make the most flesh in the shortest possible time and be ready for market.