Feathered fancy

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 38, 21 March 1914, Page 4

Feathered fancy

r'■ ' i Ti«.yb to acknowledge the receipt of the schedule of the Young Bird Show , of the New Zealand Utility Boultry 5 -€Hub,to be held on Tuesday* . April 7, ! '•"if iit -8 p.m. The Stow is a'club Show, > *&& consists of two classea, White ,Leg- ]■}-■ hoira .pullet and White Leghorn' cockerel, v Itr j. H. Shaw has kindly donated a gold medal for the exhibitor scoring,the tnost points.; One entry only is allowed in each class. Mr F. 0. Brown will " officiate as jttdge.'i In connection with, tte above a judging Competition will v be held. The competitor who gives the greatest satisfaction to Mr Brown and i; ft committee in pilacin g the birds will ' be awarded a-gold medal presented by J. W. Green. * . Mr Alf Mumby, 'the popular proprietor of the Heretaunga Poultry Farm, has generously donated the sum of two gtiineas to .further the work taken up i , by. the Educational of the Utility Poultrr Club. The club has.deeided to hold a club -Show for the fol- ■ lowing varieties on April 21 next:— .Bitter .Wyandotte pullet, and White, Black, or 'jOoloured Wyandotte pullet. '• Mr A. E! Webb, of Linwood, has some r JM: "Aneona' cockerels and pullets, and * i-they are doing welL ;. I am pleased to hear- that Mr G. J- ' Forbes, a one-time prominent breeder of Aneonas, who left these shores about two seasons ago, has again returned and taken up this variety,, and expects V fcjji be,; among the .'cracks at the coming big Shows.

marked,'' and to those that have raised the cry, that because Papanui was not under Government supervision the records were not reliable, I am sure, will find that with- ordinary luck they will. hold their own tjrith any other competitions in existence. .„ , t -. I regret to hear that one of Mr W. A. Nixon's birds in the second year test is dead. The club's Disease Committee reports 'that the bird "had inwardly bled to death. In any case, the bird's organs have been sent to the Government Ex* perinatal Department J ll Wellington, and* -id • &>ub£ satisfactory report will be received in due course. I understand that Mr E. J. Boss, the popular president of the South Island Association, has bred a v few Golden and Silver' during- the last season. He is welt pleased with them, and more so with his last season's Silver cockerels. They hate developed into first-rate adults; ! > It has been, decided to call for. tenders for the output of eggs in connection with the coming competition.

I understand that Messrs Stewart and Landsperg, ofNormanby, have entiered a team bred at one of the Government stations for the 'next competition, and in Consequence of the Government. having accepted control, it has been suggested ■ that these competitors find another team? Considering that the entry was in perfect order, I fail to see how anyone can make Such a suggestion. These competitors were not to know that the conditions were to be altered, and if they insist on their particular team, competing, I cannot see how 'the club can object. I.do . not know whether anyone considered that Stewart,, and Landsperg were likely to be favoured under the new conditions; if so, I ckn only add that exhibitors with such suspicious minds would be better out of it —they are not likely to be of much use to the'fancy.

, Only a short time ago the Anconas "were a variety wi£h very little support. , Principally through the agency .of Messrs Bedwell and Pearce, a number of young breeders were encouraged to foster the variety, and. at present we : fcave a very strong following of these ' Vflasses. '' ' ; , One of the rules and regulations of the egg-laying competition is that "the under-flights only, of the right wing of each pullet is to be cut by the owner before forwarding." For the information of new competitors, it might be ; . .fus. well to state that this does not mean that the whole of the wing should be • eikt close up to the butt, as I have repeatedly seen it done. The club's instruction is very explicit, still be -■, ginners, in their excitement to do things . correctl% are often likely to oxerstep ;k ■ the marfr, to the detriment of their l : - txhibiis. By cutting the ends of the - three bottom flights of the right wing ' you will do all that is required. The pullet will not miss these, and her body will still be able to retain a eertain » amount of heat.

, HOUSING.—-Wanted eggs and plenty of them. If you desire to. have- plenty of eggs from your stock, the conditions under which they are kept must receive every attention. The old order of, a house, a bed of a she(l boarded 3,11 round and a small - hole for the bird to go in and out, and a wire netting run, has long been condemned as unsatisfactory by the breeder and fancier. Of recent years fresh air has been instituted for the old stuffy houses. If you erect a house facing north, of . the lean-to" type, and combine the sleeping compartment and scratching shed, you will, find that your poultry will do well—of eoiirse, understand that you feed them. In the early competition days, when the tests were conducted at Lincoln College, t]he houses were ..erected in the yards. The birds had more liberty than at present; to a certain extent they were allowed the use Of the runs in all weathers. Tie present house and scratching shed have proved a greater success, the confining of the birds to the scratching shed during the winter months especially so. The Nelson competition proved the success of scratching sheds to the run. Apart from this, any fancier knows the difference in a bird's plumage that is kept under cover to the one that is subjected to sun, wind, and rain. I regret to say that the old order of affairs still exists in the country. I recently had occasion to attend a clearing sale. I was simply disgusted to notice the conditions under whieh the poultry were kept. The owner had made every provision in the shape of milking sheds

At a meeting of the Utility Poultry Club on Tuesday evening the report bf the elub's delegates, Messrs J. Stud- >> holme and B. W. Hawke, to the Agricultural Department, in connection with the Government taking over the charge of the egg-laying competitions, was before the elub. The sub-oommittee reported that most likely the Government would start an experimental poultry station handy to Christchurch, and it would therefore be impossible to utilise Papa■ui for same. The Government had treated the delegates in a very -fair manner. The authorities intended to give poultry every assistance, and saw no reason why Mr Hawkins, the present caretaker at Papanui, should not be appointed Government official to supervise the. gathering of the eggs, Mr Brown, the department's expert to draw up the necessary conditions controlling ■Mite, and to be approved of by the club. The records of future Papanui egg-lay-competitions will now •' hall-

POULTRY, PIGEON AND CANARY NOTES

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and elaborate stables for his cattle and other quadrupeds, but the two-legged members had evidently to seek for themselves. No wonder the farmer says that, poultry will not pay. Does he know anything about the game? I am afraid not. If he had given them similar attention to his big stoek, I am certain in proportion to cost his returns would have been equivalent, if not greater. The house and scratching shed at the competition is one that could be recommended to any beginner. I believe 'that the floor of the sleeping compartment could be done away with; a plentiful supply of clean litter will meet the purpose and save a considerable amount of work. Mr A. E. Wilson, of Shirley, has received a very fine trio of White Wyandfottes from the. Government poultry station at Milton. He is highly delighted with themj and prefers them to his American importation. The cockerel is described as a beauty. He is a 20months' bird, and the two females are first season's hens. With his already higlvgrade stock, the new arrivals will place Mr Wilson in the first flight pf White Wyandotte breeders. In any case he has my best wishes for every success with his new venture.

Since the last Christchurch Show the Christchurch Poultry, ■ Pigeon, and Canary Club have been on the lookout for prizes for their annual art union in connection' with their show. Principally through the assistance of Mr W. Spicer, the club have now se : cured a very fine collection of oil .paintings, and the. set is one of the, best offered here for many a Idng day.

A meeting of the Unfted Pigeon Fanciers' Club was held at the rooms on Thursday evening last, Mr A. Smith, the president, presiding, and there was a good attendance of members. The business of the evening was a show of long-faced Tumblers,, with the following results:—Clean-legged (yellow), T. H. Jones 1 and 2, Macquarie and Smith 3; red, Macquarie and Smith 1, T. EL Jones 2 and 3; black, Macquarie and Smith 1, T. H. Jones 2, H. Wiltshire 3; muffed (black), H. Wiltshire 1, 2. and 3; blue or silver, T. 11. Jones I, 2, and 3; any other colour, 11. Wiltshire 1. and 2, T. H. Jones 3. The club's specials for the best clean-legged and muffed were won by Macquarie and Smith and T. H. Jones respectively. A vote of thanks was accorded Messrs W. H. Dacombe and A. Gapes for officiating as judges. It was decided to arrange the continuance of the club shows at the next club meeting.

Mr "W. H. Dacombe made his dubut as a judge of pigeons at the club's show of the United Pigeon Fanciers' .Club, and his performance was a very creditable one. • I remember Mr Daeombe's father; he also had a liking for the long-faced tumbler. I hear that that enthusiastic Southland fancier Mr A. Peat, of Dipton, has some Jacobins to arrive. They will be welcome. At the last meeting of the Christchureh Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Club, a request was received from the south to alter the baldhead classes of the pigeon section, so that the cocks and hens could be shown separately. The request was granted. Mr W. Buddie, the Invercargill canary fancier, who won the Yorkshire Club Ctfp at the last Christchurch Show, has left Invercargill -for Eiverton, where he has taken an hotel. He has not much time for the fancy, and talks of disposing of his stock.