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Evening Star, Issue 14162, 11 September 1909, Page 10

[By Minorca.J Contributions and questions for angering 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. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. ' Mosgiel. You don’t state your method of sitting the hen. the tough skin is often due to want of moisture, ihrough tra,velling the vitality of the chick is often weakened, and when the chick has to break the skin it is too weak for the exertion. Buy eggs nearer home, and you will probably get better results. Let me know how the next hatch turns out. Air your eggs well. The White Leghorn eggs from the yards of Mr B. B. Myers, Anderson Bay, which were hatched last year have, in, all cases of which we have a record, proved most successful winter layers. Mr Myers is of opinion that all those capable should keep a few fowls, hence the small price, for the eggs, for which a demand should be made lor all available. A Christchurch fancier has imported a quartet of Blue Leghorns and also a quartet of Black Wyandottes. Blenheim Competition.—The highest layings for the week are;—W. A. Bowman, Black Orpingtons, 38 ; Master Rewi Smale, White Leghorns. 33; Bowman Bice., Lang--hans, 32; A. *R. Thomson, White Leghorns, 51. The highest totals to date ire:—D. Bturrock, Black Orpingtons, 540; W. K. Knight, Silver Wyandottes, 518; Master Farquhar, White Leghorns, 501. Tho returns for the week, with totals to date, are:—Law, .week 22, total 405; Bowman, 38 and 398; Wiffen, 26 and 397; Farquhar, 29 and 501; Adams, 21 and 367 ; Teichert, 29 and 404 ; Bowman, 32 and 321; Knight, 29 and 518; “Herald.” 30 ami 418; Bhaw, 24 and 409; Knight, 26 and "54; Smale, 33 and 432; Hay, 24 and 377; Goodman, 26 and 409; Howard, 30 and 445 ; Silcock, 26 and 444; Finn, 18 and 399; Bowman 30 and 448; Shaw, 26 ami 432; Walden, 10 and 297; Thomson, 51 ind 326; Bturrock. 25 and 540 : Alien. 25 rnd 401; Brown, 23 and 380; Griffiths 28 »nc\464 Lincoln Competition.—The best layings for the week were:—T Kennedy, Silver Wyandottes, 36; W. A. Nixon, White Leghorns, 35 and 33; F. R. Cameron. White Leghorns, 35 ; Mrs James Mills, White Leghorns 34; James Thomson, White Leonoras, 33; Miss E. Hearfield, White Leghorns, 33; Master E. Good, White Loghorns, 33. The highest totals to date are : —-r. R. Cameron, White Leghorns, 586; W. Balch, White Leghorns, 527 ; Mrs James Mills, White Leghorns, 618; T. Kennedy, Silver Wyandottes, 504; Miss E. Hearfield’ White Leghorns, 602; Hawke and Bhaw’ White Leghorns, 452. The August monthly prize in the Utility Poultry Club’s egg-laying competition was won by Mr F. R. Cameron’s White Leghorns with 144 eggs, Miss Hearfield’s being second with 139. Shephard’s Black Orpingtons laid 42 eggs for tho week in the North Island competition. Mar fell's Black Orpingtons are still leading with 486 eggs for the eighteenth week. Anyone interested in poultry would enjoy a visit to Mr Peter Sinclair, of Mosr’'°h and then a visit to Mr J. Thomson, of Sunnycrest Poultry Farm, Maori Hill. Such a visit would show at once the difference between the utility breeder and the fancier. As Mr Thomson is the nearer to hand, we will start with his farm. The two breeds kept are White Leghorns and Black Orpingtons Mr Thomson, now, does not talk of Brook’s strain or Padman’s, but is proud to say they are Thomson’s strain, trap-nested, mated, and bred by himself. Point to any hen on the farm, and Mr Thomson will catch it, refer to his book, ■ad tell you how many eggs it laid last year, and also how it is doing this year. If you admire any cockerel on the farm, you can be shown its mother; with her egg 'record, and very probably you will be able to see the father, and form an opinion of what the son will be like in a year’s time. Having hied for eggs alone 'for several years, - Ml Thomson has raised the egg standard of hut birds vary considerably.

To give an idea of what I mean, Mr Thom- } son started with birds averaging about 150 1 eggs, and now his average is nearer 200. j Tlie leading pen contains hens with an average of 250, and the cockerel with them is bred from a hen which laid 265 | eggs for the year. These birds are full of life and vitality, and though small, from a fancier’s point of view, are neat in shape, and, of coarse, fine in bone; There are a number of pens, of White Leghorns, each, with a good egg average, and mated to a. cock or cockerel from a good laying hen. 1 After passing the Leghorns we" come to the Black Ofps. These are also good layers, though not as yet up to the standard of the White Leghorns, the 'best laying ■ being just over the 200 eggs; but against this we have a fine, largo bird, splendid for the table, and a bird which is proud to sit and rear a family. A far more suitable bird for the farmer is an alb lound bird in preference to the small White Leghorns. Everv house, shelter shed, and j um is neat and dean at Mr Thomson's place— not a button missing from a door or a latch from a gate; in fact, the whole place is an object lesson to either fancier or utility breeder. Wo now como to Mr Peter Sinclair, of MosgLel, a fancier, judge, aaid breeder of champions in nearly every breed. The breeds kept arc White Leghorns, Silver Wyandotte®, Golden Wyandottcs, and Plymouth Rocks. Mr Sinclair does not quote .the number of cgst> laid, but every hen in the pens is a winner, the mother of a winner, or expected to produce winners. There are separate pens for pullet-breed ing and cockerel breeding, both in Leghorns, Silvers, and Rocks. From a fan ciers point ot view, there is no doubt those birds are more pleasing to look at than tlie utility birds. F.vcry hen has a good comb, lobe, color, lacing, or type to recommend her, and every cockerel is as near perfection from a show point as possible, pullet- breeders excepted. Kverv bird has a pedigree, often dating hack to a great-grandmother. Now, for laying qualities, Mr Sinclair's birds, although not specially bred for laying, like Mr Thomsons, are good average layers, Mr Sin clair believing in combining as far as possible utility and taney. Mrs Sinclair is as keen a fancier as Mr Sinclair, the hatching, rearing, and preparing of the birds being chiefly done, by Mrs Sinclair. Mr Sinclair's occupation keeping him engaged. September is a busy month for I in-poultry-keeper. Every egg that Is to be set should go down this month, if passible, as pullets hatched during this month give the best egg results in the winter. As soon as the chicks are out they must be kept growing. To grow, several things are necessary, ami other things are not necessary but harmful. Fresh ground, exercise, variety of food, green food, and a little meat arc the necessary things. Head lice. lice, and red mites are the drawbacks. More chicks die of lice than of any disease. Breeders seem to think that if the boxes or coops are kept clean the chicks cannot have lire on them. Chicks will have lice, never mind how (lean the coops are, unless they are regularly dusted with insect powder. Head lice are also prevalent in nearly all chicks about two weeks old unless their heads are rubbed with oil or vaseline. Don’t think that incubator chicks do not have lice; they are not so bad as chicks with hens, but very nearly so. Don’t have chicks of mixed ages running together, or the younger ones will not got fair play. A SUCCESSFUL METHOD OF FEEDING YOUNG CHICKS. [By Ira G. Shellabarger.] An important factor in poultry culture which leads to success, if not the'most important, is the successful rearing of young chicks. And this is not such a serious problem if a few natural rules are followed. A large proportion of the losses in rearing chickens is due to improper feeding. However, there is one step further back than this which means much to successful chicken culture, and that is the breeding stock. The chicks must he from healthy, vigorous parents. Too often the farmers and amateur poultryman’s flock is inbred until the vitality is'very low, and of course healthy chicks cannot be expected. At the very start many make the serious mistake of removing the chicks to the brooder while too young, and begin feeding at once. or. if hatched by the lien, begin feeding too soon also. Some advance the theory that white diarrhcea is caused in tins way, and by feeding unwholesome icod. For best results the chicks should not be fed for thirty-six or forty-eight hours after they are hatched, as before this time they need no food. It requires about Ihe length of time for the assimilation of tlie yolk of tlie egg, which is still unabsorbed in the newly-hatched chick. One of the first foods is the old-time mixture of hard-boiled egg chopped fine, with the shell on, and bread crumbs, mixed together in a crumbly mass. Give all thev will oat up in fifteen or twenty minutes. It any remains after this time,' it should : me removed, for if this is not done the clucks lose their appetites, get bowel trouble, and get out of condition, and will die m large numbers. They should have access at all times to pure fresh water given in scrupulously clean fountains. If water is not given in some sort of fountain they will get into the water, get wet, become chilled, and contract diarrhwa. Soft, easily assimilated food should he given for the first three or four days, after which harder or small'-grains may be given. A supply of grit or fmelv-ground bone should be before the chicks at all times. Previous to this age they are too voung to need grit. The. chicks‘must not be fed much at a time, but fed often-—five times per day until they are three weeks old gives the best results. These three substances must be supplied to growing chicks for best results: Mineral, animal, and \ egetable mutter. Grit and sand are examples of the first, beef scraps and meat meal of the second, and grass, lettuce, or any vegetables of the third. When chicks are allowed their freedom in the spring and summer time they find enough insects to furnish animal matter, but when thev are confined with the hen or in the brooder this must bo supplied bv buying meat scraps or meat meal. The' cereals furnish vegetable matter, but in addition to this some green food must be given, as Fttucv grass or beets. Also abundant exerei-J must be provided, as well as clean quarterin the writer's thirteen years' experience this has been the method pursued which has given the very best ~f results. After thirty-six hours the chicks are given .:f hard-boiled eggs and bread crumbs all tlmv wiU cat in fifteen minutes five times „Jr day tor two days, always being supplied' with water and occasionally sweet skimmed mi k After two days they are given rolled oats, oatmeal, boiled rice, bread crumbs, and cheese made from clabber milk One of the above is fed at each meal, and in this way the chicks get a- great variety. At tins age grit, fine ground bom-, aiid meal meal are kept before the ehicks in small receptacles, or if it is preferred a small quantity is mixed with the laid' I he above is given for the first week, after which time the chicks are fed with cracked corn, wheat, oatmeal, gor any small grains and lettuce or other green stuff. j