POULTRY NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1307, 9 December 1911, Page 14

POULTRY NOTES.

Answers to Correspondents. J. li. Butt.—The cause'of death among your ducklings is too much oatmeal iu the feed. Iteplaco this with bran. W. ft. Ohati.—Young ducklings should not be allowed to get into water. If their bodies get wet they soon take cramp and succumb. " Enquirer," Pakekaka.—Yon cannot tell the sex until tho chickens are from six to eight weeks old. Tho prominence of the comb is a poor guide. The number of eggs depends on the strain. The Hawkesbury tests seem to prove that Leghorns lay one-third less eggs in the second year. A good average layer should produce 180 eggs a year. Mrs. E., Himitangi—Scaly leg is easily cured by applying tar. In a few days tho-scales will drop off, and leavo the affected parts cured.

The Fancy. Th* annual meeting. of the South Island Poultry Association should prove a stimulus to the fancy in the South Island. The coming season holds promise of re.newed life. The southern fanciers had a strong representation at the meeting, the object being to effect a transfer of headquarters to. Dunedin. The fanciers in Duncdin purpose conducting the affairs of tho association in a more vigorous way than that shown by tho officers at Christchurch. Whether they will succeed remains: to be seen. The incorporation of two new-societies will strengthen matters, and next year should sco tho poultry shows much better patronised.

The Unsuspecting Judge. Legislation was passed prohibiting a judge from being in tho hall on tho evening previous to the show while exhibits are being penned. A notico of motion was also given to prohibit judges make any exhibit at any show where he is acting as a. judgo for any of the classes at that show. These aro useful rules, and will tend to remove suspicion. It is an easy matter for a judge, who has been present during the penning to becomo familiar with the owners of the birds, and it is easy for two judges to influence decisions when each is exhibiting under tho_ other's judging. If tho fancy is to maintain its usefulness, such occasions must bo avoided.

Obituary. Word is just to hand stating that the well-known English poultry writer, Mr. P. Proud, died recently after a very short illness. Mr. Frond was one of tho most enthusiastic fanciers in England, and his loss will bo keenly felt. South Island Poultry Association. The annual meeting of tho South Island Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Association was held in Dunedin last week. Air. A. Walker (vice-president) presided, aud there was a good attendance of delegates.

Apologies for absence were received from Mr. A. L. Myers (president) and Mr. A. Hardy (secretary). Mr J. B. Merrett (acting-secretary) read tho executive's annual report, which stated that soveral matters called for immediate attention, and if the Association was to continue and do good work, the clubs' must strengthen the hands of the executive by. their loyalty. The year's transactions had not been very satisfactory./ilnueayours:nad been made by ine Executive Council, as set up at the meeting held in Dunedin in 1909, to discharge the onerous duty allotted it of approving judges for 'championship classes at the various shows, so that tho Association's funds might be -better guarded and the host judges in their special classes be obtained, thus giving greater satisfaction to all concerned. Regret was felt that some judges • should have taken exception ,to the efforts of the Council, and questioned its action through the medium of tho Press. Referring to the season has been a disastrous one, as no /fewer, than thirteen had been won outright on the east coast, and five on tho west coast. Thero were now running twenty championships on tho east and two on the- west. It was possiblo for nineteen of these twenty-two to bo won this coming year (many of them undoubtedly would be)', so that this liability of .£95 could be met only by the balanco in bank of ,£47 17s. 5d., aud the subscriptions, estimated at .£3O, so that delegates woold havo to face the question of finance with great care. Tho sales from pigeon rings had been of great benefit to tho Association, the net balance for sales last year totalling J;10 13s. 3d.

The balance-sheet showed:—Receipts, balance 1910 .£77 155., fees ■£« Is., salo of pigeon rings, 1910-11, .£3B Bs. 3d.,. interest £2 12s. lid.; total .£lOl 17s. 2d. Expenditure, donations to pigeon, clubs £6 Gs.; championships, won, east coast, .£10; championships won, west coast, .£25; cost.of rings, and duty .£23 Bs., .secretary honorarium .£% Bs. 3d., miscellaneous ,£5 7s. Gd., balance in bank «£52 17s. 5d.; total .£lOl 17s. 2d. The assets over liabilities totalled .£-17 17s. sd.

The report and balance-sheet were adopted. The election of officers resulted as follow :—President, Mr. S. Solomon (Duncdin); vice-presidents, Messrs. A. Walker (Christehurch) and Brodie (Invercargill); executive council, Messrs. Rogen, P. Carolin and W. M'G. Allan (Dunedin); secretary.- Mr. E. S. Wilson (Dunedin). The ballot for the group championships resulted as follows:—

No. I group (Leghorns, Minorca*, Andalusians and Anconas), Wyndhaiv

: No. • 2 group (Wyandottes, Orpingtons and Langshans), Tapanui. No. 3 group (Ducks, Game, Hamburgs, Rocks, Bantams, etc.), Fairlie.

""No. -i group'(pigeons), Waimate. No. 5 group (canaries), Invercargill. Two new championships were allotted to the West Coast.

Tho ballot for classes to compete in 1913 for the interclub challenge shield resulted as follows:—Buff Orpingtons,-White and Partridge .Wyandottes, and Rose-comb Brown and; White Leghorns.

It was resolved that the Association's hdadquarters should be reipoved to Dunedin.

The following remits were carried:— From tho-Executive Council—"That clubs offering prizes on their schedulo to be won other than straight out, and leg in having been obtained, ■, the same shall.be held in trust by two trustees, and, further, should the club cease to exist, such prizes shall be handed to the Association by. the trustees for competition at another show." From Christehurch Pigeon Club —" That in Rule' 28, ' Specialist clubs' standard' read ' Specialist clubs' standards.' " From North Canterbury Club— "That judges 'be not allotted in show rooms on the night when exhibits are being penned." From Tapanui Club— " That in balloting f6r championships all clubs holding their shows every year shall have preference over.any club folding a show at intervals." From Dunedin Club' —(1) "That Rule 23 read that in all cases there shall bo four exhibitors in championships, and that tho prizo-raoney .b« .£3 3s. in lien of £5"; (2) "That tho words ' to approve judges for all championships', be deleted in Rule 6"j (2)' " That tho duties of tho travelling delegate be done away with."

The remit from the Dunedin Club— " That Rule 2-i be deleted, and that the Association rovcrt' to the old system of championships, namely, champion show one year and single distribution the next" —was agreed to, but not to come into force for twelve months.

Mr. A. Walker was deputed to prepare a list of approvEd judges, as asked for in a remit by tho Tapanui Club. ■ Rule 5 was altered to read that the annual meeting of tho Association should be held in Dunedin every year, and that the arrangements for the holding of the half-yearly meeting should be left with the executive.