POULTRY NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 14523, 26 November 1910, Page 10

POULTRY NOTES.

[By Minorca.] Contributions and questions for answering should be addressed to “ Minorca ,” I'oultnj Editor, 'Star' Office, and received not later than Tuesday of each week. "Minorca” will only answer communications through this column. Advertisements for this column must reach the ofjice by noon on ’Thursday.

Mr Rose is well known to all Dunedin fanciers. Some yearn ago the Government were in need of a manager for the Burnham Poultry Farm, and wore lucky to secure such a man as Mr Rose. For twenty years or more Mr Rose was known as the leading breeder of Black Spanish, and on several occasions acted at judge. Birds with Mr Hose were not only a profit, but a pleasure, ami the Government in securing his services were particularly lucky. At the time .Mr Rose left Dunedin his family were young, but now they have grown to manhood and womanhood, and are of great assistance on the farm at Burnham. Burnham Farm is situated a few miles from Christchurch, and the ground is very level ami suitable for poultry. The houses are neat aud tidy, ami everything has been arranged by Mr Rose to give the birds the best cliance. Utility birds being the order of the day, Mr Rose set about his task of breeding for egg production, but at the same time keeping a bird true to type and as good in show points as possible. By the use of the trap nest it was soon, found that extra largo birds were not in it as regards egg production, and these soon had to give way to a smaller and more compact bird, practically in all breeds. At tho time of my visit the breeding pens wore still together, and, of course, did not look at their best, having been through the wear and tear of a long laying season, but every bird showed the correct type as a layer, and it was easily seen that a sure hand had made the selection, in several crises the breeding birds were of good type, eyes good, also lobes, but they were on the small side compared to tho present-day show bird. There is no doubt that a standard for size, in the shows, will have to kept to, and points be deducted for over-size, if the shows are to be a success. The breeds kept at Burnham have to be cut down, only the best varieties being retained. Among these are the White and Brown Leghorns, Minorcas (these are a favorite of Mr Rose, and are of the well-known Douglas strain, and have done splendidly), White Rocks (a fine lot fit for show), Silver Wyandottes, Black Orpingtons, and Camp hies. The Campines are hardy birds, similar in type to the Leghorns. Mr Rose and Mr Carr both speak well of these birds as layers. A fine brooder house, similar to the one at Milton, Iras been built, and contains a lot of fine chicks of every variety. In another pen is to be seen a grand lot of early pullets. A number of them are already shooting their combe, and will probably start laying in January. 'lire following 'remarks will no doubt be of interest to breeders. Mr Rose says : (1) Always hatch your cockerels from which you intend to breed under a hen; I find them hardier and the stamina better. (2) Tho Orpington is the bird for the fanner, as it is a fine all-round bird; will lay well, rear a family, and is grand for the table. (3) The White Leghorn is a laying machine, if you get the best of them, but for town breeders they are not so suitable, as they get dirty; thecockerels are not much good for tho table. (4) The Black Minorcas are fine town birds; they lay the finest eggs, and except in very bleak runs they lay exceptionally well. Their color prevents dirt being seen, they rarely cluck, and are wonderful autumn layers. (5) Never breed from birds which are hatched late in the season. Those birds, even in their second year, never have tho stamina of chicks hatched in August. (6) Green food and a good grit are°ncceesary to tho health of fowls; they are particularly wanted in the breeding pens. (7) Fine breeding is necessary if the best egg results are to be obtained, as they are for show birds, to secure the best. ”(8) Don’t breed Trent pullets. The chicks may hatch well, but they won t stand the wear and tear like chicks from mature hens. They will be found played out at the end of the first season. (9) Fresh water, and plenty of it, is necessary for birds at all times if good health is to be maintained. (10) Learn to think of your birds first; don’t overfeed one day and starve them the next. Let them learn to watch for yon, and not be frightened when they seo you. Keep them busy and well fed, but let them work for their food. Keep the right variety; treat it well, and you will succeed. THE BLACK MINORCA. Black Minorca history is not the less interesting because it does not deal with a This breed is one of the few that can trace its history back nearly half a century and claim not a (Imp of foreign blood in its, make-up. 1 hough they have passed through the standard changes of a score or more of years, through the changes of environment and through the changing of ideals of tho fanciers who have taken the lead in breeding them, these changes have not had the power to alter the original breed characteristics. Their undaunted progress!veness and great vital energy, which they probably brought with them from their remote home, the Isle of Minorca, in the far distant Balearic Isles, have become a part of tho nature and character of tho Minorca. These qualities appeal to poultry-raisers, and no special effort or booming on the part of Minorca fanciers has been necessary in order to create a demand for stock or e ,r gs. There is.always a market for good birds, either for exhibition or utility purposes. V The modern American Minorca type has undergone several changes, as compared with tho English type and tho type bred m America ten or fifteen years ago, although, as stated in the foregoing paragraph, they still possess all of their good early characteristics, and in many particulars are the same today that they were twenty years ago. The changes referred to were those adopted at the List two revisions of our American standard of Perfection. In each case a marked advance in several sections was gained, which should in the future cause the Black Minorca to become oven more popular than it is. The adoption of higher standard weights bv the Stand aid Revision Committee of 1905 gave the S.C. Black Minorca tho advantage of the entire Mediterranean class. It at once made them the equal of the American, tire English, and the French varieties. Added to this weight advantage was their qlveady world-wide reputation for heavy egg production and as producers of the largest and most attractive egg of any variety of fowls. With the increased weight it became necessary to produce specimens of higher station fl-nd longer backs, in order to preserve the symmetrical outlines. This pnxluced a bird of balanced i proportions, and when the grace of proper carriage is added we have a specimen of I beauty surpassed by none.

—Change in Standard Comb.— ■ ! Previous to the lime when our 1910 Standard Revision Committee began their work a rather alarming evil seemed to menace the popularity of our American S. C. Black Minorca. This was the extremely heavy headgear known as tho Eng lish type, which originated in England ana was advocated by fanciers who made a specialty of this feature. In England the Black Minorca is a favorite as a fancy fowl. With this view in mind, it became the fad there to breed them as high and. heavy in comb as was possible, no limit being placed on the size of tho comb and wattles. The wattles frequently extended halfway down the breast of tho males. The females’ combs lopped eo far over to one side that sight was entirely obstructed. In England it is often necessary to dub an exhibition male after being shown, as the weight of the headgear would render it useless as a breeder. A hud in this condition, if left unaided, would starve or become demented. Another English method, I am told, is that of supporting the comb by a wire during the breeding season, if it is desired to keep the specimen as a show bird. This overlarge typo of comb is susceptible to a disease which is confined to the comb of the male, and most often contracted in tho show room. In the far south numerous complaints were heard, and fanciers in the south were becoming discouraged with the prevalence of it in tho show room. It was with this knowledge, also with the welfare of the breed in mind, that I petitioned the Revision Committee at tho thirty-fourth annual meeting of tho American Poultry Association to have our new standard for 8.0. Black Minorcas changed to lead, in the section referring to combs, “ Moderately large,” instead of the old standard wording “Quito largo.” It is gratifying to me, as well as to many of the prominent breeders all over the country who were unable to attend the meeting, but who have since expressed their hearty approval of this action, that tho recommendation was adopted. It was also adopted in the revision of tho standard for Rosecomb Black Minorcas, and met with equal approval. I believe this one section, referring to the moderation in combs, is sufficient alone to double the popularity of'the S.C. Black Minorca. I have received'numerous communications from both Rose and Single Comb breeders, expressing their unanimous approval of this much-needed restriction.

Black Minorcas rank among the first as a farmer’s breed and an egg farm breed, and now that weight is no longer a detn ment, they rank among the first as a general utility bird. If Minorcas svero to become unpopular from a utility standpoint their career svould be ended. In such event they would rank on a par with (he White-faced Black Spanish, svhich, owing to an eccentric standard requirement in headgear that is of no benefit whatever to the utility breeder, find themselves among tho poorly represented classes of our shows. Had our American breeders persisted in the English “ beefy ” type of headgear Black Minorcas would not have been so popnlar here as they are in England today. This is true, because Americans have not tho patience to breed a variety extensively fo-. - fancy points alone, and in all probability they would have discarded the breed entirely for one possessing greater possibilities from a financial point of view. Now that we possess a standard that adequately meets the requirements of the Black Minorca, our next step should be toward illustrating the ideal male and female, so that amateurs and breeders who are unable to attend our largest American shows can breed the true type, and be aided in interpreting the text set forth in oor revised standard. We have long outgrown the illustrations in 1905 standard. The comb of tho male is entirely too large, and lacks the symmetry now seen in onr down-to-date Minorcas. Tho wattles are too long; the breast line is too full at upper section; body and Hnff aro too full; the hackle is a little too abun dant at upper section; and there should be more length of back and a slightly lower carriage of tail The station should be higher than the old illustration shosvs; in fact if we could illustrate the nosv Standard according to tho nearly perfected sections we have seen at our winter shosvs the past two seasons, taking only ideal sections of living birds as a guide, we should be able to give breeders a good model.

The shosv room type has long differed from the ideal type of male and female. It is a case of rapid advancement, resulting from the additional pound of 55'eighfc. Sometimes radical changes of the standard that require many years to breed, the proper type are necessary lo the svelfare and preservation of a breed. Tho last two changes relative to Minorcas in the respective standards of 1906 and 1910 can be classed under this head.—American exchange.