UNIVERSITY PARK - Cage depth, intermittent lighting, forced molting, fly control, and feeding methods all can make a difference when it comes time to ship birds out. Penn State Poultry speciahst Floyd W. Hicks summarized the research findings from the recent Poultry Science Association t . AUTOMATIC COW WATER ml! BOWLS the new “DRY” waterer from Uebler... • Fully approved anti siphomng drinking bowl • Cast iron bowl, stainless steel I'ner, brass valve • Valve supplied with filter and stainless steel spring • Water bowl casting can’t freeze' Valve is separ ate from the more ex pensive bowl casting, eliminating expensive repair problems ★ QUANTITY DISCOUNTS ★ ZIMMERMAN’S ANIMAL HEALTH SUPPLY RD #4, BOX 140 Lititz, PA 17543 Phone: Closed All Day Wednesdays FOR HIGH OF MARTIN AG SERVICE c/oJohnZ Martin New Holland RDI Phone 717-354-5848 Five tips to keep poultry profits up meeting where these topics were discussed Here’s what researchers found. Cage depth Studies by D.D. Bell and co-workers at the University of California confirmed their previous findings concernmg shallow or reverse cages. The shallow cages (12 inches depth) yielded significantly higher monetary returns at the same floor space allocation per bird when compared to the deeper cages (18 inches). Seventeen different combinations of cage shape and colony size were studied. Feeder space and floor space per bird were both positively correlated with egg income over feed cost, whereas colony size was negatively correlated. Also, Brazilian workers reported hen-day egg production was significantly higher with the reverse type cages. In an analysis of housing space utilization and economy of shallow cage systems for commercial layers, A P. Rahn, University of Georgia, compared four alternate cage equipment systems. One system was a con ventional two tier/row “stair-step” cage arrangement. The other three incorporated shallow cage arrangements with two, three or four tiers/row Within a ten-year evaluation period and AMoI-Mix/LPS® liquid supplements are so important Mol-Mix/LPS contains the highest quality ingredients available plus B* our guaranteed sugars level, guaranteed dry matter level and our special “slow 'BBil I release" formation They all work together ■ ■ I I■■ ■ m the convenient self-fed liquid form to give you maximum milk production Namolco Mol - Mix LPS liquid supplements RED ROSE FEED & NORTHAMPTON FARM BUREAU FARM SUPPLY Tatamy, Pa 18085- Main Office Phone 215-258-2871 27 N Church St Quarryville —786-7361 representative uniform layer performance and market price factors, the contrast egg producers gross revenue additions more than offset the increase in initial equipment investment required per bird of the three and four tier/row shallow cage system relative to the conventional system con sidered and provided ad ditional labor-management returns. Intermittent lighting D.C. Snetsmger and co workers at the Ralston Purina Research Center reported on the effects of various intermittent lighting programs on growing replacement pullets and on the laying performance of different commercial strains of hens. In a i>€ld program, pullets were grown under a number of interrupted light patterns using eight “light-hours” per 24 hour day. The “light hours” tested included: 1) 15 minutes of light and 45 minutes darkness each light hour; 2) 30 minutes light and 30 minutes dark each light hour; 3) the control 60 minutes light and no dark ness during each of the eight light hours. Growing the leghorn or white egg strain birds under the 15 minutes light and 45 minutes dark lighting schedule resulted in equal body weights and 230 grams less feed consumed per bird to 20 weeks compared to the control. Good nutrition is essential during these crucial fall and winter months That’s why This winter, give your dairy herd our best and make that low degree in temperature mean a high degree in profit' Virtually all reduction m feed consumption with this treatment occurred during 12-20 weeks. The 15 minutes of light and 45 minutes darkness treatment was also effective as a means of restricting growth of medium weight pullets. A feed savings of over 450 grams per bird from 10-20 weeks was shown. The effects of these in terrupted light patterns on the performance of layers were evaluated with 15 “light hours” per 24 hour day. The initial laying tests beginning at 20 weeks of age showed slight drops in egg production and egg weight with the 15 minutes of light and 45 minute darkness treatment as compared to the control. But, there was a 5-6% improvement in feed ef ficiency as well as increased shell thickness. Additional tests showed that the drop in egg production and loss of egg weight with the 15 minute light and 45 minute darkness treatment could be overcome by having con stant light hours through peak production using in termittent light from 26-28 weeks of age rather than 20 weeks. Improvement in post-peak laying performance with the 15 minute light - 45 minute darkness treatment was also noted when there was a gradual rather than abrupt change from constant to intermittent lighting. Forced molting In a study of the influence of pre-molt production on post-molt performance, D.A. Roland and J. Brake, Auburn University, con cluded that post-molt production was directly related to pre-molt production. The hens laying the highest rate during the pre molt period showed no improvement, whereas those laying at the lowest rate showed the greatest improvement. Forced molted hens exhibited a lower incidence of shell-less eggs than the non-molted birds. It was concluded that most of the improvement in production observed in forced molting is due to a reduction in shell-less eggs and not due to an increase in ovulation rate. There were somewhat Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 24,1979 conflicting results on the use of a low sodium diet (no salt added) as a means of force restmg birds. E. Ross and R. Herrick, University of Hawaii, reported that the use of a low sodium diet to induce a forced rest ad versely affected post molt/rest hen-day and hen house egg production, feed efficiency and broken eggs, whereas Brazilian workers in a study comparing effects of four methods of forced molting on subsequent bird performance reported the best performance was ob tained with a salt-deficient die-:. This method was com pared with; 1) a con ventional molting method - removal of feed and water, 2) addition of zinc oxide to a basal com-soy ration and 3) a basal com-soy diet without any source of calcium or phosphorus. Fly control W. Jaynes and co-workers at the University of Missouri reported on a field study to evaluate the efficacy of thiocarbarmde (thiourea) as a manure additive in decreasing house fly populations m cage layer houses. Twelve weekly house treatments consisted of dissolving .37 grams thiourea per hen in 60.5 and 75.6 liters of water for the 6,000 and 12,000 bird houses, Canadian chwken quota problem for Pennsylvania HARRISBURG - When Canada imposed import quotas on U.S. broilers, beginning October 22, trouble started to bubble for a group of independent broiler growers m central Pennsylvania. The pot has now come to a full bod, but it may not yield many chicken dinners for Canadian tables between now and New Year’s Day. The problem, the Penn slvama Poultry Federation has learned, is that the Canadian processor for whom these birds were grown on a marketing contract has exhausted his import quota for the remainder of 1979. Spring Air Box Spring & Mattress Extra Firm Double Size 10 Year Warranty Sua Price 249 95 OurPnce 1 59’* BROKING COUNTRY SQUIRE BARN PAINT In 5 Gal Cans Only *7 50 Gal BULK FOODS OUR SPECIALTY 1 LONGHORN &MUENSTER M. 59 Lb M. 69 ib By The Roll Cut BROWN & CONFECTIONERY SUGAR sLb *1.49 io w *2.95 Alvin A. Knauer Discount Outlet 611 E Mam St. Ephrata. Pa 717-733-1268 respectively, and spraying the solution directly on the manure. Counts of trapped adult flies were made weekly. The thiourea-treated houses produced over 96% fewer adult flies than the traps from the untreated houses Feeding methods Results of work by M.N. Swanson, University of California, suggest that the separation of a laying flock into two or more groups based on body weight with different feeding programs for each would improve performance and increase economic returns. In this study, the flocks were divided into two groups based on weight and half of each weight group was given continuous access to feed, whereas the other half was limited to feeding only twice daily between 6:00-8:00 pm. Both the heavy and light weight pullets on controlled feeding consumed 6.5 and 6.9% less feed, respectively, than their full-fed sisters. Limiting feed intake of the heavy group resulted in a non-significant 1.5% reduction in hen-day egg production. Limiting the feed of the light weight group resulted in a significant 3.8% production drop. Controlled feeding had no effect on egg size. There are some 750,000 live birds in Pennsylvania broiler houses waiting to fly North-many now pushing seven weeks of age. At a tune when broilers are in surplus in the U.S., and taking a seasonal backseat to turkey, marketing alternatives are few for Pennsylvania growers. “Unless the Canadian impasse can be broken very soon, these poultrymen are staring at a severe financial loss,” a spokesman for the Poultry Federation ob served. “Ours and other organizations are trying, directly and indirectly, to convince the Canadian government to issue sup plemental licenses im mediately so the Canadian poultry firm can clean up these Pennsylvania broiler flocks as they mature,” the Federation official stated. “It is a continuing battle and we are participating on a day-to-day basis,” he added. MEMO HAY, STRAW & EAR CORN SALE EVERY MONDAY At 11A.M. HEW HOLLAND SALES STABLES, INC. Phone 717-354-4341 Lloyd H Kreider, Auct 41
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers