GENERAL NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 58, 10 March 1933, Page 12

GENERAL NOTES

Both Hastings and Palmerston North 21 are staging young bird shows this month. 51 Usually only local exhibitors compete, but 1. lately these shows are receiving more sup- X port from outside poultry keepers. V Entries for the laying competitions close — soon, whilst the pullets have to be sent in by the end of the month. It pays to cl give such birds extra attention, and to send only those near the point of laying. As the old hens are starting to ilioult the price of eggs shows a hardening tendency. Whilst tomatoes and mushrooms are plentiful those old prices of 3s a dozen are iiot likely to return. Fowl wheat is becoming -cheaper, and good samples are available for those interested.' It pays to purchase from wholesale agents in sack lots. Crushed maize from overseas has been landed lately. ■ Fowl thieves are not uncommon, and a good watch dog or two is about the best r protection. Keep a purebred bitch of a c popular breed and you can develop a . useful sideline to.your poultry. } Every feed shed should support a good ■"* ratting cat. Spring back traps are the < next best thing, but a good cat will save t many a shilling. The North Island Poultry Association 1 will soon have their new Utility Poultry i Standard of Perfection completed. Copies j of the old standard have been unobtain- ( able for some time, and all breeders will . welcome the appearance of the new one. . On an area" about 12 miles wide and SO miles long the' district of Petalumn, U.S.A., produces no fewer than 51,000,000 dozen eggs .annually. The Americans eat ' i far more poultry meat than any other i nation. . ■ In England, an incubator of the single '■ unit type lias been displayed at the Brii tish Industries' Fair. It holds 70,000 eggs 1 and electrically hatches about 20,000 ! chicks weekly. But a machine in Petaluma ' hatches 1,800,000 every three weeks. The average White Leghorn weighs ' about 4V_.lb. She will eat annually about • 751b of food, and if of a good laying strain ' should produce eggs weighing as much as t 351b during a year's laying. , Bantams make ideal children's pets, and they lay very well even if their eggs are small. A coop on the lawn is all that is needed to house them. The annual conference of poultry keepi ers will be. held in Wellington about the t end of this month. The president of the , New Zealand Poultry Association is. Mr. H. Williams, of Christchurch, whilst Mr. I J. N. McLean (Box 379, Wellington) is . the secretary. ' ■ y Those that have surplus stud birds for p sale should advertise them. freely. Regular 1 advertising is essential if a breeder is to . become well known. Stop advertising and 'J th- other fellow will get the orders. i A shipment of 25 pedigreed fowls left for Sydney by the s.s. Marama last week. 6 Consigned to the Moreton Stud Farm, they " were sent from Massey Agricultural College.- . . ■ A few autumn hatched clucks are often c very useful, but they must be hatched this f month in order to get the benefit of suit3' able weather for growing conditions to j' .be ideal. There is still time to pickle a few eggs \~ for use during the high price period. Only, , quite fresh and clean eggs with good 0 strong shells should be-used. l e A little linseed in the mash will help lr your fowls over' the moult. Sunflower seed, or hemp seed are equally useful. . Sow oats now for greenfeed supplies '? during the winter.