The Poultry Yard Month by Month. 



489 



THE POULTRY YARD MONTH BY MONTH. 



By J. J. JoRDAAN, Lecturer and Instructor in Poultry, Glen, Orange Free State. 



August. 



Feeding. — This is one of the diffic^^lt months of the year in which to obtain 

 green food, and in no month is it so necessary for growing chicks, prospective 

 show or laving-competition winners. They want a liberal allowance, and the 

 breeding-pen also demands it, if health and fertility are desired. Soaked 

 lucerne-hay should be available if nothing else is to be had, although sprouted 

 grain should be possible to all. (See June notes.) 



Chickens.— Separate all cockerels from the pullets; this helps an retarding 

 early development of egg organs and tends towards increased size and rapid 

 growth. While separating them examine each one for insects or nits around 

 the head and under the throat, and if seen anoint with a little of the following : 

 4 parts salad oil, 1 part paraffin, J part creosote. 



Watch for leg weakness and cramp am.ongst the cockerels, especially those 

 of the heavy varieties, and if seen add a tablespoonful of bone-meal to the 

 mash for each ten birds, or a tablespoonful of Parishes' Chemical Food to each 

 quart of drinking water. An extra feed at night by lantern light will also help 

 towards rapid growth. Remember that the chicken has a large body to build 

 up in a comparatively short period, and requires abundance of food for this, and 

 that the nights are long. 



Cull strictly — all poor doers will later be poor producers, and therefore 

 unprofitable. Culling also keeps down expenses otherwise necessary for labour, 

 feeding, and housing, as well as leaving more room for the good ones. Unless 

 you are a breeder with a large connection it will be found advantageous to 

 dispose of the cockerels as " broilers " ; South Africa is waking up to this trade. 



Disease. — Eye roup and ordinary roup will show if sleeping quarters are 

 draughty. 



Breedings-pens. — Two or three hens may be added to the number in the 

 breeding-pen, but do not neglect the male bird. The better he is the more 

 attention he will pay to the hens and the more he will neglect his own feeding. 



Egg Production. — This is one of the best months of the year for hatching 

 light breed pullets for autumn and winter egg production. 



General. — Wind in all its fury may be expected in the latter part of the 

 month, and few things will be found more detrimental to the vigorous growth 

 of chicks, or cause a more sudden drop in the egg output. Windbreaks or 

 screens should, therefore, be made, if they have not been grown. 



A useful windbreak screen can be made as illustrated below : — 



Wire 



Wire 



All that is required are : 3 7-foot iron standards, or other available posts ; 

 6 3-inch bolts; 2 pieces of wire 8 feet long; 3 bundles stout grass or mealie 

 stalks ; a few pieces of tarred twine. 



Cut one of the standards into three pieces 2 feet 4 inches long, have a hole 

 drilled into each end of the standards for bolting and making frame as sketched. 

 Frame might also be put together with wire instead of bolts. Fasten the two 



