Dec, 2, 1920.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 895 



Poultry Notes* 



December. 



JAMES HADLINGTON, Poultry Expert. 



A NOTICEABLE feature ill a]l the districts visited recently is the comparatively 

 small number of early hatched chickens on most of the farms. This is most 

 unfortunate for individual farmers and for the industry generally. No doubt 

 with many it has been a question of marketing eggs to obtain the necessary 

 revenue to carry on, but it is to be feared that too many have succumbed to 

 the depressing influences at work consequent upon the difficulty of obtaining 

 food supplies and the high prices. This, together with the attractive prices 

 ofiering for eggs during the early winter months, has been mainly responsible 

 for the failure to hatch early chickens. As early as May last the advice 

 given in these notes was "set eggs as usual" from 1st June, both light or 

 heavy breeds. It was also pointed out that the extra value of eggs to be set 

 then (say, Hd. each) was not to be compared with the advantages to be gained 

 by setting them at that time in order to secure early stock and the high 

 prices that were likely to obtain. The soundness of this advice is now 

 evident in the very high prices secured for table chickens right along the 

 season, and will be still more so as the pullets of the early hatchings come on 

 to lay. If properly handled, these pullets for the most part will continue to 

 lay right along till April or, perhaps. May, thus providing eggs for three to 

 five months while they are high in price, and assisting the poultry-keeper 

 to feed and cai'ry the first-year hens while in the moult. The August and 

 early September pullets will then take up the running, while the June-July 

 pullets are having a spell and, perhaps, going through a partial moult. 



Right now is the time for the novice poultry-farmer to see this and learn 

 this very important lesson. 



Another Lesson. 



Another lesson might also be learnt at the same time by watching the 

 results of very late hatchings. Recently I have found it necessary, in 

 lectures and otherwise, to repeat the warning given some four or five years 

 ago on this subject, and to combat strongly some advice that was being given 

 to hatch right on through October, November, and December. I then said, 

 " If you wish to fill your yards with [diseased and unprofitable chickens, 

 c(msequent upon mortality and bad development, hatch in those months ; by 

 refraining from doing so, much disappointment and unprofitable work will be 

 escaped." That advice was not based upon theory or prejudice, as some would 

 have farmers to believe, but upon sound experience, and it sUinde unaltered 

 to-day. 



The vision of high prices likely to be received for chickens liatched at that 

 time must also fade away. The facts are that these late-hatched chickens 



