POULTRY NOTES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 16 September 1913, Page 7

POULTRY NOTES.

(By Utilitarian.) Many farmers who keep poultry would do woll to take a lesson from their town-dwelling brethren. There is a vast difference, as a rule, in the quality of country and town-kept fowls. There may be plenty of reasons why thia is so, but if it pays the town dweller to stock good birds, how much more so should be for the country man or woman? The farmer prides himself on the weight of fleece his sheep cut, or tlie high test from his cows, but he seldom recognises that the same pride may quite justifiably be taken in his iwas a difficulty in selling eggs or disposing of table poultry, one could understand the whyfore and the wherefore. But thia is not the case, with the exception sometimes in a little temporary difficulty in getting eggs to the market. This difficulty can be overcome by co-operating with each other, so that one farmer undertakes to call for, and deliver into town, all his neighbour's eggs. *As far as Masterton is concerned, the farmer's troublo with the eggs is done. All he needs to do is to belong to the Utility Egg Circle, and the actual selling is done for him. No need for him nowadays to go hawking his wares from place to place, crying. "Won't ydu buy my pretty flowers?" or eggs. ' Even the circle's occasional slight difficulties in egg-selling is more than likely to be much simplified in a very few weeks, judging by reports from those who are interested in the general amalgamation of these societies. Though the end of September is just about late enough to hatch out chickens, ducks may be brought out for some time after j some even edvocate the autumn months being the best time of all, but personal! experience does not warrant the writer in recommending autumn, not because of unsatisfactory results, but not having actually attempted it, leaves room for doubt as to its efficacy. There are, at least, two reasons why it does not altogether appeal to one, hatching so late. First, as ducks generally ease off very considerably in their laying in the autumn, there is difficulty in obtaining many eggs for hatching with, and secondly, unless one has a plentiful supply of shelter for the ducklings from the sun, troubles from heat apoplexy will ensue. Shelter from the sun, however, is absolutely necessary for ducklings from October onwards, and this may in the absence of natural shade, be secured by erecting frames on which sacks, damped occasionally, are stretched. It is wiser to try to find out why hens do not always lay when you expect them to, than to go round "laying" complaints against poutlry-keep-ing as a remunerative business. In ( nine cases out of ten it is the owner who is the -trouble. An egg in the crate is worth many in the hen—she might die. A Napier breeder is issuing a really remarkable and exceedingly well got-up circular post-card. Illustrations depicted give a 'good insight into an extensive plant. One shows a house 200 ft by 18ft for housing a thousand layers in one mob. Another, and probably the only one of its kind in this country, is a picture of an American broader stove, round which are gathered no less than-1500 chickens. The proprietor sends dayold chickens as far as Australia, showing to what an extent trade in this direction can be carried. When removing chickens from the brooders it is occasionalll .somotlnn of a puMe to* beginners to prevent them huddling too together, causing danger of smothering. One way of overcoming this is to construct miniature staircases in their houses, each step being W!^ e enough (or them to roost on, about four VSS2&S, ?»a about a similar distance apart. They will soon all try to reach the top step," but there only being room for a limited number, without them falling down, they are bound to divide up into several mobs, instead of in one unwholesome heap. , It is very probable an address en "How to get eggs" and Egg Circles will be given in Alfredton on Thursday.