POULTRY NOTES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10711, 15 October 1912, Page 7

POULTRY NOTES.

(By "Utilitarian.") Last season i;i this district, there were .some duck-breeder,s who were troubled with their ducklings' eyes becoming more or loss bunged up. This is generally caused by Having the drinking vessels too shallow. The water should bo sulHeiently deep to allow the birds to get the full length.; i:i t,:tir beaks into the water, in order to give tko ncstuls a good blow out. This plastering of the eyes is liable to cause further diseases, and we venture the opinion that this same complaint was, or might hitvo been, the cause, of a considerable reduction ,in the laying later on. 'However, whatever .was tn'e cause of such unprolificness, has, -as far as we are aware, not been discovered. We have referred :m former occasions to the urgent necessity of Government experimental work in connection with poultry, and. this, the J recurring so often, of moulting, leading .to a diminution of eggs, is but another instance why it is so important ..that scientific investigation should he. effectively carried cn. Drastic, or sudden changes in the feed, is most dangerous in the subsequent results. \ ariet.y, >ve are told, is the spice of life, but like otl'ier- spices and condiments, is of no use: to 'poultry. True, condiments may give a Temporary improvement-; but the constitution of the .birds, so supplied, is greatly impaired. Spirits to human beings, may for many be pleasant, and in most -cases, decidedly stimulating, but one would hardly expect to be ordered a regular ( course of this nature, in heavy doses.' I and condiments are to poultry as spirits are to us, in the long run, more enervating than elevating. In a recent loader of this paper J was a very able- article, writ-ten t-o the London Times, in which the writ- 1 er endeavoured to show that we are I only at the commencement of a gen-, oral Turther rise in food stuffs. This being so, poultry must necessarily come under the same category, and this leads us to wonder why farmers, with large areas of pasture, do not breed more turkeys than they do. Given plenty of scope, they generally do well, and bring in most rermmer- r ative returns, even now. and as just mentioned, there is every reasonable expectation of better results still. • . Agricultural men, too, have frequently first-class opportunities r*-' rearing young turkeys at. a nominal cost, for they will find a large amount of food round grain stacks after tlireslung is over. Geese, tco. are chennlv reared, bfit the demand for these i:; limited in the Do-minion, and we would not advis n anyone to look to thern as pecuniari'v beneficial, on a large scale. The hot weather now 011 us, will be the means of enceurigrfig the propagation of the nhiouitous aind in- j iquitoirs red-mite. Perches and waU • I should now be frequently examined ( and' visible signs of the nests should j be dealt with at- once. A good coating of tar, or the burning of the' perches is death to them, but inspectr-n lis necessary, from time to time, throughout the summer months, j The local Utilitv Egg, Circle still I continues to hold i+s own. and'is o'ie of the cheapest, if not the cheapest Circles, for poultrvmen to belong to. ' Eg<r.s, last week. were„ according to the Wellington Press, in keen do- 1 mand. and on the rise. Now that tho breeding season is just about over, clear out all the c-ui>-erflous male birds, for unfertilised eggs keep much better. The roosters,, whether required or not for another sea c on. should be entirelv separated from the hens, and well fed. -