POULTRY RAISING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9137, 13 July 1908, Page 5

POULTRY RAISING.

LECTURE BY MR F. E. A. GORDON.

A lecture on the poultry industry \was delivered on Saturday evening, in the room at the rear of the Drill Hall, by Mr F. E. A. Gordon, Utility Poultry Expert, and Associate Editor of the "New Zealand Poultry Journal." The lecture was very well attended. Mr G. Hyde occupied the chair, and introduced the speaker to his audience.

Mr Gordon, in his introductory remarks, said that generally the first question asked by intending poultrykeepers was, "Will poultry pay." The speaker said that he had heard one man .say, only that day, that "he would never keep poultry, as they ate their heads off." Mr Gordon remarked at the outset that whether for exhibition purposes, or tor utility alone, the secret of success was to get the best strain of birds and treat them properly. Mr Gordon answered the question as to whether poultry pays by giving the j experience of Mr G. Howell, whose | birds (Silver Wyandottes) put up a record three years in succession at the Hawkesbury (N.S. W.) e'gg-layirg competitions. Mr Howell said, "I can give no better instance of a man ; starting and succeeding from small beginnings than myself. I started with a few, the very best I could get, thoroughly selected them and kept on increasing year by year, with a determination to raise a utrain of layers second to none in the world, and I am proud to say I have succeeded. I know instances of £2OO per year alone being made from 450 birds in egg production alone.", Then the experience of Mr Wilson, of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, was quoted. This gentleman wrote to the speaker to the effect that for seven years he had, kept about 450, fowls on a piece of ground roughly an acre and a quarter in extent. Mr Gordon said that Mr Wilson's experience; went the whole way to prove that poultry keeping paid, and paid handsomely. The speaker also quoted other instances where incredible results had been obtained at the egg-laying competitions, both in Australia and New Zealand. Mr Gordon said that there was nothing to prevent anyone from obtaining the same results themselves, as they were quite able, to treat their birdi in the same manner as they were treated at the competitions. Another striking illustration was quoted where a man cleared above all expenses the sum of £3 18s a week from 480 birds, which could be accommodated on an acre and a quarter of land. Regarding housing, tie lecturer gave some very valuable hints for local breedera. . He said thdt the climate of tnis district required fowl house with plenty of floor space, sotbat the birds could scratch about without overcrowding. If this were not done the birds would go upon their perch, and idle about, with the result that the egg supply would diminish. The feeding of poultry was next touched upon, and on this question the speaker said that half the trouble gone to by many persons was absolutely unnecessary. He advocated instead of warm mashes in the evening a cold mash in the mcrning. The mixture he advised was as • follows For ordinary layers one part bran to two parts of pollard with lib of dried blood to every 141b of the mixture; for heavy layers, lib of blood to 121b of the mixture; fac gowing birds, lib of blood to 161b of the mixture. He said that tie food should be placed in a trough about sin deep by 12in wide, and to the length suitable, wired or lathed in, so that the birds could only get their heads in. A bird expended soz of flesh on every egg laid, arid this flesh had to be replaced, or the bird soon died or stopped laying. On the general subject of breeding, Mr Gordon advised the use of the incubator where more than fifty eggs were to be hatched, and strongly impressed on his hearers to purchase their incubators, and not to endeavour to' make them. All other appurtenances to the poultry yard he advised to make for themselves: * The uke of a litter for grain was another detail Mr Gordon mentioned, and the constant presence in the fowl yard of , grit, dry bone, and chatcoal.' In irsply to questions, Mr Gordon said that the best seasons for hatching chickens were as follows:—Early in July for Asiatic breeds; such as Langshans, Brahmins, and " CochinChuia; August for Orpingtons; September and October for Wyandottes; from September to November for Leghorns. The chief taringwas to get the /birds in laying condition by April or May. He advised the weeding out of birds that moulted in i their first season, tests having shown this to be the wisest course. He spoke against the use of glass for gritty purposes, as it was a very frequent cause of pelriionitis, and also against the use of cheap china grit, as lead poisoning was posssible from it. The largest number of, fowls per pen which it was advisable to have was thirty. Experience had shown that the smaller the pens the. better the laying. Six birds per pen was ■ the rule at the competitions. Mr Gordon replied to one question that skim milk was not a substance for animal food. For a cheap fowl house, warm in winter and cool in summer, Mr Gordon said concrete provided an excellent material, which lie had advocated for a long time, the walls/to be ljin thick. For > ths cleanJiness of the dropping board, he recommended a spraying mixture instead of lime, the mixture to be a gallon of kerosene, a teaspoonful and a half of creolin, and crushed naphtha ball. On the motion of Mr A. J. Parton, a very hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Gordon for his instructive and interesting lecture.