POULTRY NOTES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 28 February 1913, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES.

All pullets, except very, late ones, i:iuUl<l ,;ii bo in -Heir wih..t:r Quaioors in- iu;iv i' the end of tins; nion'en, at CU3 lafceso, if left later they n;ay go into a false moult and tlio ro: uiu ill ho a loss of eggs through April and May, which are the best monthi tor high prices. Care must be taken t;iat they are 'provided with ample scratching material, grit and green feed.

it i s a pleasure for members of tho Utility Egg Circle to see the businesslike way in which Messrs Mmi'ie and Gardner .handle the eggs. Every Saturday evening one or more oi' the Conimittoo call in at the depot, and find all til© eggs ready crated for despatching on the Monday morning, an<! win l !!, in addition, wo hear that enquiries reach that firm for ordt\rs for eggs, sometimes for several boxefc, we know tlio Circle's interests are being diligently s-udied.

It i, not a day too soon for the prospective buyers of stock birds to be looking round now. First come, first pick, and it is often well worth feeding a good breeding male right through the winter months rather than to wait till right on the breeding season ami expect to pick up a good specimen after others have been befcrc. Owners cannot be expected to sell good stock cheap at the end of tlio Season, after feeding them all the winter, for they generally have to feed ssvera-1 o-hers in order to have a- substantial number to be chosen from, sin J unless sales are particularly good

breeder does not make much cut of a ten shilling bird. To amateurs ten shillings sometimes seems a large sum to pay, but a bird is often cheaper at ten shillings of a pound than one at a shilling or two. It does not matter what it is one requires to buy, if it is tho best of its kind, whether a Bengal tiger, a thoroughbred, or a typical rooster, it takes more than will buy a glass of whisky.

Much has been written in tho poultry press advocating dry feeding as a labour -saver over moist mash. Its chief advantage in this respect is that the mash ht\s not to be carried lound every day, but is done ai; odd times or on regularly appointed days. In the latter case the saving in time or labour would not appear to be much gain since there is so much additional quantity to handle. Mr Mum by, of Horetaunga who farms two thousand birds or more still believes in the moist mash and states that he and another man can mix and feed the lot of his birds in three quarters of an hour. It is a matter 'of system in either ease. Three new members joined the Utility Circle in one day, last week. The Circle has also obtained the services of Mr Cole, a new member, to fill the vacancy on the committee.

Through the courtesy of the Department of Agriculture in the Dominion of Canada we have had sent n copy of a bulletin, dealing with "Care of Marketing Eggs," and a tip-top, useful pamphlet it is. The author, Mr W. A. Brown, lias delved deeply into the subject, and throws much useful light on to understandings.. Poultlykeopers in Canada appear to be just a <3 cureless as those of this Dominion, with regard to the .manner in which eggs ars handled ard marketed, antl it is tho author's endeavour to awaken the Canadians to a- moral sense of the economic side of the industry. Ariifrngs other matters he writes very emphatically on the error" cf'ftferfoM allowing their male birds to run with tli<? flocks ; in any time but the breeding season. a feHil# efg wiii commence to germinal at a temperature of 70 degrees, this hot weather flloiild quickly bring poultr.V-keepers in fvaline the danger there is in havirig* males with the hens now. Therefore never rllow- eggs to remain in a warm place p,s if the germ is present not only will it commence to grow but afterwards gradually die off, followed by P vitable rorruntion, what is known in Canada, as "Common rots." There are so many nossilfae causes of eggs deteriorating that we need to guard against .<•<s many as" tfe can, and plcing infertile tlie market is a very big ■;ten in that" direction.