THE REALITIES ABOUT POULTRY The Modern Farm - The Realities About Poultry_Seco | Page 53

away.
Dog, cat General destruction Try to catch them. Cats can control rats but wild cats and dogs are a problem.
Fox, jackal
Will bite off the feathers over the back and between wings, eat the entrails and breast, and carry the bird to the den.
Roam in the early morning to kill for their young. Trapping is the best control.
To protect the birds from theft, lock the building and pens securely whenever no one is at home. Have neighbors watch for visitors while everyone is away. Some people actually have burglar alarms in their bird coops. A protective dog kept near the coop usually works well to discourage predators and unwanted visitors.
Build poultry houses to prevent possible injury to the birds. Any loose or ragged wire, nails, or other sharp-edged objects should be removed from the coop. Eliminate all areas other than perches where the birds could perch more than 4 feet above the floor. Remove perching areas such as window sills, nest box tops, or electric cords whenever possible. These extra measures could eliminate any injury to the farmer or his or her birds and may prevent damage to the coop, as well.
� Light: Duration and intensity: A well-lit house is essential. A dark house leads to lethargic, inactive, unproductive birds. Light is important for feeding, as poultry identify food by sight. This is especially important for intensively managed day-old chicks, which need very bright 24- hour lighting for their first week of life. Light is also an important factor in sexual maturity. An increasing light proportion in the day, as naturally occurs from mid-rainy season to mid-dry season, will accelerate sexual maturity in growing pullets, bringing them to lay sooner. If hens are already laying, the increasing light proportion will increase egg production. The opposite effect is also true: as the light proportion of the day decreases( as naturally occurs from mid-summer to mid-rainy), then sexual maturity is slowed in growing stock, and egg production is reduced in
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