POULTRY NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10652, 13 May 1895, Page 2

POULTRY NOTES.

Tho Sawkeshury (New Souih Whales) Agricultural Collage has sent a trial shipaianf cf nonltry to London to tost the market arid tho best method cf packing so as to economies space. It may bo assumed that the question of tho suitableness of tho poultry for export will not be loot sight of. When, it may wall be asked, will' a similar shipment fee ssnt from Hew Zealand ? In selecting stock for the purpose of breeding table fowls euro should bo taken that tho breathe are long, deep and quite straight. Mr W r . Cook, iu tho cornea of a contribution to Poultry, nays taut if two or throe-year-old hens are bred from, they will proaaco much bigger birds than mulcts, and tha chickens will be healthy End grow quickly. If pure birds ara reemirad for the table tha best plan ia to have entira froah blood; then the chickens will grow much bigger. Thera are a great many moro people going in for tho Indian game-Borking cross, as they rvo considered tho best fowl for tho table. Mr Ccok’a experience is, if eight Indian game hens and a Hotidau cook, and eight Dorking _ hena a.ud an Indian game cost, are put in two separate vjsna and treated in just the e«.mo way, the pullets from tho Houdan Indian Game v/illlay a larger number of eggs, and tho cockerels will be ready for tho table at an earlier age than tho Indian Dame Dorking, though, ho does not say they will grow quite so heavy as the latter if kept for seven or eight mouths. Mr Cook considers the Houdan Gams one of the most profitable crosses to keep if feha owner is going in' for supplying the London markets early in the spring, and with. Indian Gama Dorking tho best to go iu for, if a person wishes to keep two different pens. They both plump well when asparagus chickens aro required, and grow quickly and feather well in the cold weather. The Houdan-Brahraa, HoudanPlymonth Book and Houdau-Orplngton era good crosses, and although some poultry keepers may smile at the idea of matingthere birds’for table purposes, they answer very well iu tho early spring. Anytaiv.gr crossed with the Brahma or Plymouth Eock always plumps up well in tho fattening- peno, and tha Surrey fattonors are always pleased to get any bird crossed with either of those breeds.