POULTRY NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 8933, 27 June 1905, Page 4

POULTRY NOTES.

SHOW DATES & CHAMPIONSHIPS.

June 29, 30, July I.— Wellington White Wyandottes, Indian. Runner Dusks, Frill Pigeons, Yorkshire Canaries. July 5, 6. — Waikato. Light Brahmas, Black Hamburgs. July 5, 6. — Wanganui. Minorcas, Game ißantam. July 6.— Woodville. Wyandottes A.O.V. . (except Golden, Silver, or White.) July 7 and B.— Newton. July 12, 13. — Napier. Golden' Wyandottes, Tumbler Pigeons. July 13, 14. — Feilding. Langshaus. July 14 and 15. — Waini. July 19, 20.— Hawera. Plymouth Rock (barred), Rouen Duck. July 19, 20. — Masterton. Hamburgs, A.O.V. (except Black). July 20. — Gisborne. Indian Game. July 28, 29.— New Plymouth. Silver Wyandotte, Working Homer Pigeon. July 28, 29. — Hastings. Buff Orpington, Dorking, Pekin Duck, August 1, 2.— Pahiatua. WhiUs Leghorns.

|At a meet-Ing of poultry fanciers and judges, held in the rooms of the Manawatu A. and P. Association on June 22, Mr Hooker, of Hfiwera, referred to' the importation of American breeds. While birds were judjyed on un English stutulurd, he said, American birds could not be judged on the English standard. He declared that under present conditions judges had only to pander to a strain developed by a particular fancier At a big show recently lie saw a bird awarded an ishuul championship that had disqualification j showing on its l<gs. He hoped the MauaWittu association would take the mutter I up, aaid move hi the direction of having a uniform standard adopted for New Zealand. Mr J. Jarvis (Hongotca) gave it as his opinion that tlie difficulty would never bo {jot over until clubs of fanciers representing particular breeds were formed. He liiid already taken the initial steps in the formation of a Wyandotte Club. Mr Alf. Walker, a well-known Ohristchurch exhibitor, said that in the South Island they had a. recognised standard — the English standard. Under any standard, he maintained .that a great deal tested with the, judge.

It is very pleasing to find (hat an immensely increased interest is being taken in utility breeding. Everywhere the I'.ost layers a.r<> being searched for and bred from, and the results will be greatly to the advantage of poultry breeding generally in tliis country. Eggs aro Iwinq offcired at moderate prices from lested Jayere, and there will always bo a ready sulo for these. By and by tho genera] egg average will show an increase, and thm will still further stimulate interest in the matter, and sections of first-class l.iyers for tho breeding pen will become nionv rigorous. There ought, to be quite us much interest- taken in- the breeding of utility birds of high merit as there is in I lie breeding of exhibition birds. Indeed, there is no reason why there should not bo far more, as utility breeders immensely preponderate in number over those, wlio breed for fancy points alone. — Australian Farm and Home.

Poultry (says an exchange) should be fed at regular times for several reasons. A Hock soon learns its feeding tjine if it is fed at the same time every day, and between lwate :s contented and quiet. If a. flock is allowed to run at large and is fed only at' regular times, tho fowls will wander away and stay out of range during tho day, except, at meal tunes, while if regular feeding is not practised, every time the keeper appears ©very fowl will be seen to coino hurrying to tho feeding, place. It is especially -important that fowls kept on, limited, runs or Bniall yards ahouM be taught io look for food only at regular hours. If this ' is not done they will - spend most of' their time looking through tho fence, expecting someone to come, along and' feed them:

• • • • •Collect the egga once or twice a day. Take no eggs to market gathered from under barns, neste in tho fields, or from stolen neate.

\ • • - ■ • > Prevent, if possible, the laying hois ; eating (lecayod vegetables or animal substances! • \ ' ; , .- . ! ' > * x Kejßp the'eggs, after gathering bhtnn,' in a cool; sweet atmosphere. If in a cellar, \ lot it be dry. ■ . ■ '\' '■' ' Keep .the nests the layers' use, .clean, comfortable a.nd free from vermin. >• •••• - ' • • Have a sufficient iiumbcr of nests for the Layers. Offer every inducement to the

lions to lay in their neels and not shun them.

• • » Allow no broody hcu to sit on the new laid eggs, be it for ever so short a period.

Take- the eggs to market clean and inviting in appearance.

Make a rule- to take no eggs to market that' you are not sure are fresh, or thut you aro doubtful about tho flavor being good.

It a. broody hen. is allowed, to sit- ou a. new Jaid fertilised egg for twelve hours, tho flavor of that egg is mined.

NOTES BY "ORPINGTON."

Last week I .had the pleasure of attend- j ing the winter show at Pnlmeraton North, j and the exhibits all through were very f fine. I was particularly interested in tlie. poultry classes. The quality and numbersof exhibits were muck better than those at the- two previous shows. What has caused this is, I think, the amalgamation, 'of the Manawatu Poultry Society with the. A. and P. Association. AH the classes, were well filled, especially the championship section. The competition was verykeen all through, and in, several instances, the judges found it very -hard to give decisions. Our local breeders wexe well and. creditably Tepresented. The specimens, sent by Messrs Biltcliff, Ekdahl and Bateman gained honors worthy of mention, in. fact those of the first-named gentleman, were very much admired by Game breeders, so much 6O that two of his winning: birds were claimed at a substantial figure. Mr Biltcliff's Game birds I have Teferred j to quit© recently in these columns, and do- 1 not call for further comment. With four 1 j entries this breeder swred two firsts, onesecond, and one third. Mr Ekdahl was i represented with a pair of White Rocks, | and scored second in tho male class against- ji an imparted bird, which speaks well for- >' its quality. This fancier also scored a|j second in tho Indian Runner drake class i of 22 entries. Mr liateman's fancy is. jj White VVyandottes, and his wins were. • very meritorious — first in cockerels (1.6 en- ({ tries), third 11 in cock (nine entries), and ,j second in pullet (19 entries). Th<> cockerel H is a true colore-1 typical Wyandotle, and. jj would have won the special prize in this, li section but for one small defect in the leg,, jj which can Ihj remedied with a little caTe. > The North Island championship classes* I were Brown Leghorns, Aylesbury Ducks,. J Magpie Pigeons, and Norwich Crested | Canaries. The winning Br-own Leghorn. | was of true t.ype, but failed in undercolor, and was owned by Mr M ontgomerie. With tho Aylesbiirys the. competition- warn not very keen, Mr Sowman, of Blenheim having an easy win. Passing to the-* pigeons the Magpie class was one of the- ■ finest ever exhibited at a. show in New , Zealand ; in fact the judge (Mr Fraser, of Christehurcli) said there was not. a pooispecimen in the lot. Mr Grcenside. won. the covetod honor with a. good specimen,, while Mr John Hurle, of New Plymouth, was a good runner-up. The well-known breeder, Afr Watson, of Wanganui, had an. ■ easy win in canary championship class. On the socond evening of the show v* mooting of fancieTs was held m the new hall, and after «, few remarks had been, passed by the judges, a- general discussion took place on matters of interest, to> the fancy. A lot of useful hints were- 1 thrown out, the most important, being the- j formation of specialty clubs, and there* is not the slightest doubt this colony will demand a standard to.be -adhered to by judges,^ for it is apparent that breeders, now liftvu to pander to the personal fancies of judges. ®

THE BREEDING SEASON.

Tlip majority of poultry bmeders will ; shortly ha.vc -their birds mated a.nd cun- > fortably settled down for anntlwr sea:-;on'. but llieire. are few who, through, var'mis fuiujes, some of which aTe, perhaps, un- ' avoidable,' caimol get their birds 'together early, a/nd are therefore anxious as to tho amount of success which will attendlate mating. They need not, however, worry oni this score, providing they buy some young ones just, coming on to lay, ,-ui<l have not yet been muted. . If Iliey do this they will bo able to have some* broods ,of chickens out by tho end of September, which time is quite early enough for general purposes, and those who have beeai prevented from starting a fresh pen, or pens?, need not put it off until next season. There is "time yet, too, for mating birds for producing winter layers, especially if the stock is from a good-laying strain and mated right. Birds that are. out in September generally make the be6t. winter layers, aaid this also is tho principal month of hatching exhibition birds ; in> fact, more pnusc-winners are bred in September than any otheT month, for it is ar.osfc' favorable for vigorous growth, and especially for light breeds." Cochins, Ijrahiims, and Dorkings for exhibition, however, should bo hatched earlier, a*, they do nob grow so fast. A word of warning may be given here, and that is, look well after the rwks directly after the birds arc mated, and6ce that the mule birds arc as active as. they ought to be . Replace the laggard «t once, for an inactive: cock means unfertile eggs, .and, if allowed his run for i sunic weeks, often causes an iiusucccboful season. Therefore, weed 'out tho inactive male birds early. Anotlier point Iwnuld emphasise is the- use of a pure cock when ordinary slock birds are kept, for if a half-bied or mongrel cock is mated to | such birds the stock deteriorates, and at last, does not pay for the, food consumed, .U>t anlmw give a profit. The difference is particularly apparent in the autumn and winter months, when- so few eg»js are obtained consequence upon lack of stamina and the fact that, pullets from mongrel cocks invariably lay six weeks to twomonths later than those bred by a purebrod cock.