POULTRY NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 78, 31 March 1903, Page 4

POULTRY NOTES.

* - . [By Wyandotte] Items of interest will be thankfully received from poultry-raisers. Pleasa address to "»«■ « Wyandotte," News office.] POULrRr FOR PROFIT. Mr Hyde, the Government Poultry Expert, gave,an interesting l?ttuie at i Hamilton last week, when he urged upon his hearers the points that made for success in poultry raising. Most of , his address was certainly a reiteration *;-'"of previous statements, but as the average poultry raiser needs a lot of teaching, it will not be labour in v>iu '- to giva portions of his remarks. "It is no ase," he said, "keeping old hens. - Chickens when batched contain the ova * of all the eggs they will lay. By * judicious treatment they will lay neatly •' - all these within two years. Cleanliness . v*B most essential. Fowls will not give -. a fair return if kep. in a filthy house. The usual arrangement of perches in the shape of a ladder is a mistake. . Xbey should all be level and not more ■ than 18 inches from the ground. They - should be fitted with a slot, so that they flan be easily removed and replaced, for - facility of cleaning out the shed. They should be made of scantling, in whijh there sfcould be no cracks, as these become filled with vermin, which suck * blood from the fowls and prevent their ' hying eggs or getting fat. Fresh water - is a most essential particular; this ;.. should be plentiful and put in the shade. *■ A dost bath is essential to enable the buds to free themselves from vermin, < in which should be put a little sulphur. ~-' -AH fowls should be handled at least »- twice a year and dusted with-carbolic. C It is important that fowls should have , about an ounce of bone food a week, it | ' - increases the supply cf eggf. Every I person who keeps fowls should have a j. machine to pare up bones, also a grit machine for breaking up old ciockery. ' It is essential that the grit be starp edg.d to assmt digestion. They should also have lime fed to them in some form, shells broken np in the grit machine answejH&e purpose. Unless they got y&ie"they are liable to lay soft eg»s. "~ For the London market the Houdan _ (black) and Buff Orpington are most • suitable. The ideal cross is between the Dorking and the Indian Game, if crossed with the Indian Game they - should be used for the table only. For ' eggs, the best breeds are the Wyan- - dotte, Orpington, Langshans, and Plymouth Rock. Tcey are best for all purposes; they are heavy, good hyers, and good for the table. Mr Hyuo is of opinion ihtt fowls and eggs should ba sold by the pound. Th : s would necessitate the keeping of good breeds. Artificial incubation i 3 a necessity if a large number of fowls are to be kep". It is essential that a good iccubator Should be procured. In using the ic- - cubitor it is essential that all the eggs should be examined to ascertain whether they were fertile. Th : s should ba done on the fourth day. It is easy to ascertain the quality of the eggs; fcr this purpose hold each egg before a candle, a red spot with red lines radioing from it will be obseived in the fertile egg. By adopting the proper breed and proper system, each hen, at the present , high prices of food aod eggs, should give a profit of 53. In conclusion, Mr ,' Hyde said ha looked forward to the time when the poultry industry will eclipse the diary and all others in connection with the land.