POULTRY KEEPING

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20497, 16 March 1932, Page 8

POULTRY KEEPING

I PIGEONS AND CAGE BIRDS. (By Fancier.) ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS C.M.—Pigeons do better at liberty, but in most places in town so many cats abound that liberty cannot be given. You could Jly them morning and evening if trained to trap, but birds that stay about the too? all day are ho good'for racin« or high flying. ' j Exhibitor.—Many excuses are being made for . the non-issuing of the New Zealand Util- • J ity standards. The fact is the Govern- ' *nent has more important things to spend I money on.

NOTES. The annual meeting of the South Jslaaid Leghorn and Minorca Club will be held to-morrow night. Latest files from Sydney tell us that the Egg Board on February 26th decided that the compulsory stamping of eggs should lie abolished. Last Saturday night the Cliristchuroh Poultry Club held its third social for the purpose of adding to the pri;'.e funds, and again everyone present enjoyed the entertainment.

In a recent issue I dealt with the cheapness of poultry flesh. The other day when visiting an old fancier who has kept many varieties he pointed out a small flock of White Leghorns and told me they were laying well, though past their prime, and that they cost him sixpence each in the saleyards. No wonder many people ure going out of poultry-keeping. The Canterbury Bantam Club has chosen Mr Geo. King (Nelson) to judge the game classes, and Mr J. Moffat all other classes in the Christchurch Poultry Club's Challengo Stakes at the June show. The club decided to send another letter to the Minister for Agriculture, protesting against the registration of poultry. This means a duplication of judges, which may cause confusion. Mr H. Williams, president of the New Zealand Poultry Association, in a brief chat, told me there was a lot of misunderstanding about the proposed registration of poultry-keepers. Tho local branch of the Association was arranging for a number of meetings to be held in the South Island, when the representative of the Association would give addresses which. Mr Williams thought, would clear away tho misunderstanding and antagonism in regard to registration. Tho Muscovy is the only breed quoted on Svdney markets to-da.v, says "Poultry," but the ducklings of other breeds are certainly saleable, although at about half tho price; as regards egg production, tho Muscovy is out of it, Indian Runners and Khaki Campbells being the best in this direction. Alter killing a fowl for the table, save the feathers plucked from the bird and dry perfectly in a warm oven. Remove all coarse quills and store feathers in a clean sack or pillowcase. Your supply of feathers will _ rapidly increase and may be placed in bedticking and converted into a comfortable feather bed. , United Pigeon Panders' Club. Last Wednesday night the United Pigeon Fanciers' Club held the third table show of the season. Mr J. W. Green made the awards, as follows: Fantails: S. Bull 1 and special, F. W. Chambers 2, Ben 1 Johnson: 1 3. Frills: It. Cook 1, special, and 2, F. W. Chambers 3. - Blowers: F. W. Chambers, only exhibitor. The next table show will b® on March 23rd, when Mr W. Mabley will acL as judge. The classed will bo Baldheads, red clean-legged oclf Tumblers, and yellow selfs. • The club decided to allot eight club cups to Christchurch, three Uy North ! Canterbury, and two to the Lyttelton Cluli. The Alick Fraser Memorial Shield competition this year will be confined to barred and chequered clean-legged Tumblers. New Zealand Utility Club. At the special meeting of the New Zealand Utility Club, held last week, it was decided to support the registration of poultry. It was agreed that a deputation wait on Distributors, Ltd., regarding the price of pollard. Tho club's young bird show will be held in the Red Comb rooms, Tuam f.treet, on Friday and Saturday next. The feathered stock must be penned tomorrow (Thursday) night, and the kittens and rabbits on Saturday morning. A special meeting of the club will be held next Tuesday, March 22nd, when matters relating to the new tests will be dealt with. Entries for these tests have been extended, and may be made on Tuesday next. The Bird Fancier. The bird fancier is generally regarded as one who breeds or keeps birds for exhibition or sport. I have found in every section of bird-keeping fanciers, as well as others, whose only interest was profit. But even those who belong' to clubs which run exhibitions annually are not all fanciers. Though breeding for exhibition is regarded as a hobby, such breeders look and hope for eggs they can sell at prices above the ordinary market value, and they also hope to rear a few chickens that will realise more than pot price. Many cottagers, and not a few farmers, who love birds, keep 1 em because they are fanciers, and the actual returns are not regarded as of first importance. Even among those who make a living at buying or selling eggs and poultry one finds, lovers of birds who, w.ere they not so, would surely meet success, for in that section of poultry-keepers one needs to be * fancier to put up with the toil and moil that one has to face in the business. Fanciers who exhibit at coming shows will, if successful, be justly proud, but are apt to forget tf»hat other fanciers have done before them and that they are building on the nork of fanciers who have given us throughout the ages so many varieties, from the .jungle fowl, the blue rock, and the wild canary. 1 New Fangled Varieties. The Leghorn and Wyandotte enthusiasts are apt to be slightly contemptuous of those who are always trying new breeds, but the day may come when they may be forced to give up their favourites for one of the "newfangled" varieties, says the "North British' Agriculturist." At present, curiosity is being aroused over such breeds as Barnevelders, Welsummers, and Jersey White Giants. Have they anything to recommend them beyond the fact that they lay large, brown eggs and make good table fowl? This has yet to be proved. Buck Keeping. Duck keeping is for the man or woman who is on the land, for in a back yard or where the population is thick, the noise made by ducks and the odour of their droppings vould likely offend. The ducklings may be grown for market without special fattening. Any scraps from the table should be well minced and mixed with pollard or bran or some other meal, the choice being the cheapest and handiest. Ducks must have water before