The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1932-01-21
POULTRY SCHOOL DRAWS
CONSIDERABLE INTEREST

The two-day poultry school held
at Prosser the fore part OF last
week drew a very interested crowd
of poultry people if not as large
a number as attended in the past.
The present egg price situation
has had its effect upon the moral
of the average poultryman. Some
forty poultrymen from Prosser,
Richland and Kennewick attended
the school in addition to attend
ance by the agricultural class of
the high school were given a spec
ial attention to this topic.
A brief resume of the school fol-
lows:
Reducing the laying house NOR
tally as covered by Mr.. Buchan-
an, including a number of items.
These had to do mainly with fact
ors which affected the health of
Che bird from the time that eggs
were selected from the parent
breeding stock on thru the laying
period. Br. Buchanan specially en-
phasized selection from B. w. D.
tested stock, produced under as
ideal conditions as possible so as
to prevent infection from worms
or coccidiosis. Properly fed and
housed during the brooding and
pullett rearing period so as to de-
velop as thrifty bunch of pullets
as possible to put into the laying
house. If chicken pox has been on
or near the farm vaccination of
the flock at three to four months
of age against this disease. Clean
litter in properly constructed, well
ventilated, but not drafty with a
solid partition across the house
every "a feet should do much to
hold in check any troubles which
may develop during the pullet
year. Definite outlines for reduc-
ing laying house mortaitl may be
secured from the county agent.
Poultry literature on the whole
does not contain any very definite
information in regard to ventila-
ton which seems to have control
led at least the wet litter problems
which very materially affect ven
tilation. A study of two houses In
the Kennewick district which have
Che furnace type of heating con-
crete floor, it was found that each
of these men had been able to
keep the litter dry in two 60-foot
houses for one month for about So.
The saving here is not only repre-
scented by the saving and cost Of
litter but by the increased activity
of the birds and by the decreased
I'LL health of the birds. 1t would
seem that the heated floor is a
practice very much worth while
following. The system has been
adopted to houses with wooden
floors. Details of this will be glad
1y given to any poultryman inter-
ested by the county agent.
The discussion on turkeys COW
cred, first, outloog and emphasiz-
ed the fact that our climatic con-
ditions make this area well adapt
ed to turkey production and that
returns for the last few years have
been fairly good for turkey pro-
ducers. Like everything else, how
ever, there is tendency for far
mers to shift to these newer en-
terprises because they have seen
others get good returns from it..
In many instances, however, these
same people fail to realize til 9
problems connected with the new
enterprise and possibly thru the
putting upon the market and in
ferior product have been a hind
rance to the entire industry. Be-
cause of this it was especially en-
phasized that those getting into
the enterprise should be particu-
larly careful to produce only a
high quality product which then
might be benefit rather than a
detriment to the industry. The Sc
lection of breeding stock and the
development of the flock during
the growing season stressed par
ticularly the emphasis that must
be laid upon selection of only the
very best for the breeding stock
and the proper care and feeding Of
these in order to produce birds
with a great amount of stamina
Birds bred to produce young stock
with a high percentage of live
ability was particularly stressed
by Mr.. Buchanan. Young poults
are much more subject to adverse
conditions than are chicks and es-
pecial emphasis must be given te
the brooding and feeding Of the
poults under ideal conditions. Wher
the birds go on to the range feeo
nust be kept constantly available
to the birds in order to proven
over eating at any time. This j:
true of water also. Much informa
tion on this topic is available thr,
the bulletin material available thru
the county agents office.