PODLTRY NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 17329, 17 April 1920, Page 4

PODLTRY NOTES

Contributions and questions for answering should be addressed to “ Utility-Fancy," Poultry Editor, Star' Office, and received not later than Tuesday of each week. “ Utility-Fancy ” will only answer communications through this column.

Local breeders and fanciers will regret to hear of the death of Mr D. J. M‘Donald (Carisbrook), who for many years has been known as a consistent breeder and showman. It was Mr M‘Donald who first introduced, some 25 years back, Mr H. L. Sprosen to Minorca s, winning him over to the fancy by exhibiting some of the lovely eggs which most strains of the breed laid m those days. Subsequently Mr M'Dpnald went in for Eose-combcd Minorca?, and won the silver cup presented by Mr Sprosen. He then took no with Rhode Island Reds, and, up to the time of his death, had proved a most enthusiastic exponent of the merits of that bird. It was always a pleasure to meet with Mr M ‘Donald, for he was of a most genial disposition and showed a great sense of humor in the composition of ditties relative to his fancies and current events.

At the Papanui egg-laying contest the returns for the 51st week show Green Brothers’ White Leghorn in the single bird test to be leading with 279 eggs, and in heavy breeds Mr J. M‘Donald’s Black Orpington is leading with 251. In the teams tests, light "breeds, Mr E. G. Terry’s White Leghorns have laid 1,554 eggs, and in the heavy breeds, Mr T. E. Conway’s Black Orpingtons 1,265. In Indian Runner ducks Mr W. T. Green’s birds arc scoring so far. 1,428. The world’s record for egg-laying, 3-35 eggs in the year, is likely to be beaten this_ year by Mr J. J. Christie’s Black Orpington, at Geelong, which by the end of the 50th week has laid 526" eggs. I hope to be able to give the completed returns next week.

In the teams of 6 birds at the same contest Mr Christie’s Black Orpingtons have laid 1,669 eggs, and as thev have only to lay another 30 eggs in the two weeks, which will complete the year, it is more than likely that they will beat- the previous world's record of 1.699 eggs. It looks extremely probable that the “ possible” 355 eggs in 365 days will be achieved some' dav.

Mr Fred Rogen, who used to be so prominent in the local fancy, is evidently following up his hobby in Victoria, where he has now been resident for some years. Addressing the National Utility Breeders’ Association there on the subject of scaly legs hi birds, I notice that he suggests the loliowing remedy :—Take one pound of pure lard, quarter pint of olive oil, 4 cakes camphor ground up. and a quarter pound flowers of sulphur. Place in a saucepan beside a fire and stir well, allowing it to simmer. Put all into ordinary jars and keep till required for use. The bird's legs should be scrubbed with soap and water before rubbing in the liniment, which should be continued till they bei come saturated. I have great faith in any thing that Mr Rogen recommends, for he is well known to be one of the most successful fanciers in Australia, able to take a lending position in any branch of the fancy he may happen to "take up. T believe lie is the only man who has won jn tho Old Country with birds bred in New Zealand.

It is not advisable to allow chickens to perch too early for it cannot he too widely knownthat crooked breasts (says a Home authority) arc not hereditary in one case out of a hundred. Any curvature of the epine called roach-back, or any other back deformity certainly is hereditary, but not so deformity of the breast bone. In the early stages it is go soft that it resembles gristle rather than bono, and am/ kind of continued pressure leaves its impress. Hard, wooden floors will cause the point of the breast bone to be turned out on one side, and sometimes the whole length of it. A dent in the middle of the keel has always been due to pressure upon the perch. A bird with any kind of twisted breast bone is not so saleable purposes, except to a few who trade upon it. “ Never once,” says one authority, “have I bought, at half the price, a bird with crooked breast and failed to breed all straight-breasted chickens from it if they have been properly cared for when young.” When the floor is well covered with loose material it is impossible for the chickens to contract crooked breasts. But, if they perch on the top of a house, or even' use a rad fence during the day, it is possible for the mischiei to be done. Provided the floor clean, dry, and soft it dci« not matter if fowls never perch at all. I am not recommending breeders to do without perches for their fowls, hut it is a fact, nevertheless, that when birds squat on the floor the manure does not fall on one spot and accumulate as it does from a perch, but mixes with the litter and dries off rapidly, so that the houses are kept cleaner and require far less attention.

A writer to the ‘ Farmer and Stockbreeder,’ England, says:—-“At the present high cost 01 wood it is more necessary than ever before to do all w© can to preserve it and extend its life. All poultry houses should receive their annual coat. As I have remarked elsewhere, the best preservative is gas-tar 1 gallon, pitch 21b, slaked lime 41b, melted and put on warm. I purposely do not say ‘ hot ’ because I like to put on as thick a coat of the composition as _ will lie on the wood. If the mixture ts very hot it runs down the slope aud only leaves on a thin coating. When properly done for two years in succession there is so much composition on the wood that it may go for two or three years before it need be done again. It is just as effectual on corrugated iron rooffing as on wood, and quadruples the wear of either. The galvanising soon rusts off and the iron quickly wears out, but. this composition is better than the original galvanising, and wears much longer. I had a wheelbarrow iron framo with furnace and underwork especi-

ally made for the pumoee, and it answers admirably. Before that wo eimply used iron pans on a tripod fire grate, heating and using from them alternately. Ws use long-handled tar brushes for most of the work and a short painter's brush for the crevices and difficult corners. Any wire netting can bo preserved for years in the same way.’’ An English poultry-breeder in a verylarge way says that, contrary to the views very generally held, he believes very largely in the merits of the modern general purpose poultry, euch as the White Wyandoties, Light Sussex, Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, and Buff Rocks. These birds, he says, have been greatly improved as regards their fecundity 'during the last few years, and although they do not give as _ large a total yield of eggs as the White Leghorn per annum, he finds that through the months October to Feb--I’iiary (April to August in New Zealand) they lay something like five eggs per bird to the White Leghorns; these and the cockerels and old hens are also far more valuable for table purposes; further, the general purpose breeds are more docile and consequently easier managed.

With regard to tho foregoing it is a fact that the general purpose breeds such as Orpingtons, Rocks, Wyandottcs, and Rhode Island Reds, as a rule prove their value ns layers in tho winter months, when eggs are dear, and consequently it is a good plan if one can provide the accommodation to have two separate pens, one for'light breeds which do their best laying in the-spring and summer, and one for general purpose or heavy breeds, which aro most profitable as layers in the autumn and winter.

In selling eggs to neighbors whom it is suspected, while only paying shop prices, are intending to place them under a hen, it Ja advisable if they are. from a valuable strain or breed to destroy their fertility before parting with them. * One way to do this is to stick a needle through a cork till the point protrudes barely "a quarter of an inch, and then stab into the air space at the wide end of the egg. but not through the second membrane into the white. Another way is to put the eggs into a net and dip them into boiling-water for four seconds. Either way will do.

The following, briefly, are the points of Rhode Island Reds;— Chief points: Cock Bj!b, cockerel 7jlb. Back: Broad, long and nearly horizontal. Carriage ; Upright, find slightly forward, giving an alert appearance ; rnggedness is of vital importance. Color: Beak, red horn or vollow ; eyes, comb, wattles and car lobes, red; nock hackle red, harmonising with back and breast. Wings: Primaries, lower web black, upper web red ; secondaries, lower web red, upper web black; flightcoverts, black ; tying bow and covert?, red. Tail: Mahp tail and sickle feathers, black or greenish black ; tail coverts mainly black, but may become russet or red as thev approach the saddle. Legs and toes : * Yellow, a lino of red down side of legs is desirable. Plumage : . Surface color, 'rich, brilliant red. free from shafting, medium or brass. Color slightly deeper on wing bow and back, but the least contrast between these and the breast the better. Undercolor and quill: Red or salmon. Female much the same, except .that the neck hackle should have a slight black ticking. Weight: Hon, 6|lb; pullet, 61b. , A good number (so it is reported) of English breeders are now working a new breed known as Sicilian Daisies' The markings are black on a pure white ground color, whereas tho Sicilian Buttercups hare black markings on a buff ground color. The Daisies have willow or” green kgs. Like the Buttercups they are claimed to be splendid layers and" good tablo birds.

As a rule the gocs-o raises, and tho gander lowers its head to hiss when disturbed by strangers, dogs, etc. scratching litter dry. If there is a side or end of house where sunlivht might be let in by window it will be well worth while trying to so arrange, for the more the sunlight reaches the floor the dryer it will be and consequently the more sanitary.

The purpose of the dropping board is to hold the excreta, and thus prevent the floor of the house becoming foul and insanitary. It also allows the home to be kept clean easier. A few minutes with scraper and brush every second day will keep the house clean and sweet. Mr tY. Spence, Kaikorai, writes;—“ln your notes in Saturday's ‘ Star * on the ioving Bird Show you say 1 should consider myself lucky in securing second prize with tho While Leghorn cockerel. Now, that is queitkmable. I take it that fho birds are judged as they appear in the show ; not as they may appear afterwards. An exhibitor will probablv select the best bird be has on the day of the show, and it is possible that I, as well as some of the -other exhibitors, mnv have had a better bird at homo, only not matured enouyh to show. You make no comments on the pullet? as to whether the element ot ‘luck’ played an important part. I may mention that it was the opinion of a good many poultry men that my pullet should have secured first place, but I am quite satisfied to go by tho judge's decision ; for after all he- is the man, and it is an easy matter for others to criticise and attribute an exhibitor's win to luck.” I can say no more in reply to Mr Spence than that, though I agree* with his contentions, my criticism stands. I quite understand that he may have better birds at home than exhibited, but, as he savs, the judge judges the birds that appear before him, and, of course, it follows, so does the critic. As regards the pullet class, Mr Spence evidently agrees with me rather than with the "judge. As to the element- “ luck,’’ there can be no question, but that exhibitors are sometimes lucky in not meeting with stronger opposition ; and as a prize winning bird is apt to be too highly value by the egg-pur-chasing and pullet-purcliasing public, I consider it is the duty of the critic to point 1 out when he considers a bird has won in a weak class. The New Zealand Utility Poultry Club’s fifteenth annual egg-laying competition terminated last week, and 97,533 eggs were laid by the 488 fowls (461 pullets and 27 hen), as against 97,451 from 492 fowls in the previous competition. The winners for the 52 weeks were ; Light breeds (teams of six) —E. G. Perrv, White Leghorn, 1,559 eggs; James Robertson, W.L.. 1,491 eggs; and George Gee, W.L., 1,434 eggs. In the single pens, light- breeds. Green Brothers’ W.L. pullet laid 281. Caider Bros.’ W.L. 278, and H. Williams's W;L. 270. In heavy breeds (team of six) test T. _E. . Conway’s Black Orpingtons laid 1,2/4 eggs. Mr James Robertson, who won the second prize of £7-. is a Milton fancier.

“ Mosgiel Fancier” writes: I was very pleased to see your criticism of the Young fti rd Show ; but 'I don’t .agree with you when you say the third prize (Leghorn cockerel) was a. good one. To my mind the bird was too small, and gone" in the face. I, like yourself, was surprised to see Mr Sprosen enter a Minorca cockerel with light eye, and also weak in face; but I would like the judge to toll us where the first prize cockerel beat Mr Sprosen’s bird for all that. The winner. a$ you stated, was of Leghorn type, and type, I believe, counts about 50 points. He also had Leghorn eyes, and the yellow pigment was visible in his feet. He certainly scored in head points; but it his type was wrong he should have been put out. Why did the judge award the first prize to a bird of Leghorn type in the Minorca class, and then place 3lr Sprosen’s Orpington pullet first when her only strong point, was type? Mr Stunner’s third prize bird beat her in head points, coldr, closeness of feather, and utility points. Perhaps the judge will answer these questions for us.—l fancy “ Mosgiel Fancier” is looking lor a reply from the judge rather than from “ Utility-Fancy.” I may, however, draw his attention to the fact that in speaking of'the third prize (Leghorn cockerel) I said ; “ I fancy the third prize bird would have beaten Jfo.*2 had it been more matured.” It certainly was undersized, as my correspondent says.—“ Utility Fancy.”