POULTRY AND PIGEON NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVII, Issue 11188, 9 February 1897, Page 6

POULTRY AND PIGEON NOTES.

[By Ovo in “ Canterbury Times.”] The Christchurch Pigeon Flying Club sent a [number of birds to Wellington on Thursday to fly a race from there to Christchurch. The race was to have taken place on Saturday, but, on account of the bad weather, the birds were not liberated until 9 a.m. on Monday, and some of them had not arrived home up till Tuesday evening. A number of those sent to Wellington for trainingpurposes a month ago are still missing. Several of the leading Victorian breeders of Indian Game have thought it a good plan to invite the special attention of the public to their particular breed in • the coming season. With that view a circular has been issued and copies sent to all Victorian breeders. It is suggested that special inducements should be offered to intercolonial breeders to bring forward their stock at a show to be selected in Victoria, and that the promoters of the present movement pay all entry fees connected with such exhibits. It is anticipated that great prominence would, by the idea suggested being carried out, be given to this popular breed of poultry. Fanciers interested (says the Australasian) in the production of hybrids will be pleased to learn that Mr John Eohertson has in his possession a pair of hybrids between a lyrebird and a common fowl. In colour they closely resemble’the lyrebird, and whilst they possess the hair-like feathers of that bird, the legs and feet are different from that of a domestic fowl, being finer and more delicate. In addition to the above differences they have the shyness of disposition peculiar to wild birds kept in captivity, and although the cock bird crows, its crow is entirely different from that of the common fowl. They came from the borders of a Gippsland forest. The peculiarities of these hybrids were discussed at a meeting of the Victorian Poultry and Kennel Club when it transpired that Mr D. C. Morpeth,

of Ascotvalc, is also in possession of two bens bred between a. lyrebird and a common hen. They wore obtained front the south coast of New South V\ ales, and it is stated that they were produced from Spanish hens by a male lyreoirth Prom the fact that they have rose combs, and in make and build resemble a Hamburg, there may be some mistake on that point, but they possess the peculiarities already referred to as to colour, formation of legs and feet, &c.

I The London Table Poultry Show last December, to which some reference was made last week, had entries of BS4 fowls, I 1 38 ducks, 102 geese, 54 turkeys, 16 guinea- ■ fowls and 40 pigeons, a total of 1250 ! specimens. The Field considered it “re- . markable that, although very valuable ; prizes, such as numerous cups and <£’2oo in ' money, were offered for English poultry, there* was a smaller number of English ■ exhibits than last year, in disproof of the ! statement that had been issued by the Poulterers’ Company that statistics had reached them that 3000 people who had never before thought of the subject had taken to poultry-rearing since the initiation of the special prizes presented at the Smithfield end Dairy Shows, whereas the French exhibitors, who had been asked to contribute for the first time, and were offered prizes and cups amounting to .£ls only in value, responded by sending no less than 165 entries, which includes over 350 birds.” The comments on the exhibition differed greatly in tone. The Feathered World says:—“ By comparison with the French exhibits the British birds looked gaunt and j bony; but this was owing largely to the fact ! that our home products were exhibited au I naturclj and not shaped up with the breast I bones broken, as were the French exhibits. In one particular—the extreme whiteness of their flesh—the foreigners made a marked contrast to the British birds, and by some this was considered objectionable, as | not quite to our insular taste. The I absolute evenness of the fatting of ■ the French fowls was most notice- ■ .able, and the entire absence of lumps : of fat in patches testified to the skill of their fattsrs. These patches of yellow fat i were but too evident on many otherwise i good British specimens. It is satisfactory i to know that our visitors were almost as j much surprised with the immense size of I some of the Indian Game Dorkings staged, i their weight, and amount of meat carried, ;as were wo at their display. The absence i of yellow legs from amongst the foreign exhibits was most marked. An interesting I entry in the section showed a goose after j undergoing the necessary confinement to < produce the celebrated pair, de foie gras, ! the liver being enlarged to an enormous | extent.” } The Stock-Keeper, after congratulating j the promoters on the success of the show, i says;—“lnteresting beyond all doubt as | the imnosing collection of French exhibits was, we venture to demur to the suggestion that it should bo accepted—beyond a certain point —as a valuable object lesson to British aviculturists. In our opinion, the practice of exhibiting the birds with i their breasts downwards is altogether an j indefensible one, as it prevents the public j from arriving at any sort of an idea as j regards the great question of crooked or | not crooked breasts, which is surely a most j vital point to be considered. Unfortu- ! nately, judges are not always so much I clown upon a crooked keel when they are j awarding prizes as they would be if they j were purchasing birds for their own table, i but we trust sincerely that they will be j more particular in the future. The great exj ception, however, that we took to the French [ exhibits as a collection was the overbnrdenI ing of their carcases by superfluous fat, as i we are perfectly convinced in our own > mind that the majority of British poultry i eaters would reject from their kitchens all • birds which were loaded by a superi abundance of adipose tissue. As an illusi tration of what can be done by scientific ■ feeding carried to its utmost limits upon : poultry of the highest quality, the show of i French fowls at the Agricultural Hall was, \ we admit, an altogether unapproachable ' affair so far as our insular experiences ! The following were some of the principal ’ sales at the show First prize, Langshau cockerels, .£1 15s; first prize, Indian Game Dorkings, £2 15s ; first prize, AylosburyBotien ducks, AI 5s ; first prize, Toulouse ■ Goose, All 13s ; first prize, Bmden-Toulouse goose, JJI 14s, prize Turkey cock, £6 os ; , second prize ditto =24 ; third ditto, A 3 12s; fourth, A 3 10s ; first prize, Turkey hen. A 3 12s Gd ; first prize, group of Turkeys, Al 3 ; first prize, group of geese, £2 14-s; first group of ducks, £2 Is: first prize. La Fleche cockerels, £2 3s; second prize, La Bresse, £1 7s; first prize La Fleche pullets, £2 18s ; second do, £2 2s. (The prizes : are per pair except where otherwise meui tioned.)