COMPETITION ENTRIES

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 115, 16 May 1936, Page 27

COMPETITION ENTRIES

■ ■ It is encouraging to note that good ■ entries have been made again for the 1936-37 egg-laying competitions. At the Massey Agricultural' College contest an increase of over 100 birds have been made, with the total entries nearly 300. The single pens available were all • fully booked before the . closing Sate, and many competitors were dis- • appointed at not being: able to secure accommodation. It is to be hoped that additional'pens will.be available for the next contest; though with'the previous contest not quite all the pens : were filled, so that the college cannot • be blamed for not being prepared for the increased demand this year.'-' In- ; stead of five groups of team entries : there are now eight, and the quality of the entries this year is undoubtedly higher than usual. Some pullets have obviously laid many eggs before being sent to the contest, while one team of Leghorns are so immature as to appear more like chickens. If .a competitor is anxious to secure high records it is essential that his entries are just of the right .development. It is better that no eggs have been laid before being dispatched, yet indications of laying soon should be one of the points watched, in; selecting 'suitable pullets. Not every breeder is anxious to establish high records, and many enter with the idea of testing pertain bloodliness, and the stock may not be just right for entering. _ .The public should not be too harsh in judging a competitor's : egg scores. The mere fact that a breeder is a competitor is an indication that . good breeding practice is followed, and that he is not ashamed to Jiave his birds tested in public beside the best stock in the country. While good average egg production is the aim of commercial egg producers, the craze for outstandingly high freak records has passed and' breeders today fully realise the value of constitutional vigour and correct breed points. -An outstanding feature of the last college contest was the improvement in egg size and shall quality. Only a small percentage' of the competing birds laid .under-weigiit eggs and many average well oyer the required' 240z standard. As secondyear breeding hens .these birds will lay really large eggs. Those breeders who year after year compete with good average scores are to be congratulated, and they deserve much credit. . ' - To Mr. E. B. Wainscott, Lower Hutt, comes a double win; this year. At the Taranaki contest his White Leghorn has establish a most outstanding score, easily winning over all entries and with a score which must be an Australian record for the past season) and at Massey College his single pen entry scored the most points for type judged by the officers of the Department of Agriculture. Mr. Wainscott has been a fancier and commercial egg producer for a number of years, and his success this year is welcomed by all his friends.