POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 210, 1 June 1929, Page 30

POULTRY NOTES

(By

“New-Laid.”)

Selecting the Breeders. The fact that undesirable qualities, whether in lack of egg-laying power or size, can be transmitted just as readily as the good ones is one of the difficulties which beset the path of the breeder who is trying to build up a flock of Ingnelass layers. On paper it may seem quite a simple matter to obtain a male bird from one noted strain and to mate it to hens from a similarly noted strain, quite distinct from the former, m order to produce birds of even better quality than their parents. It does not, however, always follow that the progeny will be as desired —on the other hand, they may prove disappointing, inasmuch ns undesirable qualities in both strains may have been intensified, with a resultant decrease in the quality of the progeny. The beginner in the science of poultry-breeding who is desirous of mating up, in order to produce a first-class laying strain would be well advised to get his first pen from a reputable breeder and be prepared to pay a fair price for them. One cannot expect to obtain high-class unrelated breeding stock “cheap.” On the other hand, the “cheap” birds will probably prove to be very dear in the end. ror the following year’s mating the same breeder may be consulted, and lie should be able to supply male birds fit to go with some of the best of the first years progeny. It need hardly be pointed out that the random use of male birds without any knowledge of their ancestry may easily result in failure, and in order to get over the difficulties of introducing fresh blood the best policy is to select some of the best hens in the flock and mate them to a male of the strain to be introduced. By using separate pens and keeping careful note of the history of the male bird, also of the hens, and the resultant chicks from the mating, it will be possible to observe which mating has been most satisfactory. Those which have come nearest to the desired type should be trapnested, single penned, or run in pens of not more than six birds in each pen, and a correct tally kept of the eggs laid. If the birds are found to give satisfactory results the cockerels from the same mating can be mated back to the hens, and the roosters to some of the best pullets. As previously pointed out, the problem of securing a definite tvpe and maintaining it from year to year is the most difficult matter confronting the poultry-keeper, nnd if the object is attained no effort should be omitted to obtain as much of this blood as possible, nnd to retain it. This being the case, if a certain mating has produced the type of pullets aimed at, for the following year exactly the same mating may be used with advantage.

THE WYANDOTTES. Wyandottes are popular in England as utility fowls, more especially the white variety. Although Wyandottes of various sorts were well represented in the early day laying competitions here they are comparatively rare to-day. The original Wyandottes were said to be useful fowls, medium sized, quick maturing, and easily fattened, and it was further claimed that the hens were good layers. Thirty or so years ago fanciers paid little or no attention to size of egg, and although the original Wyandottes generally laid a standard egg, it is certain that later on the prevailing characteristic of all Wyandottes was the small roundish egg. Of course there were exceptions, but taken as a whole the average Wyandotte egg was small. Then, again, with the exception of the white variety Jill the Wyandottes taxed breeders to their full capacity in producing even fairly good specimens. Perhaps no other breed has been proved so artificial in its various compositions. The colour problems encountered bj’ breeders have proved a stumbling block to the average man. Twenty years ago there were several well-known flocks of silverlaced Wyandottes of good laying ability, and here again small eggs were common. Even those hardy owners soon were tired of their favourites. Even where a good laving strain Was established sales gradually declined. The main reason was that few of the laying strain birds even approximated the characters of the variety they were said to represent. Wyandottes are notoriously hard to breed to colour and marking. Thus the early breeders often found that very much mismarked pullets were often the best layers, and in' time were used as breeders. Some breeders openly stated that numbers of eggs decided their choice, and that they were little concerned with type, colour, and feather markings. -Thus the stiver breed birds were generally black, with splashes of white (or silver as it is termed), here and there, and seldom was there a properly laced feather. The gold-laced birds were also black, generally dingy splashed with so-called gold here and there, and like the silvers with general absence of pro-perly-laced feathers. It was seen that breed characteristics and utility did not run together. Many were disgusted with the mongrel-looking stock and discarded the variety in which they were once tn-’ tercsted. It might have been possible in the hands of a good breeder jto evolve a standard strain of layers. Itftiust not be forgotten that most of the early utility breeders knew very little about standard of perfection, and how to breed to accord with the standards. Breeders of exhibition Wyandottes had long before complicated matters by establishing double mating. The inexperience! utility man did not realise what double mating implied, and when he crossed the two kinds he produced the mongrellooking bird referred to. With the White Wyandotte the case was less complicated. Despite all that has been said, including the efforts of one or two breeders, the uet result is that as utility fowls the Wyandottes have very few friends, and are not likely to make much progress in popularity.

One has only to visit a hundred poultry plants, large and small, to find that the White Leghorn and the Australian Black Orpington are the only commercial breeds found in large numbers, and thus rank as proved breeds suited for utility breeders in Australia. The old-time Black Minorca is making a good name, but it has yet to be seen if the present excellence can be maintained. There are few strains of Rhode Island Reds which are much above the average—can the breeders maintain them, or will they go the way of the show type? Commercial poultry breeders do not attach great importance to the results of laying competitions. Pens or individuals of various breeds from time to time put up good scores, and yet there is no increase in popularity and still the Leghorn and Black Orpington increase In public favour. At one time, it must be remembered, the general public regarded all breeds as representing good laying breeds. This can be seen in the multiplicity of breeds in various early laying competitions. In time the White Leghorns stood out so prominently that they soon displaced most other breeds. The Black Orpington layer has a curious history. Originally those seen in laying competi-tions-were large birds, and looked like the culls from exhibition stock—some pens were fair layers. Later we witnessed the advent of the little black fowl—a good layer—but as a rule, of small eggs. These little black fowls lacked Orpington character, and the vogue delayed the progress of the rise of the utility Orpington. Later on more attention was paid to size and breed characters, but the egg was small. This latter point was prominent in the records of laying competitions—a considerable number of the birds failed to lay eggs of the required two-ounce standard. Although much progress during the last three or four years has been made in attaining uniformity in typo as regards both White Leghorns and Black Orpingtons. a great deal remains to be done. Fowls are plastic, and It Is possible, by careful selection, to establish uniformity in type without Improving high utility.