POULTRY COLUMN.

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 148, 10 March 1923, Page 20

POULTRY COLUMN.

A NOVEL METHOD OF EGGRECORDING A writer in an American farm Journal thus describes his method of keeping count of the laying capacities of his hens: — Early last spring, desiring to keep a record of the lay of each of my birds, as I had them banded and numbered, but not being able to make the frequent rounds during the course of a day which trap-nests require, I decided to experiment alone; another line. Each night, after birds had gone to roost, usually between 9 and 10 o'clock, I went out to the hen house and felt the bird* at the vent. Occasionally it was necessary to inject the forefinger partly into the vent when I was in doubt whether I felt an or not. After this trial I am satisfied that it is possible to keep as accurate a record of the laying of the individuals of the flock as I should have if I trap-nested. Besides tho bother of attending trapffests, I have been saved the expense of making thorn. My flock was one of about fifty birds, and it was only a few minutes work each night, for at roosting time tho egg which the hen will lay the next morning is perfectly formed, even to the hard shell, and may easily be felt from the exterior. A few days only, when the birds were laying an unusually large number of eggs, did the number laid exceed my forecast of the night before —and this excess lay was probably no greater than the number of eggs which trap-nested birds lay outside the nests. In no case was the lay less than my forecast. It has been only a few minutes’ work each night to test the birds in this way —far less time than to make the round of trap-nests several times a day. In addition to the saving, of time, there is a further economy, since not so many open nests are needed as when trap-nests are used. The birds—oven White Leghorns—do not object to being handled; indeed, I am of the opinion that the Leghorns become somewhat more docile, being a breed that is naturally nervous and timid. I am satisfied that my plan is far superior to trap-nesting for the poultryman who has a limited number of birds which he cannot spare time to give trap-nest attention. No poultryman needs to be convinced of the value of keeping a record of individual birds, for this is a far better plan than even the colour, shape and other tests for culling time with which poultrymen have become familiar in recent years; the infallibility indicates the slacker, while other tests sometimes fail to register accurately. .

RESEARCH ON HEREDITY IN POULTRY Professor Eunnett has come very much to the fore of late in his investigations into matters concerning poultry, and gave a most important lecture to the pupils and staff of “Heaselandsi” Boultry Farm, dealing with “Research on Heredity in Poultry,” in the course of which he remarked:— Supposing one takes two pure breeds, one white and tho other black, and mates them together, the first .generation become all black, and that is called the dominant character, the white being what is called “recessive,” because it does not show then. This is only true in certain breeds. Then one hoars occasionally of single combs arising from White Wyandottes, and in such cases the cockerel is always at fault. At the same time one or more of tho hens may also be impure. It is a matter which can be quickly avoided. What one has to do is to mate the rose-comb cockerel with any singlecomb hen and see if any, of the offspring throw single combs; if they do, the cockerel is at fault. In the same way the hens may be tested. If one takes character by character in poultry, they can trace them the same as in dealing with any other point, not only in colour. Looked at from the point of view of comb, and one mates a rose-comb cockerel to a single-comb hen, in the first generation they get all rose combs, because this is dominant; then by mating the first crosses tho second generation will give the same proportion as in colour, which is 3to 1. In this case the single comb is recessive. A bird that gives single combs in the progeny does not give a true rose-comb breeding progeny, but if one gets a bird that breeds only rose combs, ib does.

Sax-Linked Characters. If one makes a cross between a pure silver cock and a golden .hen, they will find that the feathering of the offspring becomes silver, but from the reverse cross, viz., silver hen and gold cock, both gold and silver offspring are produced. but all the silvers aro cockerels and all the golds are pullets. . From the point of view of sex determination this is a very important factor, because a hen will give certain characters to her sons and other characters to her daughters. If you havei a character depending upon a factor which shows sex-linkage, the hen will transmit it to

her sons but not to her daughters, and the cock will transmit it to either sox. From the mating of a silver hen to a golden cock it is easy to tell tho sexes, as all those with gold will be cockerels and those with silver will be pullets. Of course, this is assuming that pure broads are used. This has some considerable commercial value, and Professor Punnett mentioned that he knew several instances where people were selling day-old chicks guaranteed to bo pullets. Vitality of First Cross. • Much of his experience had been with crossbred poultry, and one thing which had struck him, very much during his 18 years’ work was the hardiness and great vitality of the first cross, but in every case pure breeds should bo kept from which to obtain these crosses, and the mating should never be carried further than the first cross, otherwise any advantage which may bo gained is at once lost. —Mark Dane Express. EXPORT OF EGGES AND CO-OPERATION Thep oultry industry of New Zealand is worth to-day £2,000,000, all of which is circulated among our own people in the purchase of wheat and foods, netting, timber, and iron for poultry plants, poultry and eggs for consumption. The production to-day is more than equal to the demand. Are wo to stop where we aro or de'velop? England imports £38,000,000 worth of eggs yearly. Wo are part lof the Empire and have a right to a quota of that sum of money Why should not the poultrv industry in tho next four years double itself and be worth £4,000,000 in place of £2,000,000. It can be done by export.' We cannot stand still and remain as we are. We must now realise that we have now reached our limitations. We must progress. While the value to-day is £2,000,000. we have in our returned soldiers and poultry-producers the plant, the stock, and the facilities to produce in the coming year an extra £500,000 worth of eggs and poultry, but what are we to do with them ? Wo can continue to produce and glut our local markets. We must therefore export. To propound , a scheme and open up facilities for export we submit the following:— 1. That to obtain quality and make satisfactory shipments the Government must make it compulsory that all eggs and poultry shipped for export must pass 'through Government inspection and control. We have the experience of other countries in the Empire where shipments have been made apart from Government control, and the results have been lamentable. Bad packing, bad and undersized eggs have ruined prosirects that it will take years to remove. We must start right and this fundamental of Government inspection and control of all shipments must bs> emphatic and complete. 2. A proper scheme must be produced whereby all producers affiliated to the N.Z.P.. Association shall each take his responsibility and share in tho losses and gains of export. With due care every shipment should make a profit, and producers will bo ready to share in it, but eventualities may happen and losses be made, and in this all producers must equally share. There should be no difficulty in getting in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin a guarantee of £sooo' with which to produce shipments of eggs during the coming season. The first shipment should be made in August and follow on regularly till the end of October. The best of eggs should bo sent, the balance kept for the public and bakers’ orders. 3. A representative should be sent with the first shipment to supervise tho marketing of the eggs, appointment of a suitable agent to ascertain any defects in the shipment and'cable results. A trial shipment of egg pulp in frozen form and whites ana yolks in dried form should be sent and the London market thoroughly tried out and its requirements investigated. To meet this expense every affiliated society should contribute its share. The present levies, instead of being spent for local requirements, should be set aside for the furtherance of the export. 4. Tho Conference should elect an Expert Committee to have power to call up supplies, arrange the finance for immediate payment to producers, to book space in ships, provide cases, fillers, etc., required for the shipment, to have pulp and dessicated eggs prepared, to generally control the provision of the supply and to carry out such duties as the Government may require for the proper disposal of the eggs. 5. Tire Government should be asked to, subsidise the shipment or assist in the financial obligations necessary for tho initiation of the trade. There are. hundreds of returned men who have been assisted into poultry-keeping; the Government has spent thousands to establish the industry. Poultry are a necessity to consume the undergrade wheat and offals from the mills. Our country must develop, and w'e have a right to ask the Government to assist. —“N.Z. Poultry Journal.”