POULTRY NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 170, 19 June 1936, Page 16

POULTRY NOTES

BREEDING. (By “Brooder.”) Specialised breeding may lie for greater egg production, for better class table birds, or for more perfect show stock, but in every case the breeder should have in his mind a standard of perfection towards which, to breed if he is to make progress. Each bird in his breeding pens will then be picked accordingly. Faults in type can be corrected as a. rule in a very few generations, and egg production improved, too. Similarly, quality can quickly be lost by the mating of mixed types even within a breed. It is these facts that make poultry breeding of interest to so many. AA’e can very well afford to take this paragraph from Miss M. AA r . Stewart’s book as a reminder that as each breeding season comes along again we are to have an opportunity to improve. Too often is it just a question of so many hens and a. male bird to make the pen from which next year’s young stock are to evolve. Each individual bird should be examined closely; if any fall short of the standard required they should be rejected. “Like begets like, and this breeding axiom cannot be disregarded any more in the poultry breeding pen than it can in any sphere of reproduction. There are many people in the egg trade who argue that breeding for eggs is easy; also that breeding for exhibition stock, though a little more diflicut, can be, and is, practised with skill by many; but to do both at tlie same time is well-nigh impossible. Beauty and utility in tlie same bird can be evolved if care is taken in the breeding pen. How is it, one might ask, that coarseness in type, slackness in leather and general sluggishness of appearance are rarely found in a high egu producing bird? Are not these the opposite of real beauty? Somehow it seems, though, to experienced poultrymen, that the two, beauty and utility, are inseparable. AATio will deny that constitutional vigour is good to see? AA’lio will discount the value ot a full eve, and upright comb, of a rich red colour? AYlien general sturdiness in bone and sinew are added we are getting somewhere near the perfect combination. Let us make sure that our breeding birds are of the desirable type and there will be fewer complaints regarding the offspring. HINTS FOR THE BEGINNER.

In many instances only 50 or GO chicks are hatched from each 100 eggs set. The other 40 or 50 represent the iufertiles, dead germs, and dead in shell. Whilst it is not possible under artificial methods ol hatching to reduce materially the number of dead germs and dead in shell, it is easily possible to cut down the loss from infertile eggs. All- breeders should be trap-nested during the breeding season and the eggs marked according to the number of the bird. In marking the eggs it is customary to mark the thin end of the egg with the breed, number of bird, and the date on which the egg is laid. Thus 4 —14 means that Rhode Island Red No. 4 produced an egg on the 14th of the month. The thin end ql the egg is used for this purpose as it is left intact when hatching, and the marking can easily be noted. At testing time, usually about the seventh day of incubation, the results should be analysed and a record kept of each bird’s fertility. And birds giving consistently bad fertility should be removed from the breeding pen and replaced by others, otherwise valuable incubator space is being taken up and large numbers of eggs wasted. If this system were adopted the percentage hatch would be greatly improved. Each TOO eggs would then pro ha lily result in at least <0 chicks. Hatching bv means of an incubator is not a difficult matter, but to obtain the best results the person in charge must understand the broad principles of incubation as quite distinct ironi the simple instructions sent out with each ucnv machine by the nianufaeturers. The age and quality of the bleeding stock determine to a large extent the hatching result and also the rearability and profitability of the chicks. THE INCUBATOR ROOM. This should be substantially built and double walled so as to maintain a fairly even temperature within the building. It does not appear to be generally understood that cold alt carries very little moisture and this in itself is sufficient to cause an indifferent hatch. It is of little use throwing down buckets ol water undci each machine when the thermometer is registering only 40deg. to oOdeg. r . The best results are obtained where the temperature of the incubator room is in the region of 70deg. E., and this probably means that in the early part of the year, at any rate, a system ol hot water pipes is necessary. The practice of heating the incubator room by means of paraffin stoves is not recommended, as these remove a considerable amount of that vital element called oxygen. The removal of oxygen from the air denies the embryo chick that clement which is so essential Jor its proper development. Tor tins ieason too, the incubator room should be airv (have lots ol cubic capacity). \ stuffy room or one crowded out with machines should not bo tolerated.

egg laying. MASSEY COLLEGE COMPETITION. The following arc iiie twelfth week s icsulls of the sixth egg laying contest conducted at Massey Agricultural College, Palmerston North.

TO BE REVIVED. A meeting of the members of the New Zealand Orpington Club was held in the Breeders’ Club rooms at the Showgrounds on Wednesday evening, Mr J. Patterson (Wanganui) presiding. Others present were Messrs T. Luff, E. MePike, W. Hogg, J. Cooper, J. Elliot (Wanganui), H. McNeil (New Plymouth), G. C. Thornton (Hawke’s Bay), and J. T. Brice, junr (Palmerston North). An apology for absence was tendered on behalf of Mr J. H. Kissling. Mr Patterson expained that the

meeting had been called in order to try and revive the Orpington Club, whose activities had tended to die out in the past few years. r J he position was, should the club go back still further or again come into popularity? said the chairman. Mr W. Hall, strongly advocated the club’s coining into existence again, and said it would materially help in bringing the breed to the forefiont of the poultry section. Views similar to those of Mr Mail were expressed by Mr McNeil. After a short discussion it was unanimously decided that the Orpington Club should be revived, and the folowing officers were elected :—President, Mr J. Patterson, vice-presi-dents, Messrs H. McNeil, W. Hogg, and E. J. Pupwillo; secretary and treasurer, Mr J. Elliot; council,

Messrs T. Luff, C. MePike, J. Cooper, and H. Otto. A motion moved by the chairman and seconded by Mr Thornton, that rule (11) in the rule book be amendded to provide for three vice-presi-dents was carried. A motion was carried that the headquarters of the club lie at Wanganui. Mr Thornton moved that the years’ afflihation fee lie paid to the North .Island Association and that a letter expressing regret for the unpaid fees of the lost Few years he forwarded. This was carried.

SINGLE PENS. SECTION A. A. G. Alumby, W-L 1 5 63 P. Al. Smith, W.L 1 b 63 Miss 11. Keddcll W.L 2 b 60 2 d 59 Rangiunt Egg Ranch, W.L. 3 5 59 G. 1.0 .Woody, W'.L. » 58 Airs C. A. Stratford, W.L. ... 4 55 Alias 11. Kcddoll, W'.L 1 5 52 A A. Iloarc, W.L 2 4 48 A. G. Alumby, W'.L 4 5 46 ]*’. Ecob, W'.L 0 42 j. Reillv, W'.l 2 6 39 R. M. Smith, W'.L 2 5 39 Miss 10. Ladd, W'.L i 37 A A. Iloarc, W'.L 1 4 34 A. G. Alumby, W'.l 3 4 34 A. E. Salisbury. W'.L 0 6 33 .1. Reillv, W'.L 1 4 32 r G. L. W. Urquhart. W'.L. ... 5 32r A 10. Salisbury. W'.L 1 4 31 J. A. Annan, W'.L 0 29 M. Stephenson, W'.L 3 28 Aloreland Bros., W'.L 4 26 Rangiuru Egg Ranch, W'.L. . 1 5 23 10. B. W'ainscott, W.L 0 23 Mrs B. B. Andrews, W'.L. ... 5 22 Rangiuru Kgg Ranch, W.L. . 2 0 17 J. Alold, W'.L 4 13 A. 10. Salisbury, W'.L 2 0 13 II. Poison, W'.L 1 4 E. II.’ Paddy, Alin 0 3r C. H. Barker, W.L 1 0 0 2 0 0

SECTION B. 6 68 A. E. Salisbury, A.O 3 6 68 6 68 I'\ Scvmour, 13.0 6 65 Norman Ross, Ji.O. 6 64 .1. 11. Sutton, A.0 5 64 R. Feist, R.I.R 2 5 60 .1. Walker. A.0 6 59 T. Dowtlnvaitc, J3.0 1 5 57 A. E. Salisbury, A.0 1 5 54 W. A. Larsen, A.O 5 59 A. E Salisbury A.O 2 5 36 R. M. Smitli, B.O 0 35 R. Feist, R.I.R 1 5 29 Mrs Norman Ross. A.O 0 25 G. A. Edge. R.I.R 5 17 J. D. Rowlands, R.I.R 4 14 TEAMS RESULTS. Section C. (All W.L.) (16)—247 49 43 12 52 51 40 C. L. W. Urquliart— (23)—244 35 34 50 55 31 39 E. B. Wainscot t — (17)—237 43 26 21 38 58 46 Argylo Poultry Farm —• (8)—233 45 44 41 30 29 44 (24)—228 49 33 62 19 22 43 J. Graham — (19)—213 31 50 46 30 26 30 Cotswold Poultry Farm — (15)—178 22 28 48 57 0 23 S. D. Morris — (10)—176 25 18 21 43 18 51 (14)—174 19 23 13 51 26 42 M. Stephenson— (18)—144 2 50 36 13 25 18 Penrose Poultry Farm — (10)—143 28 28 2 25 35 25 E. W. Thompson— (3) —127 14 19 48 28 Or 18 D. M. Peek— (12)—121 3 9 57 1 7 44 (22)—119 16d 5 8 39 40 11 (7)—118 3 13 20 19 34 29 J. T. Hazelwood — (5)—106 25 17 3 13 11 37 Mrs G. E. Sewell — (8)—104 19 24 32 17 12 0 A. E. Salisbury— (8)—85 23 23 12 0 0 37 (6)—89 26 13 9 27 14 0 14 33 3 0 14 16 (8)—8U (6) —72 27 25 3 1 6 10 A. J. Hudson — (13)—59 16 17 0 6 15 5r Mrs B B. Andrews — (11)—35 5 10 10 3 7 Or SECTION D. Mrs D. M. Waddell, B.O. (32)—267 65 65 23 41 56 17 Cotswold Poultry Farm, A.U. (26)—257 61 31 66 26 56 17 (15)—225 45 59 4 16 53 48 J. B. Duthic. No. 1. 15.U. (21)—216 25 29 31 71 7 53 J B. Duthie. R.I.R. (22)--200 33 50 38 14 1 64 I 1 '. A. Dewlmrst, R.I.R. (19)—185 23 51 13 45 34 19 A. E. Salisbury, A.O. (9)—177 43 61 35 28 6 4r A. Thomson, A.O. (8)—154 59 30 11 4 27 25 J. B. Duthic. No. 2, B.O. 40 23 36 5 31 9 (5)—144 Mrs R. Willcrs. B.O. 27 0 35 36 38 0 (6)—136 Bliss Bros., R.I.R. 22 0 32 35 7 35 (16)—132 W. A. Larsen. A.O. 29 24 19 0 34 17 (25)—123 W. Fletcher, A.O. 1 16 23 4 26 17 (22)—87 1. J. Grose, B.O. 9 4 7 11 4 27 (11)—62 G. A. Edge, R.I.R. 0 12 21 11 8 (7)—52 “r" —Replacement. “tP ’ —Bird dead. ORPINGTON CLUB.