POULTRY THAT PAY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 116, 8 February 1908, Page 3

POULTRY THAT PAY.

! • A CHAT WITH A UTILITY MAN. Mr. F. ; Brown, assistant poultry, expert,. I has 'just' returned, from a; pleasure trip* to . New,>-South- Wales. ;. Ho lias,,brought ;l>,"ick ; ~ with'hirii," for .the Department's flocks,.some; i yaluabley'poultry.,", selected ' for '; their x cgg-l»y-: : iiig ; abilities.', Tlie, varieties-'..thus added to ! ;tlic -Now Zealand '.stock are brown, and; white} 1 Leghorns,' black' 'Orpingtons,.', .white ,TVj;an-i , dottes,.and : lndian•;runner';ducks.; ■ They aro all from breeders, who have woji fnrno' in.thej competitions. .-During his travels ; .in '. New. .South Wales 'Mr. .Broym lnet '.Mr. , . 'Sturrpck',: of . keen • enthusiast.' ' in'utility poultry.matte'rs.'.'and'.thcy jvisitetV nume^ousfutility;'poultry-yards together. Tho„Breeds That Pay. ' • V- f ' There';.' are'.tiiree', breeds; that -stand , liigli' : ■ in: Australia iii the; egg-laying 'competitions, • said Mr. Brown ;-to: a 'Dominion.' represeiitn-, ; .tive;;..; : ; ''They,vare .the 'white 'Leghorn,' black': Orpington,' .and '^W.>•Bilve^'' : 'dotted"::;;':-; ■■ ;'j.,'/;"-.;.' 7 " ; V_v-":V ; V ' •' . "Not the. buff; OrpingtonS" .. " No., I saw .vory..few."DfVthe.bufF.'i6rpihg•tons, and those I did .see were kept-'(so'the : owners said) for ' broodies.•; ;• •"Do yon dislilco the buff.yourselfP: " I would .not.-bo sorry' to 4'ec ;it; ; disappear? in\New);Zealand. mI-jlikq the'.self-' coloured:', birds.:'fo_r. utility,; ' ably; :blackl 6r.l , white;.' , '/.,Theh;. the'' farriier': can always'hayo liis.birds looking . nicp.' With the buff*' it takes -only ' a .few years, of/neglect of :c6lour-b'reedingrto; produce a' flock of' ' . birds::'that, are-; anything--but; pretty; ,':lt : 'is - not possible to. breed .successfully ; for colour, and : at; the -.samo. time ♦ give / full , scope 'to •utility- development." . • ! .... v.. ■' ;:; ' " The : '.silver; Wyandottes ■ -Well, I hope to see them superseded by the whites beforfa * long. Wo■> are' fast im-' proving:'the whites on; the Government stations..: A. man - who. breeds for. fiiie pencilling on the .feathers • carinot-introduco an out side' bird without: danger of ruining his 'flocki That danger does not exist in regard to' the colour,, m the whito • varieties, and there ii ' v .more. opportunity; to breed'for: eggs.': ..''The ■.same ; disadvantage accompanies . large ■combs.";,:'-/;'.; /' '■ •' ■'■■■■ '■ Small Combs and Big Ecg-Daskets. . . don't - tliin.k big, combs a#d big egg-',' baskets go together?'. .. ■'■'• .v.-; . ■ J*o., In Australia, the .best layers possessed, remarkablv thin. hue'combs''Heavy • combs, are undoubtedly a, burdenHo.,a 'fowl; Hiring.;-the ■ birds, -and Sometimes causing ', .Ca'sos ;harb 'in .'.which ' ; heavy-combed ;birds, .'which ; always produced infertileVcggs/ 'liad' cut off, aii'd ; :a;(MM%rds.^•ga^e^6/chick ; . Miiiorca isjo: 'case!,in- point ,The: old-fashioned ; ■ Minorca .'was one-of the best .b'irds you.coiild. ; .possess.- But it.has'been /'spoilt,'arid is now ] •rarely, found ;in.profitable ■' :I • .tried in' Australia' to 'get "some birds:-of the old.'type,' but was told : they, were unprocur:able;M^^;'/v'..V', X;- I V'-v.' 1 .My .'Brown spoke'in: terms' cftha'gre'ate'st ' admiration' of; the Agricultural '■ Collage.'' y.v-., N 1