Poultry Keeping.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXII, Issue 42792, 17 October 1905, Page 2

Poultry Keeping.

LECTURE BY MR HYDE.

Last evening, in the Public Hall, To Aroha, Mr D. D. Hyde, Chief Poultry Expert, gave a highly instructive lecture on “Profitable Poultry Keeping.” His Worship the Mayor (Mr A. J. Farmer) occupied the chair. Mr Hyde said that the old notion that poultry-keeping consisted simply in throwing a certain amount of food on the ground and thon going to look for eggs, was now exploded. No doubt the Americans, by their newer methods, had helped to develop the industry. People should not, Mr Hyde said, go in for poultry farming when they knew absolutely nothing about it. There so.mod to be an idea that it could bo learnt in twentyfour hours. That was quite erroneous, for a man who has been at it ton or twenty years will still have more to learn. Some persons think too, that fowls which roost in trees will produce more eggs than thoso that are properly housed. Tho irregularity in the weekly results of the egg-laying competitions had been proved to be caused through changes in the weather, yet in face of this pooplo contended that fowls were hotter roosting in tiees. Hens properly housed will lay the bulk of their eggs during the first two years. Don’t think palatial buildings are required. A house may be plain, but must not be draughty, and should bo kept scrupulously clean. People who only clean out their henhouse once a year will tell you there is nothing in poultry-keeping. If not conducted in a business-like way and details attended to, there is nothing in it. Mr Hyde said he would show that there was nothing in the way of stock that has as much in it. About 15 cub. ft. of air space should be allowed each bird. A necessity generally overlooked was the providing of a large window, whioh should face north-ea.'-t to get as much sun as possible during the day: this prevents fnustiness. Concrete or board floors were undesirable. Earth raised six inches above the outside.ground is best. Perches should be 3 x 2 scantling with the 2 inch edge tip, and should not be nailed, but fitted into a slot at ends, and fixed only 12 or 18 inches above floor, all pefehes same height to prevent fighting fi r uppermost. Low perches gave better air to breatho. They should be soaked in kerosene to prevent vermin, which hinders laying. Cracks in perches will harbour vermin. Fowls infested with vermin should bo dusted with carbolic powder. The house should be limo-washed either by spraying or with a brush. In the yard, said the leoturer, drinking water is- generally placed in an exposed position where the rays of the sun beat on it the whole day. The drinking vessel should be cleaned out whenever fresh water was added ; neglect of this often caused cholera to break out. With regard to feeding, it never seemed to occur to anyone that they might be giving too much or too little food—they generally give too much, and thus feed a host of small birds, sparrowr, etc., and then' grumble at the amount of food the fowls consume. Then the quality of the food must be considered. Peltrid food spoils the flavour of the eggs. It is now time, said Mr Hyde, that people should wake up in oonneotion with poultrykei ping. Where the dairying industry was fifteln years ago, is just where the poultry industry is to-day —in its infancy, but the possibilities are far greater for poultry. It takes three acres to keep a cow, but 100 fowls can easily be kept on an acre, and it is a poor flock that does not produce twelve dozen eggs per year each, costing 4s per year per head for food, and 3s per head for interest and labour, you have 5s profit from each hen pre year. One hundred on an acre means £25 profit in a year, and there is no reason why you should not double it by keeping two hundred on an aere. There is no reason why farmers should not pay as much attention to this as to other kinds of stock, and should there by any chance be a slump in dairying, the poultry would be a useful back-set. For the morning meal mix two-thirds p. lard and one-third bran with meat and scraps, to a thick consistency. The Americans take great care that no food is wasted. There is no money in it for those who squander. The food should be put into troughs, and if the birds leave any it should be taken away at once, to prevent them getting too fat to lay well. On the other hand they must be given enough to enable them to produce eggs. Give grain just before they go'to rest at night—variety is essential: wheat one night, oats the next, barley the next, then maize and so on, only one kind on one night, never mixing them. The barley may have boiling water poured over and allowed to stand for half-an-hour. Maize should be given twice a week in winter and once in summer. Fowls in a oonflned space not getting worms and grubs, should be given scraps from your table. Dry bone is no use as grit, as it goes soft as soon as swallowed. Grit should be hard flint ptone, broken glass, bottles, etc. In New Zealand, Mr Hyde said, there is not a tithe part of the poultry that is required. Some time ago only a fraotion of the South African orders had been shipped, and there were not enough of the right kind of eggs to ship to London. By supplying a good article—spring chickens four months old instead of four years —a good demand would soon be oreated. He urged fhe selling of fowls and eggs by weight, as the latter often varied between I{t and two ounces. Bearing in mind that it costs 4s to keep a fowl for twelve months it was obviously a loss to sell it then for Is 6d or 2s, Cockerels oould be sold to a profit at say four months old, but hens should be sold at the end of the second laying season, for after that they would not produoo many eggs. It is compulsory by law in Denmark, to rubber stamp each egg with the date, and the speaker thought suoh a law would help the industry in this colong, whore 173,000,000 eggs were produced last year, and could probably soon increased to 200,000,000 if we could depend on reliable eggs. Fifty thousand eggs were put into the cool store at Dunedin last year, and arrangements have been made for storing with tho Auckland Freezing Company, Tins would revolutionise the industry in time and make prioes more equable, but never below one shilling a dozen, and probably up to one-and-ninopence. When it was proposed to hatch out more than ono hundred oggs, the incubator was recommended. Remember it costs no - more to feed good stock than mongrels. Don’t think you can buy 500 hens and go straight into the market and make your living. You must start from tho beginning and brood good birds —tho best layers are the active. ones that scratch about most and arc first off the porch,in tho morning and last on at night —thoso should borotiunod to breed from. In America trap-nests are used to find which are tho best layers. A man there had 1,000 hens that laid an avorago of 201 eggs eaoli per yoar. There should bo no sontiment —no compunction about getting i i 1 of old hens. Chickens should not bo hatched out after November.

Questions. What is the best food for young chickens ? Ooai’so oatmeal, mixed for the first few days with hard boiled egg, and always a littlo green food, watercress, lottuoo, or short cut grass, and during tho first, week a sprinkling of sharp coarse sand (not river siuul), and a sprinkling of powdered charcoal, keep water by them, mix tho food with a littlo milk, but don’t allow tho chicks to become dirty by getting into tho milk. Mr Johnson,, in reply to a request of Mr Hyde, said he would undertako to distribute the 50 books at his business placo (Messrs Johnson and Wigg). Tho book is writton by Mr Hydo, aud contains much usoful inforI ruation, and can bo had gratis at the abovementioned business houso in a fow days. What is tho host breed to keep? There is no best, brood, it is a question of fancy. Keep any loading breed you fancy and work it up to perfection. Mr Hatrick, in moving a vote of thanks said ho has sovoral times heard Mr Hyde, but never hoard him to better advantage than that, evening. Tho mooting was then concluded.