POULTRY NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 20985, 26 December 1931, Page 13

POULTRY NOTES

[By UTILITY-FANCY.]

In wishing my readers the compliments of the season, I think I am showing consideration in providing only light reading this week. • • • • Aeroplane Chickens. —“ When 1 order poultry from you again for Sunday’s dinner,” said the man who quarrelled with his fish and game dealer, “ 1 don’t want you to send me any more of those aeroplane chickens.” “What kind do you mean?” asked the dealer. “The sort that are all wings and machinery and no meat,” said the man. New Way to Fix Chicken.—Airs Holder intended having chicken for dinner, but as her invited guest, could not come, she told her maid, “We will just postpone the chicken to-day.” The maid was puzzled. “Well, I have fried ’em, baked ’em, and boiled ’em, but 1 never did postpone one.” * * * • Wishes of Two Hoboes.—First Hobo: “I’m like the poet, I long for the wings of a dove.” Second ditto: “Huh! Right now I’d rather have the breast of a chicken ’long with a couple drumsticks.” * * a • Not Colour Blind.—Some gny coloured Easter eggs had been placed in a hen’s nest for the children to find. An old rooster passing along that way eyed the eggs suspiciously, became insanely jealous, gave his harem a red hob discourse on the law relating to unfaithful wives, hopped over the fence into an ornamental park, and picked the life out of a decrepit old peaocct, # * * * The Value of a Chick.—A farmer was reproving his three-year-old son, “Ezry,” he exclaimed, “quit pointin' that ther gun at yore little brother 1 Hit might go off and kill one of them chickens he’s playin’ with.” « * * • Wisdom from the Dock.—Judge: “How did you manage to steal so many chickens before being caught?” Rastus: “Tain’t no use to tell you’, jedge. Yo’d jest git cntched. Yo’d bettab stick to yo’ own line, sah.” « • « • Owner: “Look hero, your dog has killed one of our prize hens.” Neighbour: “Oh, I’m so sorry! But you certainly can’t blame poor Fido. How was ho to know that it was a prize bird?” « * * * Verger (to visiting Clergyman): “Do you mind preaching from the Lectern, sir?. I’ve a hen sitting on twelve eggs in the pulpit.”- * * * * What Did She Get?—The girl walked briskly into the store and dropped her bag on the counter. “Give me a chicken,” she said. “ Do you want a pullet?” the storekeeper asked. “No,” the girl replied. “ I wanta carry it.”

Not Dark Enough.—Mose was relating to a friend the tragic story of his capture in a neighbour’s chicken house. “What was the mattah, Mose?” asked the friend. “Wasn’t the night dahk enough?” “Was the night dahk enough?” echoed Mose. “Niggah, dat night was puffectly satisfactory. lb was me that wasn’t dahk enough.” * * * * “ Crook ” asks:—Will you please give directions for making a brooder for 100 chicks, where a hurricane lamp can be used for the heater. Please give dimensions and how ventilated. Wishing you the compliments of the season. The brooder for 100 chicks should be at least 2ft square (floor space) and there should be an extension for exercise beyond the warm chamber 2ft wide and 4ft long. The following description of a brooder heated by a kerosene lamp should be a satisfactory guide to “ Chook.” A home-made brooder may be constructed quite easily. A large box is turned bottom up so that the bottom will be about a root from the ground. The top is inclosed with a tight board railing a foot high or more. The top of the box forms the floor of the' brooder. In this floor cut a hole, square or round, that can be covered hy a tin pail with straight sides or a square tin box turned, bottom up. In the bottom of the pail, now turned uppermost, cut a small hole and fix in it or over it by some means, such as by fireclay or cement, a metal tube rising Gin or so. The lamp (an ordinary kerosene lamp) is to be placed directly under this tin arrangement, so that the top of the lamp chimney comes about 2in under the opening or gas flue. A shield of tin should he placed between the top of the chimney and the flue, in order to throw the hot air from the lamp off on either side before it can go out at the flue. The tin pail makes a regular heating drum. A cover should now be provided that will have free air_ spaces around the sides for ventilation and light. It should be placed just above the tin pail and the small flue should run through it. From the under side of this cover curtains of felt or flannel should be hung entirely around the heater, and from 4in to Gin apart. They should come down to within 2Jin of the floor, leaving just space for the chicks to run under. These curtains make compartments of different temperatures, and the chick will choose the outlet it likes best A thermometer should show the inside compartments kept at a temperature of OOdeg to lOOdeg. The great cardinal points in the management of brooders are:— (1) That they be kept at a high uniform temperature, from 90deg to lOOdeg for the first week, and somewhat lower after that. (2) They must have a good supply of fresh air. (3) They must be cleaned every day. (4) They must be dry and free from draughts. If the chickens are seen to huddle together you may be sure the temperature is not right. Chickens kept properly warm will never huddle. Or course an economical poultry raiser will see that the brooder can be heated economically, and gotten at easily and quickly, both to clean it and to examine the chicks.

Coniribtzifona and qooetions for should be addressed to ** HtiEty-F ancr, ” Poultry K<S4ar, -fiftar * Office, and received not later than Tuesday of each woek. “ TJtnity-S’ancy m will only answer commtmicationa through this column. Advertisements for this column most be handed in to the office before 2 fje. on Friday.

TWENTY-SEVENTH PAPANUI EGGLAYING COMPETITION. Leading pens, 36th Week, Ended December 11 (251 days). Test I.—J. H. Sharr Memorial Challenge. Light and Heavy Breeds. —Black Orpingtons.—

Week’s Weight. Eggs. on drs. Tl. J. Campbell ... .. 4 9 2 215 H. Cottou ... .. 4 7 14 196 —White Leghorns.— H. Williams ... .. 7 12 11 225 L. Roache .. 7 16 1 225 J. Ibbotson ... .. 6 12 6 205 A. 0. Goodlet .. 5 11 3 198 T. S. Dove ... .. 6 12 8 197 Miss M‘Kechnie .. 6 13 3 195 Test 11.—White Leghorns. Single Hen. Owner enters three birds. Week’s Grand Totals. Totals. W. L. Donald 6 6 5 190 205 186 A. J. Maclaine 6 5 216 174 190 H. Williams ... 7 5 4 165 198 207 D. Christie 5 5 4 161 192 216 J. Ibbotson 5 7 4 198 204 164 T. Bond 5 5 6 188 184 189 Test III.—Black Orpingtons Only. Week’s Grand Totals. Totals. J. Campbell ... 6 5 7 207 140 125 R. M. Cookson B B 4 168 156 150B. Cotterill ... 0 5 6 90.192 159 D. A. M'Kee ... 6 10 106 178 103 Test IV.—Any Variety Light or Heavy Breeds, other than Whit® Laghorns or Black Orpingtons, Week’s Grand Totals. Totals. Mrs Williams (L.S.) _ ... 1 B 7 193 2Q4 188 A. W. Pritchard (Buff 0.) ... 2 6 2 156 174 167. S. H. Mitchell (A.) 16 5 152 165 164 B. Wilson (B.L.) 5 2 6 161 108 192 Test V.—Flock Teams (six birds). —White Leghorns.— Week’s Weight. Eggs. ox drs. TL M. C. Craig, No. 2 22 46 10 1,032 W. Knight ... . 19 40 9. 987 M. C. Craig No. 1 31 66 5 984 H. Williams . 31 64 0 956 L. Roache ... . ... 29 57 9 926 Verrall Bros. (one dead) > .. 25 51 7 919 Test VI.--Single Ducks. Owner enters three birds. —Indian Runners.— Week’s Grand Totals. Totals. J. W. Thomson 6 5 7 201 209 240 H. A. Dawber 3 7 3 157 243 205 G. S. Heath 7 5 7 195 238 143 Test VII.—Other than Indian Runners. Week’s Grand Totals. Totals. H. A. Dawber 0 4 7 179 161 213 J. Ashworth ... 7 6 0 177 194 0