THE POULTRY WORLD

Hawera Star, Volume L, 17 May 1930, Page 8

THE POULTRY WORLD

SOME LOCAL GOSSIP.

FARM . FOWLS AND TOjWN FOWLS.

(By “Tight Feather.”)

Poultry may be successfully raised under almost any surroundings. Where there is a will there is a way. As a matter of fact the majority of winners on the show benches, and a number of winners of competitions, have been raised under intensive conditions; possibly the greater number have .been raised under the semi-intensive system. “Tight Feather” has reason to believe some town uwellers consider he favours too much ..the farmer's fowls. However, this is a wrong impression. It makes one sometimes wbid'er' just why*’one’s actions are' misconstrued. It is jiist a year ago since a novice entered some birds in a show and was fortunate'in getting a couple of tickets. ‘A visitor asked one of the officials if that is the same man who has some pullets out at the Normanby competition. “Yes,” was the reply, “but they fire not his birds. They are Blank’s.” The visitor rather surprised Blank the next morning by querying if this' were a fact. Unfortunately for Blank it was not —“so tnat’s that.” By the same token, according to the rumourmongers, “Blank” must be part owner or owner of several flocks around Hawera tend further afield. However, as he enjoys the confidence of a few successful poultry keepers we will let. it rest at that. To return to “Tight Feather.” When he was requested to contribute a column to the "Star” ho was given carte blanche to write as he thought best in the interests of the poultry industry. As Taranaki is essentially a farming district, where hosts of chickens,are ' raised on the farms, some of which live and some of which die, he has paid special attention to farm poultry, drawing marked attention to what may be done if farmers bring the same methods to bear on the farmyard hen that have been done to improve the dairy cbw, and using the Normanby competitions to prove his point. As lie has never at any time contended the town dweller could not successfully raise good stock, I fail to sec just where they have a grouch. There is just this: If the farmer will pay the same attention to housing and feeding as the town man the odds are in his favour of raising the better bird.

The writer has raised poultry under both conditions, so may be pardoned for thinking he knows something about both conditions. After fifteen or sixteen years of working under the intensive system, he is quite convinced that the farmer has all the best of the deal in poultry farming when the stock is raised under free.,range conditions. Very often the town dweller or suburbanite rears and matures far superior stock to the average farmer. However, in poultry raising, as in many other things, it is the exception which proves f lit rule. The average' farmer considers the poultry are only a secondary consideration, and so long as they lay sufficient eggs to keep the household supplied and the few left over sold to the store his interest is ended. With the town dweller or suburbanite poultry keeping beeo.nics his hobby. He studies his birds, their habits, housing, feeding and finally their mating, added to which, although they are raised, boused and fed under close confinement conditions, they are given everything and sometimes more than they would receive under free range eondiitons. Providing the hens are not overcrowded, are provided with ample scratching material, made to work to keep themselves in good condition, given plenty .of grit, clean water and green feed, kept, free from vermin, the houses so arranged that the fowls enjoy the sunshine and the houses kept clean, then the intensive poultry keeper has it on jthe farmer, whose birds have proved in public competition that country-bred stock are quite equal to the best.

SOME. QUALITY WHITE LEGHORNS

In this column I have stressed the value of the male bird in any flock. While at the recent young bird show X was much impressed with the White Leghorns, \yhich the judge of the utility section, Mr J. K. Hawkins, said were a very not class. ,The winning cockerel, owned by W. 11. Barker, was a wonderful' bird. Since then I have had the pleasure of inspecting the home of the winner, which is conducted under the intensive system. It sometimes happens that one bird in a flock may be''outstanding, either as. a cockerel or a pullet. Time and again I have known such a bird selected and given special rearing attention, finally being prepared for the show benches. A side' sprig carefully removed from the comb, a tail carefully weighted down at the base to give it the correct angle when meeting the judge’s eye, down or a tendency to feathering carefully shaved off the face, bleaching the feathers.' These and other tricks known to the fancy have been used to make appear perfect an otherwise faulty' White Leghorn. Knowing the old adago ‘ ‘ bonny feathers make fine birds,” I thought I would like to see the bird at home and the stock from which he sprang. On a surprise visit I .was fortunate in finding Mr Barker at. home engaged in feeding his fowls. As I walked from front to the 'back, where are built a row of well-kept, clean, open ; fronted houses, facing the surf most of the day, I noticed’row upon row of cliou moellier and silver beet, which provided ample green feed, a commodity which .many poultry men under similar conditions lack. Counting up the pens, I noticed there were seven, not including the cockerels and cocks, which occupied rooniy pens to themselves with plenty of room to move about and exercise, a necessity when in confinement. Too often male birds for the breeding season are kept apart in poky Cages or boxes' where they gain size and lose their strength; then owners wonder why their chicks fail to hatch or are two or three days overdue at date of hatching. Without exception type and colour were good. Oil examining the daily score sheet, of one pen of ten birds for a complete period from Ist April last year to Ist May this year, the average is 280 eggs per bird. The egg record works out as follows: April 10(5, JjjTa'y 190, June .175, July .199, August 218, September 232, October 252, November 2-1(1; a total of 1(178, At this date one hen was caught eating eggs and was killed; for the eight months her average was 109.8. For the remaining months of the year the nine liens laid: December 199, January 205, February Ifß, March .lob—a total of 738 eggs, Hie total average for a year being 2-19.8 eggs.

As a proof that eggs and type may go together, I may point to the following show awards in two years: A cockerel gained second at Hawera young bird

show, first New. Plymouth, first at Hawera, winning Gardner tray and special; as a cock iiv 1929 was only shown once, scoring first, and was one of the team which won the Spragg Cup for most points in Utility White Leghorns; 1929, cockerels, first at Hawera young bird show, first .at New Plymouth, winning J. K. Hawkin Cup for best bird in Leghorn section; Society’s trophy for best bird in light breed section, also two cash specials, making five tickets for one bird; this exhibitor also benched the second cockerel. At Hawera Winter Show he scored first and third and Spragg Cup for points in Leg; horns; 1930 young bird show at Hawera, first and Swadling Bowl for best utility bird. This exhibitor has won with male birds each . year he has shown, thus proving quality birds may be successfully hatched and reared year after year under intensive conditions, providing the breeder is prepared to supply all that nature calls for.

THE MISSING . LINK. “Tight Feather” has recently been shown pens of pullets which on appearance should be‘ Shelling out eggs in great style. These birds were well housed in comfortable quarters and from their condition apparently well fed. They had been hatched at the right time to reach maturity and be cherry ripe just at the present stage when eggs have reached 3s 9d per dozen on the Wellington market. The ancestors' of these pullets had all topped 300 egsg for the year, but .the present generation had failed to lay. “Mr Tight Feather, can' you tell me why I’ * “Do you feed them well?” <‘Feed!' Look at it! Wholesome food' but they'turn away and leave it. ” In'every instance of such ‘complaints the fault has' been—no animal or protein food. . No. livers being available, I have recommended meat or jmeat and bone meal. Where used as advised eggs have boon the result. When I was a boy I was told, as thousands of boys have been told, two eggs arc as strengthening as one pound of steak. However, to get .the two eggs, animal food in some form must be supplied. Often I have written that, if supplied Witlf the necessary ingredients the' hens will balance their own rations, but' .the necessary ingredients must be supplied. It' is of no use spoiling the ship "for the sake of a gallon of tar.