POULTRY NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 209, 2 August 1935, Page 11

POULTRY NOTES

' (By “Brooder.”) I he following figures show what the different breeds are doing in England. hson’s are a recognised trial and the figures everywhere are accejited as authentic and dependable. In the leading jiens we find White Wyandottes with a total of 1453 eggs realising a value of £7 13s Id; Rhode Island Reds, 1487 eggs, value £7 9s; White Leghorns, 1443 eggs, value £7 Is 9d, and Light Sussex, 1423 eggs, value £7 7s lid. It will be seen that there is a wU ma rgin in the totals, with White Wyandottes. still a very popular type in England. What is perhaps most astonishing is the fine record of the V bite Sussex, a breed only recognised in New Zealand because of its usefulness as a table bird. In England it surely is now a leader as an egg producer and as a table bird. Rhode Island Reds, it will be noted, lead in e SK total, dropping a little in the value thereof, presumably because of the size of the egg, a weakness which in New Zealand know something about. The figures are interesting and a good guide to how things are going at Home.

At ill the extremely cold conditions obtaining at present adversely affect breeding operations? This is a vital concern for the early chick producer. It may, and no doubt it-will, in a good many cases; in others, tlie effect may be so negligible as to be hardly noticeable. Of course, we must remember that always tlie very early hatches rarely show more than a fair percentage of eggs hatched, and it is not until August that high percentages are expected. But there are cases where the first hatches give exceedingly gratifying results, and are usually found where breeding birds are in top notch condition, with ideal surroundings amid which they can develop and later give of their best. Moreover, success is often achieved mostly by those who fully understand the work they have in hand. With such, there is no guess work; they do not hope that their birds are ready for the work they have to do. They see that they look fit and also that they are given every chance to be all that is expected of them. Such birds are rarely found, for instance, in an overcrowded house and later turned out into a muddy pen. Housed in comfortable quarters on wet days they have deep, clean Utter in which they delight to scratch for food. When weather permits they are turned out on to a fresh green sward and it is here roaming around that they find something better than is found in any meat meal. Perhaps the aforegoing short sketch is the ideal ; it is meant to bo so, for it is in the ideal location that we find tho best birds. To get early chicks, something out of the ordinary is expected, otherwise most attempts are failures.

“It has been stated, upon what authority we are unaware, that tlie bird which attains the highest speed when in flight is the spine-tailed swift of Asia, which has been known lo reach 220 miles per hour. Who paced it? We wonder,” says Cage Birds. The novice canary breeder must never lose sight of the fact that the male parent bird can l>e almost useful as the lien in rearing nestlings, and it is well to introduce him by definite stages. A. W. Tunesi is quite sure about this, it being his practice to let tin' male bird in each evening, allowing him to remain from 5 to 30 minutes from flic second to the seventh day. Should the bird lxicoine aggressive, he says, no particular alarm need be felt, as usually the apparent pugnacity disappears after a time when ho shows a desire to feed the young—probably the hen bird makes this necessity known to him. However, keep an eye on “father” before leaving him altogether in the cage of the family. Make sure that all is going well.

Usually lien canaries, if normal, will want to nest again about the sixteenth to fho twentieth day from the first hatch. Hence, it is best lo remove the first chicks when fourteen days old. These can bo placed in a shallow] tray in a corner of tlie cage. If this is not done early enough, the probability is that more eggs will be laid among the youngsters w'itli consequent loss. English papers speak of heavv mortality among the budgerigar breeds during the season just past, it being largely attributed to very cold conditions. On tho other hand, there are those who sav that, no matter how cold it is, if the birds are healthy and want to mate let them; the results should be satisfactory. Breeding operations with budgerigars have begun locally and reports have it that the cold weather is not hindering breeders in the least. Four hundred budgerigars had to IX3 liberated by a fancier in England in 1914. There were no cereals available —the war was on. But times have improved; now this man has a CO feet by 40 feet flying cage in which there is harmony at all times. His mating difficulties are few, for rarely do the same birds mate again once they have been separated and placed in small cages for a. time. In this large flying enclosure the birds do much better, for thev are nearer to Nature’s way. There is no fighting among the nesting liens. The flight of the budgerigar, says this fancier, is quick and glanc_ ing like the swallow, and the whirr of their wings sounds incredibly loud. This breeder is for ever finished with the small enclosed pen.

EGG-LAYING

MASSEY COLLEGE CONTEST.

The following aro the eighteenth week’s results for tho fifth annual ogg-laying contest conducted at Massey Agricultural Col lege, Palmerston North:— SINGLE PENS. Section B.

T. Dowthwaitc, B.O 3 6 103 1 6 95 E. Ilanson, B.O 5 83 Mrs D. M. NVaddcII, L.S. . 6 82 W. A. I,arson, B.O 1 6 81 V. .1. Billitigton, B.O 6 70 W. A. I.nrscn, B.O 2 6 66 Miss E. T. Senior, R.I.R. . 2 0 49 1 0 45 T. Dowthwaitc, B.O 2 6 60 K. Mouldcv, R.I.R 2 49 Miss E. T. Somcr, R.I.R. . 1 0 45 F. Seymour, B.O 0 28 Section A. H. Poison, W.L 2 6 99 Whcmiapai P.F., W.L 6 94 It. Moreland. W.L 5 93 J. T. Hazelwood, W.L 2 6 92 II. Poison, W.L 1 5 89 A. J. Dndson, W.L 5 85 A. 0. Mumbv, W.L 2 5 85 1 4 84 F. Lang, Anc * 2 5 80 A. J. Dnvov, W.L 2 5 79 ,J. A. Annan, W.L 6 78 .1 'I'. Hazelwood. W.L. . 1 5 74 Miss E. Ladd. W.L 6 70r E. B. Wainscott. W.L 4 70 .J. Reilly. W.I 5 67 F. Lang. Anc 1 4 65 Enterv Bros., W.L 2 0 63 II. Poison, W.L 3 b 63 A. G. Mumbv, W.L 4 5 58 3 2 49 A. J. Davey, W.L 1 5 41 Emery Bros., W.L 1 5 28 TEAM RESULTS. Section D. R II. Morrison. B.O. 73 85 83 75 39 64 (26) -469 Mrs R. Willors B.O. 93 67 75 57 78 66 (29) —436 .1. B. Duthic, R I.R. 43 75 93 67 56 CO o (22) -402 F A. Dewhurst, R.I.R. 86 49 81 76 55 55 1231 -402

M. L. Boyce, B.O. (16)-382 94 31 r 87 44 79 G. A. Edge, U.l.Il. 47 52 41 46 80 64 Mrs N. H. Short, B.O. 66 (24)—349 54 27 51 54r 80 W. A. Larsen, B.O. 69 (19)—335 62 26 78 41 35 A. Wood, Lanfr. 53 (26)—295 54 36r 62 39 60 W. E. Jones, R.l.R. 30 (19)—281 26 48 45 16 43 Section O. Mrs M. L. Williams, W.L. 39 (24)—217 61 46 91 51 77 S. D. Morris, W.L. 83 (15)—414 65 52 66 92 89 A. J. Davey. W.L. 47 (26)—411 57 91 54 83 67 M. Stephenson, W.L. 56 (26)—408 59 75 41r 86 81 II. A. Lucas, W.L. 66 (29)—408 74 63 68 79 51 E. B. Wainscott, W.L. 31 (231—366 48 62 66 42 88 Miss 11. Keddell, W.L. 55 (23)—361 45 91 31 59 36 J. T. Hazelwood, W.L. 84 (221—346 88 81 50r 26 40 35 (12J—318 H. Poison, i\o. 2, W.L. 70 76 43 74 25 C. J. Hubbard, Ho. 1, W.L. 18 (25)—306 62 24 54 47 68 Miss Moreslicad, W.L. 44 (221—299 8 30 89 72 84 C. J. Hubbard, Ho. 2. W.L. 12 (26)—295 , 61 100 33 19 36 J. Graham, W.L. 40 (24)—289 80 25 .29 53 23 Mrs B. R. Cannon. W.L. 56 (19)—266 31 4 29 45 44 32r H. Poison, Ho. 1, W.L. (20)—1S5 20 9 26 28 35 *V—Replacement. 54 (8)—172