POULTRY NOTES

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10669, 26 June 1912, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES

I (By Utilitarian.) If ever an Agricultural College is estaMislied in this district, i'fc might not ;be out of place to have -'n its syl lalbus a class devoteid to Poultry Economics. Volumes have been, writ-ton concerning the■ -production of eggs, and, in a llasser way, concerning the fattening of table -birds, but very little on the imore itrnportant ma.tt< r of distributing or marketing of the products. One is cf but small use without the other. Who would venture 'inito amy other 'business, however capable- in 'producing lie might be. without first satisfying himseuf as t> j the demand P Poulltry keepers, howi evelr, appeVir to belong to a different cateegory, for there are thousands cf . persons who seil a few eggs and do I not caiv one iota whether it pav.s them or not. This places thoce who are endeavouring to make a livJng ■ '.t of poultry farming in .a vary awkward i dilemma. Unless .it becomes law that .'poultry keepers a.re to .be ,'ic-ansed ~t i is difficult to ses- how matters can be much improved. Co-operative methods j are a step ii the right direction, as ;.t j any -rate tfc>y do encourage persons to Ipkce the-ir wares on the market in a cleanly maimi:r, and this is an inccnt ive to a greater demand.

I Hen coops will soon .be in demand again';, and I hcirowrjtih gives measurements .for one which wiill be found avery handy size: Height of front of coop,. eighteen inches ,-hieight at back, twelve ir.dies; width and depth eavh cighteofn inches. Kerosene this make a serviceable roof, ,w:kn cut cpen, anl if they aire tarred over should la.it ' many years. The «i-de:s. and back are constructed with wood, and likewise I the floor, though the. latter would be better if made moveable, so that it can be taken right out occasionally, for .a thorough cleansing. The front is made with battens two inches apart, with the centre one moveable, to allow for the Jien to come out when required. Should danger 'from weasels or such vermin be anticipated, a fine (meshed wire-ne'eting frame can me (substituted for the battens. i

j As cats 'aire apt to pounce en. chick- | ens, withc/;:.t even an- rroology, a wirenetting can be constructed to attach to the coop, hut the mm and coop should Hot be made in< .one, as it bocomes too cumbersome to more about, and a frequent chan.ga of ground is mast desirable both from a sanitary paint and the obtaining of fresh .succulent grass for the chicks. Common ,senisi3 will show the ownea - the best spats to place his coops, so that shade : frorn the hat sun and shelter from the winds can fbe easily reached. ■ Writing of coops ireealls to ■mind how one poultry keeper at Ma.uun some yell's ago, but who has rince left the district, < reared rt'hree humdi'v-d cbicSers and ducklings in one «eami. just wit hany sort of makeshifts far coops. This sounds as if reading young stock was a simple matter, w, there is anothar sida c>f tho story, daaiely, 'most oif the ibi'rds were hatih-. Ed and reared in the height of the •summer, biut we know in these tv vs that the curly bird gets the worn", and 'apply the isamo iby getting on with •our hatching now acid not at iChristmas time. drafting there is ample shade, late hatching is not difficult, but ith'a point is dfas value of tlmse ..stock is so much dim-mMied th.it gaariefe not worth the candle. The market now is on tho wrong side <f eighteen-pence per dozen., and doubtless there are tens c.f pullets not yet started to lay, owing to too late hatching last season. Aa an illustration of ithis, a visitor ip ■Wellington "wen told rL'liasfc if he had come to May there would have bet 11. a»ny amount of demand for eggs then,' ibut in June;, Oh, No!