POULTRY NOTES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 10 June 1913, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES.

(By Utilitarian.) Tho natural instincts of fowls tend to cause them to pet on to tho highest part of any building to roost or if in a tree, .several feet from the ground. Remembering this, care should be taken, that perches arc always on a level with, each other, otherwise, the birds will crowd each other endeavouring to settle on the higlusi one. As 'long as there is a foothold at all somewhere, above the level of the inches, if uniy a few inches, pullets, especially, ' will frequently make for thorn' even a kero«em> tin nest, will satisfy tluMn. To overcome thit\ all nests should he placed h>iv dov. n. or better still, slope the sides, so that they ore too steep for the birds to hold on to, and then they cm be suspended at such a height from the ground that the eggs can ho gathered without discomfort by the attendant. In some fowl houses projecting beams or braces may he found', and if it ig at all possible the birds / will forsake their perches if these projections are high up, and sleep as near the roof as they can. This can be easily over come by wrapping wiren?tting round the beams. Some go to the trouble of placing the birds on their perches if they find them obstinate in th:> respect, and though this sometimes breaks them of their bad habits, it is unreliable, besides unnecessarily disturbing them. Duck owners sometimes are puzzled to account for them not com::)! 1: on to lay when they should. It must be borne in mind that a duck is particularly nervous, th.' sjightest incident, unusual, causing it to show its fear by loud quacking. With the highest bred cows, the same trouble is sometime.; seen, the animal, for instance, rel'iming to yield the milk to a Strang ,>r, or in some cases, undue chasing bv dogs. Our modern laying ducks, bred to lay an abnormal number of ■•■ggs. become more and more sensitive, and the>oforo though good results are to bo seen La; small bad; yard lots, occasionally, duck pons should Jbe placed in such a position that tho birds are as free a.v possible from disturbance. At night it is sufficient if dogs or cats or human beings or lights are noticed by tho ducks (for they are excellent watch dogs) and the quacking, which a tonce arises, will almost invariably ■ mean a loss i;i eggs nc::(. day, or if they hnve. not commenced a postponement a while longer. The passing of the Pure Foods Act should make a considerable difFerer.re in the value of the Dominion's eggs. After next May no more ep<rs ('out of the shell) are to he imported, and such articles as egg-powders must have 'stated th?ir contents. Add to this that export of eggs is gradually being extended, it will be seen that before long the industry will receive a substantial advance. Hens with spins are not to be commended. True, good layers will be seen amongst these feathery am axons, but those who wish to breed as near perfection as possible should eliminate them from the breeding yard. Exception may be allowed with old hens, as it is not uncommon for tliem to wear the spurs. Poultrydom has its fashions! At one time it was tho usual thing to isee all sorts, hundreds "in one flock running together. Then came the separating 'of tho. breeds, followed by Smaller nocks. The intor.siv? or confined house system coining into vogue, pens were made _to hold only half a doaen birds, and now they are being run in flocks of Several hundreds in one bona?. The latter arrangement is a saving in labour, but we are inclined to think there should ho 41, happy medium struck, keeping, Kay, about fifty in each pen. Tr> carry such a number, a fairsized pen* would be required, one of the avs.umeu'.s in favour of large flocks, and tho extra labour, in fifties, instead, of p-rhups five hundred, would probrbiv be'more than compensated by a higher production of eggs ffl tho aggregate. For it has beers #.)ticed, over and over a cram, when running outside that better results arc- obtained with comparatively small flocks, and there appears to be no reason why th? same argument should not hold good when they are confined under cover. One very (annoying objection to having them in very large flocks is the ' rouble caused by so many hen* ce-'jirg u o lay in the same box, resulting jr fighting and broken eggs.