OUR FEATHERED FRIENDS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 140, 9 December 1911, Page 8

OUR FEATHERED FRIENDS.

(By Cock-o'-the-Xorth). It is well known among poultrymen who have had any experience of that dread scourge of the poultry world, "roup," that a bird which has 'been cured of this disease is of no earthly use as a breeder, for the simple reason that every ounce of the progeny will sooner or later develop the disease. Now, if this is so, the question is, where does the disease come from if the egg is free from disease? This, I think, would puzzle the greatest scientist in existence to explain. As a matter of fact, the matter is simplo enough. The chicken is hatched from the egg with the disease in its blood, and as the chick is produced from the egg it is a simple and logical deduction to reason that the egg is also infected with this disease. The whole ( thing lies in a nutshell —viz., the bird (or ! birds) which have had roup are never clear of the taint in the blood, the blood supplies the wherewithal to enable the yolks of the eggs to mature and develop, and also the albumen which envelopes the yolk in its passage through the oviduct, the material for the two skins immediately outside the white and inside the shell and also the shell, so that if the blood is tainted with disease of any sort the egg is liable to be diseased everywhere, yolk, white, skins and shell. Again, how many times have pieces of straw, string, worms and hairs been found in an egg? It is quite common to find eggs containing blood spots and streaks. Now, in the latter case, if the blood of the fowl laying the egg is diseased and that blood is in the egg from any cause, how can the egg be free from disease? The occasional presence.of the other things above-mentioned in eggs is a clear proof that an egg may become infected from outside sources by extraneous diseased matter being in the egg passage and becoming incorporated in the egg on its way to the outer world, yet we are asked to believe that it is impossible for an egg to be diseased.

Another statement, or, rather, two statements, made were to the effect thai (1) the fireless brooder was only good under certain condition, and (2) that it was doubtful if the pullets would laj as early when brooded in this way as according to some French scientist, heat was just as necessary to develop the ovaries as to mature grapes. Now, ] have a great respect for science and full} recognise the immense benefit conferred on humanity at large (including poultry men and women) by scientific men, bul at the same time we know that there ii some awful piffle written and asserted ii the name of science. I take this las' statement to be something of this na ture. I will, however, deal with th< subject in its order. First, then, as t< the fireless brooder being only goot under certain conditions. The condition ■ are, supposedly, "when in a small way.' It is amusing to note" that the mei I making these statements are those whi have had absolutely no experience o fireless brooders in a large way. Mi W. C. Davis, of Napier, last year broodei chicks in a large way under this system with splendid results, and I have don the same this year. Yet -we have t listen to men who have never tried then in anything like a large way state tha they cannot be successfully used onl; under certain conditions. I have n> patience with anything like this, as i is mischievous and savors too much o bumptiousness on the part of those mak ing it without proof. Of course, I perfectly well that in a large way th fireless brooder would be a miserabl failure with some men, but with th same men any other kind of broode would be the same. The work is on objection. Well, I have found the worl much less with this method of brooding and this is also the experience of Mi Davis. If the work was so excessive I, for one, would instantly drop thi method, as I am unfortunately one o those poor individuals who are born tirei —in regard to "unnecessary" work. In respect to the second contention tin fact remains that the pullets matun just as quickly ,and therefore lay ai early as any others. This is simply i fact, and not all the science in the work can explain a fact. If the contention ii regard to the necessity of heat to de velop the ovaries is correct, it woul<l bi an interesting thing to watch the ani mals and human beings in Greenland the northern parts of Norway, Sweden Russia, Siberia, Alaska and Canada. ] rather fancy the maidens there woult be rather ancient before they were suffi cicntly old to marry. The fact of Abra t ham's wife bearing him a child after sh< was 100 years old would be a mere baga telle in comparison, as in some of these places it would need two or three cen turics to develop a mosquito. Again, ] have never heard that an English chiUi born in England and 'taken to India oi Africa matured any quicker than her sister at home, and again, if the contention were true the Indian or Malaj game would mature ever so much earliei than any Leghorn or Mediterranean breed, coming from such a hot climate (comparatively), but unfortunately the reverse is the case, and the Leghorn is the quicker maturing bird. lam afraid the French scientist had better stick tc the grapes as these are more in a Frenchman's line. Readers will bear with me, I am sure, when trying to refute such statements as the above, as if they are left unchallenged they do incalculable harm to the poultrvman who is unfortunate enough not to be sufficiently educated to enable him to reason the why and wherefore out for himself. There are other very interesting points (or statements) to bo dealt with and which are of importance to poultry breeders, which I intend to demolish, as it is my firm intention to combat all such wild and irresponsible statements whensoever and by whomsoever made, in the interests of my readers. (To bo continued).