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Evening Star, Issue 14036, 17 April 1909, Page 11

[Br Mdjobcv] Being desirous to encourage and stimulate j tn-s poultry industry, we have arranged with | a member of the local Poultry Club to edit this column, end will be glad to receive and publish any items of news or notes lyhich I will be of service to readers. Contributions and questions for answering should be addressed to “ Minorca,” Poultry Editor. ‘Star’ Office, and received not later than Tuesday of each week. “ Minorca ” will only answer communications through this column. THE WHITE LEGHORN, i Of all the varieties of. Leghorns, the I White are now favorites in New Zeaj land, particularly since they have won nearly all the laying contests. The show \ birds nre now very much larger than the first birds that were imported, but the best laving strains have gone back to more the size of the original Leghorn. What is wanted is a mixture of the two varieties This should be done by selection from good laying strains. Every breeder wh;; has a good laying strain should pick the birds nearest standard requirements, and those who have good show birds should use the j ,*F. a P nes ts and nd out the best layers. 1 1 hen the birds could be crossed, and a” fair sized bird be obtained which would be fit for show and also bo a. good layer. There is no reason why a good show bird should not he a good layer. The judges ought to give the prizes to Leghorns of good type and fair size, and not favor birds on stilts and with enormous combs, which are a source of trouble to them and take away all their energy and cause partial blindness. MOULTING OF THIiTsHANKS. A number of people, even breeders of long standing, are not aware that a bird usually moults its leg scales as well as the feathers on the body. In some cases the birds do not do so, and if shown with the old scale the legs look unsightly. If the scales be nipped between the lingers the scale can usually be removed, or a pair of small forceps can be used. When a bird’s head and shanks have been well cleaned, there is not much more to be done before putting it in the show hampers, unless it is a white bird ami needs washing. The shanks should be wiped clean, after which dark legs may bo greased with pure olive oil. but wipe off as well as possible. the face and comb also need- sponging over, but sometimes a tooth-brush brings out the color better. After that most exhibitors apply something to the red parts,_ some using salad oil, jthers vinegar or vinegar and water, others cocoanut oil; vinegar alone will often blister the comb. Although it gives a <mod color at first it is likely to go dark after a tew hours; vinegar and water give better you must.be fateful to rub it well off afterwards. .A white lobe must on no account he greased or scrubbed, but gently gone over with a sponge, as gently dried thoroughly, and when dry puffed with oxide of zinc, this, too, being carefully and softly rubbed off again as far as possible. The object is to dry and soften the skin, not to stain it, and white powder found on it would be called faking. Look the bird well oyer, remove any broken feathers, and then groom well with a silk handkerchief. A common handkerchief is useless, but the hand or, better still, the silk handkerchief perceptibly increases the polish or gloss of the plumage. The bird is now ready to place in the coop, which should be done gently and, for preference, at night. A breeder sent a number ot birds to the auction rooms last week, and received the large sum of Is each for them. are very scarce just now. fresh eggs selling as high as 2s per dozen, and good case eggs retailing at- Is 9d to Is lOd.

THE PRODUCTION OF WINTER EGGS.

Everyone who keeps fowls wants to rr e t eggs in the winter, and many who had never even thought of becoming poultrykeepers have done so for the simple reason that they fonnd it impossible to purchase e S S® during the autumn and winter—even when they were prepared to pav mod prices for them—so with the object'd "procueing* them at home, they have invested m a pen of fowls; sometimes with success, and in some cases without it l the selection of birds from good laymg sixains and by feeding them on the right foods, the object of every would-be egg-producer can be achieved ‘with but little trouble.

..There are many who do not give their birds soft food in the morning, as they consider‘it cdsts move than hara corn, anil eo educes mss; but this idea is a. mistaken one, as'fowls fed once a day on meal will piodnce, at least, thirty or forty ewf> more per bird during the year, in comparison with others kept under exactly similar conditions which are fed on hard grain. It must be remembered, too. that these Jxira eggs are produced in the winter months, with the breakfast of soft food Just at the time when eggs are most valuable.

. ol l e rea£on why soft food in the mommg is most beneficial to fowls is that the hard com-takes a certain time to soak in. the g!fiaro,,liufr{he soft meal passes into the system ; m(mediate!y, and the fowl is uouriKhed’at once, so that no time is lost and the flesh or eggs are produced witli less exertion than if hard corn was given. It pays better to give the soft meal once a, day—viz., m the morning, and this should consist of good biscuit meal. on=third mixed with two-thirds of middlings »f best quality. Hot water should always be used for mixing the meal, or, better still, hot skim milk—where it can be obtained. Durini> the winter months the food should bo given hot, as this helps them in many ways. Care should be taken not to make the food wet or sloppy, as it is not so good lor the fowls when it is sticky and cliims to their beaks. * ( ° Fat or scraps from the table are very good for mixing with the meal, and in the winter, if there are not very many scrape it is a good plan to buy some liver, lights paunch, or tripe to boil up for the fowk’ A sheep s paunch may be had for 2d, and nine to eighteen pounds of tripe may be bought for la, and this should be given to the fowls the last thing before going to roost, as they will greatly enjoy it and eat ravenously of it. * ’ It should never be given, however, before the corn, or the fowls will probably Bliow some preference for this, and eat the meat and leave the corn. After the lights have been boiled, the liquor should 0 b° used to mix the meal with, as this water His good, deal of the goodness of .meat in it.

Some people have not time to boil and prepare the lights, and should use granulated meat m the soft food, as this does not require preparation hevond tho me of boiling water poured over the granuidled meat first, and then, mix it with the meal when it is hot.

bpare cooked vegetables, such as small potatoes and greens, and pieces of fat meat may also be reed, as when, these are "P w i l r h S?«« ™«1 they make firstrate lood Turnips, mangold wurzele, i n fact, nearly all vegetables, may be need in the same way especially during the wiuter months, -when green food is so scarce, and they may be thrown down so that they might peck at them raw, or they can be boded and mixed with the soft food. , and winter the fowls snould have their morning meal as hot as they can eat it, and it is well to -five them warm water to drink first thing i„ the morning when the weather is cold" as after drinking cold water they will often stand moping about on one foot, whereas the warm water seems to revive the whole system on a cold morning. Eggine should be used in the soft food at least five times a week, as‘this helps them through their moult, and brings one or two-year-old hens on to lay through the winter just as well as the young pullets. When hens stop laying, or are not doing well, some poultry powder should at once be given daily, as this pulls them round and they will commence laying much earlier on account of its use.