DIVISION OF POULTRY 675 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



rinsing down and cleaning out of accumulated dirt, let the house dry out for a day 

 or two. Then make a searching inspection to see if any dirt can be discovered. If 

 so apply the appropriate treatment as outlined above. If, however, everything 

 appears to be clean, the time has come to make it really clean by disinfection. To 

 do this it is necessary to spray or thoroughly wash with a scrub brush, wet in the 

 solution used, all parts of the house, with a good disinfectant, at least twice, allow- 

 ing time between for it to dry. For this purpose three per cent creosol solution is 

 recommended. The chief thing is to use an effective disinfectant, and plenty of it, 

 and apply it at least twice. To complete the cleaning of the house, after the second 

 spraying of disinfectant is dry, apply a liquid lice-killer (made by putting one part 

 crude carbolic acid or creosol with three parts kerosene) liberally to nests and roosts 

 and nearby walls. After all this is done the house will be clean. With houses cleaned 

 annually in this way, the first step has been taken towards hygienic poultry-keeping. 



The same principles which have been here brought ont should be applied in 

 cleaning brooders, brooder houses, and other things on the plant with which the birds 

 come in contact. 



What has been said has reference primarily to the annual or semi-annual 

 cleaning. It should not be understood by this that no cleaning is to be done at any 

 ether time. On the contrary, the rule should be to keep the poultry house clean at 

 all times, never allowing filth of any kind to accumulate and using plenty of dis- 

 infectant. 



THE OVER-PRODUCTION BUGBEAR. 



There is little danger of over-production of the higher quality of poultry and 

 eggs. I'p to the present time, in the face of increased production, in all parts of the 

 Dominion, and decreased export, there has been increased prices, thus showing the 

 rapidly increasing value of the home market. As a matter of fact, Canada has, for 

 the past two years, imported many hundreds of thousands of eggs, and this should not 

 be in a country where conditions are particularly favourable to the production of the 

 higher quality of poultry and eggs. There should be no alarm felt as to over- 

 piod notion. 



SOME PRACTICES TO BE AVOIDED. 



There are, however, practices on the part of many farmers which should be 

 avoided if they ever intend to successfully cater to the high-quality trade. Some of 

 the most common and injurious of these are noted as follows: — 



1. Keeping eggs until a sufficient quantity is collected 'to make it worth taking 

 to market.' Meanwhile the eggs become stale and the purchaser, knowing this, offers a 

 second-rate price. 



2. The reprehensible practice on the part of too many farmers of keeping their 

 laying stock in ill-constructed and unsanitary poultry houses. Very frequently both 

 hens and houses are lice-infested or contain disease germs. A suitable poultry house 

 should be cheaply and conveniently constructed. Plans will gladly be furnished on 

 application to the Poultry Division of the Central Experimental Farm. 



r>. A lack of variety in the composition of the daily ration, which leads to egg- 

 eating or to eggs being laid with soft shells or no shell- at all; also to feather-eating. 

 Overcrowding of the poultry house is also an incentive to the vices named. 



4. The too common practice of hatching out chickens late in the season. As a 

 result, the pullets, instead of laying in October or early November, arc non-productive 

 during the winter season of high prices, 



5. The practice of allowing male birds to run with the Hock the whole year, 

 thereby having none but fertile eggs; this fact alone causes a large annual loss from 

 decayed and spoiled eggs. 



16— 43£ 



