POULTRY INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20827, 20 March 1931, Page 18

POULTRY INDUSTRY.

HEAVY EGG PRODUCTION. RESULTS OF THE COMPETITION.

BY UTILITY.

The egg-laying competition at Mount Albert, where the annual 50-week test concluded on March 8, again demonstrated the practical advantage of individually testing 'fowls and ducks, for the average egg production has greatly increased since the first tesc was conducted in New Zealand in 1903, following the interesting results obtained from tests by the ITawkesbury College in New South Wales. This is exactly in line with the increfised milk production which has been gained by individual cow-testing. Year by year the recognised standard is being raised, and in these days no breeder would keep birds that would have been deemed quite good during the early years of the centurv.

It is only about ten years since a famous English br6edcr and poultry judge informed a large audience in Auckland that there was no such thing as a 200-egg strain, and that any individual birds that did happen to lay such a great number were merely freaks. With the limited experience then gained in England, where egg-laying competitions were slow in developing, compared with Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States, it probably looked as if these birds were freaks, but the competition which has just closed at Mount Albert—where in several teams of four birds each laid well over 200 eggs—seems to suggest that in a very little "while we shall be able to talk about a 250 egg strain. In ducks a 300egg strain does not seem to be far away. Raising the Standard. While there is not a regular increase in production each year, it may certainly be noted with satisfaction that the top White Leghorn in the single-hen test laid 279 eggs, against 274 last year and 272 in 1929, while the highest auck total in any team, 342 eggs, has only been exceeded twice in tho whole series of twelve annual competitions at Mount Albert. It is certainly most encouraging to those who havo so studied breeding that of the 52 ducks competing there were no less than 13 which laid 300 eggs or over. In the previous twelve competitions 53 ducks had similarly qualifiod, thus suggesting that 300 eggs from a duck do not indicate a freak, but rather a successful development from a lower type. It is interesting to note the pronounced success of Whito Indian Runner and Khaki Campbell ducks in recent competitions, whereas only a few years ago tr.o Fawn and White Indian Runners were considered tlhe last word in Probal.lv tho deep green or blue tint in most strains of the latter breed caused more attention to bo given to the White Runners, of which many strains lay Dure white eggs, which the Khaki Campbells the the most'useful type of general-pur-pose ducks that has been evolvod. It is rather strange how fashions run in eggs. The aversion to duck eggs with a deep colour in tile shell has no warrant in actual fact, the flavour being the same as the pure white egg. The same feature exists over hen eggs. In the United States there is a decided preference for white, but in England there is an equally strong preference for brown. Size of Eggs. Competitors and the outside breeders will note with some dismay the large proportion of individual birds and teams disqualified for their eggs not reaching the standard weight, which is per dozen for hen eggs, and 260z. for duck eggs. Tho standard seems very low for ducks, for some of the best performers have laid eggs of an average weight of 30oz. to the dozen, while tho record number of eggs from a team averaged over 320z., which is over 2§oz. per egg. Only very rarely do duck eggs average under 270z.. or 2|oz. each, so it is unlikely that tho 260z. standard will over disqualify any ducks competing. In hens, however, it is quite a common thing for the eggs to average tinder the 240z. standard, or 2oz. per egg, and unfortunately these aro most frequently among those that lay the greatest number, as in the competition just closed. A good many people urge that small eggs should only handicap, and not disqualify, a bird in "the competition, just as small eggs are sold at a lower price, and the birds lose points in a show if they have defects, arguing that it is unfair to disqualify for short weight of eggs. At present this is a matter of opinion, largely influenced by the strenuous, but ineffective attempts to secure a large export trade to London. It would be unwise for anyone to positively condemn a strict qualification, which undoubtedly keeps up the high standard which New Zeaand strains have now reached. Selling Eggs by Weight.

Now that eggs aro being graded, and virtually sold by weight, the matter of size ceases to be quite so important, provided that size is only obtained at the expense of numbers, and that has not yet been proved, being only an inference from the fact that it is the high producers that usually fail in weight, whereas very rarely are the eggs short weight from those at the bottom of tho list.

If the grading is sufficiently exact, and the prices fixed accordingly, so that eggs are actually sold by weight, it is easy to see that a bird laying 270 eggs at 230z. to the dozen is more valuable to its owner than one laying 250 eggs that average the full 240z. However, it will take some time and a great deal of experimenting to prove whether there is any direct relation between an increase in number and a decrease in weight. In tho meantime the managers of the competitions are not. inclined to take any chances, as they think it safer to keep up the high standard now reached, in weight as well as in numbers.

The next competition starts on March 23, the intervening fortnight being occupied in returning the tested birds to their owners, thoroughly cleaning, the pens and plant, and receiving the birds for the new competition.