THE TYPE FOR EGGS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21247, 29 July 1932, Page 15

THE TYPE FOR EGGS

BREEDING FOR PROFIT " FANCY " AND UTILITY SECTIONS BY UTILITY Now that the two largest shows in Auckland are over, it seems well worth considering whether any useful purpose is served by including in the schedules the usual range of breeds in tho " fancy " section. Tho real question is whether tho advantages to tho industry itself outweigh the disadvantages, although it is just possible that some committee mem- j bers would subordinate this question to the immediate interest as to which would bring in most entries. From the point of view of the permanent advantage to the industry itself, however, such an aspect calls for no consideration. There is probably no differenco of opinion as to the distinct advantage to the industry in setting apart the fancy section for such breeds as Bantams, modern Games and Indian Games, and there seems no objection to Old English Games being regarded as belonging to the fancy section, oven though many breeders are beginning to value them for their utility qualities, not only for the table, but also as layers Fancy Types for Beginners There must be hundreds of breeders whose first inclination to keep poultry came into their minds when, as children, they admired the precocious little Game Bantams which strutted round their diminutive pen at a show, and a good many seniors are not ashamed to admit that their fancy was struck by the confident carriago of the lordly Gamo. This is all to the good, for it is only ono in a thousand who eventually confines his attention to tho breed which first took his fancy, the tendency being to spread his interest toward those breeds which will give him a more tangible return for his expenditure of money and labour. Where the danger arises, however, is in the undue emphasis placed on the possibility of there being such a thing as a " fancy " type in those breeds which are essentially utility breeds, such as Leghorns, Anconas, Minorcas, Orpingtons, Rocks, Wyaridottes, Light Sussex, and Rhode Island Reds. Those who can recall the exaggerated monstrosity that used to win in the so-called " fancy " section of Black Orpingtons about 15 years ago, will tremble to think of the harm that would have resulted if these had ever dropped to euch a price as to become general throughout the Dominion. They always won, for under the accepted usage of the times, there was nothing to approach thera anywhere, although they wero almost useless as producers. Tho Utility Standard

Fortunately, the situation was saved by the long-continued efforts of, the New Zealand Poultry Association to evolve a recognised standard for all utility breeds, and this culminated in a conference between the Government poultry instructors and the various associations during the last year of the' war. As it happened, uot many. changes from the English poultry standards were found desirable, except to emphasise a few practical points that the results in the egg-laying competitions suggested, but it became very clear that most of the erratic judging at the shows did not arise from faulty standards, but from a wrong application of those standards. The widespread use of the newly-pub-lished standard ought to have sounded the death-knell of all the exaggerations like the Black Orpingtons mentioned, but even now there are occasionally seen, other breeds developed to a type which could not possibly prove of utility value. It is true that they are exhibited in the " fancy " section, and would not have a hope, or ought not to have a hope, in the utility section. The trouble is, however, that inexperienced breeders are always apt to be misled by a nice-looking bird which wins a prize, even if it is in the fancy section, and it is nobody's business to warn these people that they are only looking for trouble if they bring one of this type into their yard. The Main Weakness \ It must be admitted that, except in Black Minorcas, there is no longer a tendency for the purely fancy breeders to vie with each other in producing the Heshy comb, as weli as the elongated lobes and wattles, that brought about the downfall of the Black Spanish breed which was once so popular. Comb and wattles are sometimes on the big side iD White Leghorns, but it is usually the profuse feathering that is at fault, in contrast with the " tight and dense" plumage which is so strongly emphasised in the standard for the utility breeds. The New Zealand Poultry Association is at present engaged in a great attempt to put the industry on a sound, footing. The main points in their scheme of organisation have been explained in this column but it would be very regrettable if their efforts to obtain better returns for the producers, while giving the consumers a more reliable service, were to be checkmated by the unconscious spreading throughout the Dominion of a type of utility breeds which cannot possibly give the same returns to the producer as the type that conforms to the recognised and official standard.

INCUBATION PROCESS SELECTION OF THE EGGS In an article in the Adelaide Chronicle Mr. D. F. Laurie, a former Government poultry expert, says:— " It is stated that a great many pullets' eggs are used for incubation; in many cases the pullets are well under a year old. This, if continued, will lead to much deterioration in all directions. Immature stock should not be bred from. Obviously few breeders can single test more than enough liens for a breeding pen. They should at least keep the birds going for at least 12 months after they 6tart laying so as to test egg size, freedom from broodincss and other undesirable features. During recent years there have been many cases where the chickens purchased were puny and never grew satisfactorily. '' Buyers would do well to insist upon this point—no pullet-egg chickens. In the matter of size not enough has been done. Because a 2oz. egg is standard one must not conclude that a pullet from a 2oz. egg will lay eggs of that weight. The tendency is always toward a mean. Therefore, select eggs for hatching not under two and one-eighth ounces and over. Some may not be able to do so—well, warnings have been fairly often. The whole outlook depends on the overseas export trade. " Beginners should reject all misshapen, rough-shelled, or eggs which look spotted by transmitted light. Many breeders make a habit of testing the eggs before placing them in the egg trays. Many eggs appear to have spotted or blotched shells. If a few of these are loft in the machine and marked for experiment, most of them will be infertile, "and those that seem fertile seldom hatch. Many such eggs show very marked shrinkage of tho contents—starting as a large air cell. "Very large eggs may not hatch unless in a machine set aside for such eggs, because in most incubators they get more heat—they are nearer to the heat, and bo are subjected to a temperature at least one degreo higher. No harm results from washing eggs before incubation —the shells, however, should be wiped dry. Filth op egg-shells may include bacteria, which will multiply in the moist heat and cause the death of many embryos." '