PBCPFA Newsletter April 1996

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April 1996

NEWSLETTER HEADQUARTERS

1186 VICTORIA DR.
W. P. B., FL 33406

OFFICERS:

PRESIDENT			LEE SALMON		407-686-4774
VICE-PRESIDENT			RICHARD OKERSON
SECRETARY			AMANDA CASE
TREASURER			ROSE GREGGS
PROPERTY MANAGER/		RICHARD GREGGS		407-433-8157
HISTORIAN
BOARD OF DIRECTORS		LAUREN JESCHONEK	407-433-8437
     				BILL PARKER		New York
				JEANNE DUCKWORTH
EDUCATIONAL COMMITTEE		ARVIS OKERSON
LIBRARIAN			ARVIS OKERSON
NEWSLETTER			DAVIDSON & SCHWARTZ

NEXT MEETING: Friday, April 26, - 8:00 p.m. Pavilion at Mounts Garden

CLASSIFIED

FOR SALE: PBCPFA T-SHIRTS and BASEBALL STYLE CAPS are available at great prices. T- shirts are available in all sizes and $10.00 for members and $12.00 for non-members. Caps are $5.00 for everyone. Contact Richard Greggs to get yours today. (407) 433-8157

FOR LOAN OR FOR RENT: The Poultry Club owns a Have-A-Heart trap that you may use if you have a predator problem. Non-members may use this trap for a small fee. Richard Greggs is the man to contact about this trap. (407) 433-8157

WANTED: Poultry related articles, news, jokes or anything you would like in the newsletter that is for sale. Please send these in legibly written to:

NEWSLETTER HEADQUARTERS
1186 Victoria Drive
W. Palm Bch., FL 33406

(In order that your communication appear in the next newsletter, it must be received by the second Friday of the month.)

SUGGESTIONS ON BUYING BIRDS

[Sorry, but we do not have permission to reproduce this section in the Internet version of our newsletter due to copyrights. The printed version of our newsletter contains a interesting article giving advice about buying birds.]

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

You need a Federal Endangered Permit for buying and selling out of your own state. THIS IS A MUST!

For an application, Write to:

Office of Management Authority
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Dr. Room 43
Arlington, VA 22203

WILDLIFE FACT

BROODER TIPS

CLUB CORNER

Amanda Case

Amanda Case, a 15 year old member of our Poultry Club received Best Bantam and Best Cockerel on her Miniature Rhode Island Reds during the South Florida Fair.

When asked about her successes, she said "Good food and loving care are my keys to success."

Amanda got involved in poultry 4 years ago when her 4-H group suggested poultry as a fun project. She thought that poultry would be a neat project to take. " I always like to try new things." She said.

She has never had poultry before and as of right now, she has 125 chickens, 17 turkeys, and 10 ducks.

That's a lot of birds for someone that has never had them before!

Out of all the breeds that Amanda raises, she likes her Sultans and Australorps the best. She also raises Rhode Island Reds, White Cochins, Domineque, Silkies, and broilers just to name a few.

Amanda says that her chickens are part of her future. She has started an egg business, and is saving all the money she earns for college. Just think, when she is in college, she can say "My chickens sent me here!"

Keep up the good work Amanda. We look forward to seeing you in the winners circle again!

Wade Taylor

Although Wade Taylor is only 9, he won many awards for his prize flock of chickens, ducks and peacocks.

His most recent wins occurred at the Poultry Show at the South Florida Fair. Out of the 30 chickens Wade entered, he took home 21 first-place ribbons and six second place awards. In addition, Wade won trophies for Best Waterfowl in youth for his White Call Duck Hen; Best Reserve Cock in youth for his porcelain rooster; and Best Overall Exhibitor for youth category.

At last ycar's fair, Wade won trophies Best Hen and Best Hen in Show in the youth division with his Australian hen.

Wade keeps and cares for his cbickens at Heavenly Acres Poultry and Came Bird Farm in Loxahatchee, owned and operated by his grandparents Linda and Richard Wright, Sr. Wade and the Wrights have been members the Palm Beach County Poultry Fanciers Association for three years.

Wade is in the third grade at Liberty Park Elementary School. He has been competing for three years in poultry shows. Wade lives in West Palm Beach with his parents Buddy and Raynatta Taylor, and visits his grandparents on the weekends to help tend to the birds.

"He comes out and stays about every other weekend," Linda said, "which gives him the time and pleasure of taking care of his prized flock. He's always been an animal lover and does an excellent job of caring and loving each one. He's a hard little worker."

Wade handpicked the 30 birds to enter the fair from his grandparents' larger flock.

"He has a pretty good eye for poultry at 9 years old," Linda said. In addition to his interest in poultry, Wade enjoys four-wheeling, fishing, and taking karate lessons.

CHICKEN BYTES FROM THE INTERNET

TOPIC: Dietary salt as it relates to cannibalism.

Responses

Stanley Kaye (sglaser AT ibm.net):
We gave salt on plates so they could take as much or as little as they wanted. This reduced pecking, but proved to be far too time consuming and labor intensive. We are considering adding extra salt to the feed at the feed mill.

The grower also grows tomatoes. I suggested that he throw some waste tomatoes into the coop with the idea that they might peck the tomatoes instead of each other. It worked. He was so impressed with the results after just one day that he is now doing it in both houses and says the pecking has almost stopped.

Dr. Kenneth K. Krueger, PhD (KKKturkey AT aol.com):
There can be many reasons for cannibalism in poultry. Salt deficiency can certainly create a problem and can be corrected by being sure that the sodium content of the feed is in the range of 0.15% to 0.20%. Cannibalism is often stopped by adding salt to the drinking water for a few days, 5-10 grams/gallon should do it. Be careful not to overdose, especially young birds. If birds are crowded try giving them a bale of straw or hay to peck at and play with or hang a few plastic bottles in the pen (red ones if you can find them) or some red rags. I think many times boredom may be a problem and once cannibalism begins it continues to progress for no apparent reason. Dusty environments that cause eye irritation can also start birds to peck and eventually cannibalize each other.

Dr. Dan Gross (dangross AT netvision.net.il):
Pecking is normal social behavior in chickens. Because of the artificial situations we subject them to, times of stress and/or dietary shortage can turn into cannibalism. There is no universal panacea to prevent cannibalism. I also hope that from the above you realize that adding salt to water or feed, while sometimes preventing cannibalism, is a very erroneous approach to the problem. This is assuming that the feed already contains the proper amount of salt. In that case, by adding salt you only create additional stress and you are not removing the primary cause of the problem. Once blood is drawn on a large scale in the flock, other birds join in as they are all carnivorous at heart, but this is secondary.

Conrad Van Dijk (CVanDijk AT agric.dffa.gov.nf.ca):
Cannibalism can be a simple or a very complex problem. Bright lights, sharp beaks and overcrowding are the main causes and can be dealt with separately or collectively. Reduce light intensity by reducing the sunlight effect or by dimming the artificial light or reducing effect of light colored walls. Beak trimming is a good idea and using an anti-peck paste on birds may be helpful. Giving more room to the birds will definitely be an asset. It must be remembered that the cause has to be removed to get results.

Unfortunately, it can become a learned behavior. In that case, only beak trimming and anti-peck paste will finally be effective. However if feed is deficient in some mineral it could cause cannibalism same with low protein diets. So definitely nutrition can be a cause. Furthermore certain drugs may be involved. For example monensin at 120 ppm was known to cause cannibalism, and if protein levels are slightly low it can cause it at lower monensin levels such as 100 ppm. Different ages or sizes of birds put together may be the cause. Too little feeder space or watering space may be the cause. I can go on. I suggest that these points be looked at and if it the cause is not clear there be a complete review of management, environment, nutrition, etc.

SULTANS

INTERPRETATION OF STANDARD

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

SHARE THE EXPERIENCE! The very best way for us to grow is by word of mouth. You hold in your hands the key to our expansion - the membership application. Feel free to copy this form and spread the news.

THE PALM BEACH COUNTY POULTRY FANCIER'S ASSOCIATION invites you to join us for a feather - filled year of fowl fun! Please fill out this application form completely.

Membership year is from January 1 to December 31, if you join after June you will pay for a half a year.

PBCPFA DUES

FAMILY INDIVIDUAL

Yearly   $12.00                   Yearly   $8.00
1/2 year   $ 6.00                 1/2 year  $4.00

(Half year is for new members only)

All renewals are due December 31 and are for one year.

I would like to join the Palm Beach County Poultry Fancier's Assoc.

Enclosed is $_____________.

Check one:   Membeship ( )        Renewal ( )

NAME:  ________________________    SPOUCE: ___________________________

Address: ______________________     Child: ________________ Age: _____

Town/Zip: _____________________     Child: ________________ Age: _____

Phone: (    ) _________________     Child: ________________ Age: _____

If unlisted, check  (  )            Child: ________________ Age: _____

Make check payble to: PBCPFA

Mail to: Rose Greggs, PBCPFA Treas.
8643 El Paso Dr.
Lake Worth, FL 33467 - 1109

Our meetings are held on the forth Friday of each month at the pavillion in the gardens behind the Mount's Building (531 N. Military Trail). They begin at 8:00 p.m.

We look forward to seeing you!

REFRESHMENTS AND A RAFFLE AT EVERY MEETING !!!

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