REPORT OF TEE POULTRY MAXAGER 



323 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



growing grass. By means of hens lie is not likely to have similar results, for it is only 

 the winter layers which will make the early sitters, and then only in limited number. 

 The non-winter layers beginning their output of eggs in spring, will lay their quota 

 before becoming broody, and their chickens are more likely to be brought out in mid- 

 June tban early May. 



Proof of this will be found by reference to the table of eggs set and chickens 

 hatched, to be seen in a preceding page. This table shows that three early sitters were 

 available on the 26th and 27th March. They were placed on eggs at the dates men- 

 tioned, and hatched out 22 chicks in April. Four other sitters were set on 18th and 

 19th of April, and hatched 36 chickens, making with the 22 chickens hatched in April 

 a total of only 58 chickens by middle of May. And the hens of the poultry department 

 had laid fairly well during the previous winter. With the same percentage of strong 

 germs, which gave 8 and 10 chicks out of 13 eggs, as the table also shows, and an in- 

 cubator of 220 egg capacity the farmer should have 170 to 175 strong and robust chick- 

 ens. The moral is obvious. 



PROGRESS MADE BY CHICKENS EED IN CRATES. 



On the 1st day of August the four cockerels hatched in an incubator on 26th Feb- 

 ruary, were put in fattening pens upstairs, and were hand fed three times per day on 

 a ration of two parts ground oats, one part shorts, one part cornmeal, the whole being 

 mixed with skimmed milk. Quantity fed per day, one pound. The following gains 

 were made : — 



Varieties. 



1. Light Brah mas and P. Rock cross 



2. " C.Dorking cross 



3. White Wyandotte 



4. White Plymouth Rock 



Sept. 4. 



Lbs. Oz. 



7 34 



7 124 



7 9 



5 94 



Soon after being put into the pen the White Plymoiith Rock cockerel became sick, 

 and was replaced on 21st August by another of the same breed. 



All the birds were moulting previously to, or began to moult heavily soon after 

 being placed upstairs. This, no doubt, was a drawback to rapid flesh making. The 

 lesson taught by this experience is that birds should be put into the fattening pens 

 cither before or after they begin to moult, at 4J or 5 months of age, preferably the 

 earlier period. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH BIRDS IX FATTEXIXG CRATES, LIMITED AXD 



UXLIMITED RUNS. 



In order to ascertain the difference in gains made by birds in fattening crates, 

 limited and free runs, the following comparative tests were made : — On 12th August 

 two groups of 4 chickens in each group, and of same age, viz., 4 months and 3 days, 

 were selected and bands with distinguishing numbers placed on one of the legs of each 

 bird. The rations were composed of coarsely ground grains, such as farmers would 

 likely have at hand, and of the following description and quantity, viz.: — 2 parts corn- 

 meal, 1 part coarsely ground oats, 1 part shorts or buckwheat meal. 



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