POULTRY NOTES

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 7 December 1912, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES

(By "L'tilita.-.i'. •' )

Weil worn-down tails, with Uio appearance 01 having been scrubbed oil', have . been previously meiiuoneU in these, notes as strong indications ol" iirst-clubs layers. It is not every nest, However, Uiau will give tins indication. Jhe nests require to be ol wood and low, so that tlie tail of the bird when on. them will como in eou-cu-t- with tiu' or benzine tins make more sanitary nests but on account of the ismooth sides do not wear the tails like the wooden ones. The keen observer, however, oven when tin nests are used will -see a difference in tlio bird's vails. The heavy layers will have the appendage worn .sharp on the sides, a. kind of clean-cut looking appearance. - For abyoiiii-e certainly the trap nes ik or single pens are alone reliable as not only will they indicate, to an egg, a. bird\s performance, but will enable the owner to detect those which lay the mishapen and snuaJl eg£S. A novel experiment recently canto under our notice in hatching. Some eggs which, had been sot in an incubator were tested on the fifth day. and two of the fertile ones placed on the brickwork between two large boilers. The experimenter had previously noticed that the temperature was between 100 and 104 degrees which gave bin) the incentive to make the test. The eggs were kept covered with a flannel and .sprayed every day—result, two live chickens, but regrettahlo to .vay, they soon died. From what we. are aide to ascertain this present season has not resulted in too good results in chicken raising. Whether the past wet winter or the present unseasonable weather, or both together, are the causes is\ difficult to know. Those with especially strong constitiifcionod stock would douhtless

not 1)0 union affected. Tf- this lack of much stock being roared is general: throughout the Dominion, it will probahly mean an improvement in. the price of eggs next season, for the bulk of tho ogga come from the first year's layers, and when these are lesser in numbers it is obvious a diminution in hen fruit can hut he the consequence. The Palmerston North Egg Circle lias had a, further increnise in its members during tho past month, though, tho supply of eggs has gone down, a little.

A very simple device for preventing chickens crowding each other in ;i brooder is as follows: —Select a straight and clean piece of timber 3 by 2 and cut this through cornerways, giving two triangular lengths. Cut these into lengths to fit the two sides and back, of the brooder box and nail them round tho bottom inside, the sloping edge will quite prevent them keeping up against any sides. At time of writing a change has taken place in the Laying Competition, tho Hcretaunga Poultry Farm holding premier position with ducks. Mr Hall, who until now had been leading now falls into second place.

The last issue of tho Agricultural Journal gives a very interesting account of some circular brooders experimented with at the Government Poultry Farm, at Milton. The' Editor of the N.Z. Poultry Journal announces that JSp is now going to cater more for tho beginner in poultry culture, some having stated that tho Journal was getting a-way from them in this respect. Also, it is more than probable, there will' be much less controversy permitted i" its columns, ft is an old story, trying bo please everyone, for some have written stating tho various controversies are full of good fun.