POULTRY LORE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 955, 20 June 1890, Page 18

POULTRY LORE.

POULTRY-BREEDING FOR TABLE AND MARKET. Those who interest themselves in raising poultry, cither f<»r t-hrir o» u tables or mar. k t purpose , should t-y, if they hive not already don- so, ti e influence of a cross with the ludiao Game. A o ok oE this breed will improve the table qualities of almost, if not quite, every other breed of poultry, whether dm re bred or niou. rel. His influence upon the ordinary denizens of a farmyard m immense, and even slid better results may be depende 1 o ■ waen a wellbred fnd : an Game i-J used to cross with other suitable varieties of pure b *d poultry. Where line, hsavilv-fleshed market fowls are desired, tho Dorking, Plymouth Rock, or Dark Brahma hens will be found most suitable to mate with him ; to each and all he gives hit massive breast development and the high quality of his flash. Perhaps nothing suits him better as a tabicfowl breeder than the Dorking when the situation is suitable ; like him, it hi- a - aptitude for laying on- flesh, ami *■ j> am *, well-formed breast ; but in dam-', i -w lying situations the chi ikens are apt to show a wevkae-# <<f ooustffu'i >n inherited from V.eir Dorkbig parent, an 1 Do king hens a* a rule do not lay so freely in the cold months r.f the year as do some other b eeds, h mos the difficultv • f securing early apiim* chickens (the moat profitable plan of market poultry rearing) Dorking hens are relied on. The Plymouth Rock and the Dark Brahma both lay and sit through the winter months, and both readily lend their naturally rather gaunt breasts to the wealth of flesh a cross with the Indian Game disposes on them ; their chickens are also much hardier and the : crossbred ones grow apace ; the Brahma has the advantago somewhat in size, and in the quality of i(ia.flesh, and weiF? ft? much sr<?wb!e

taken for a few generations to breed them with little or no leg-feathering, as has been taken to give thorn an excess of it, few would suipass them for the purpose of rearing early spring chickens as before suggested ; while the progeny of any of the three named and bred as sugested, when full grown and feathered, would be difficult indeed to beat as table poultry.—Gazette. BLUE ANDALUSIAN FOWLS. The Andalusian breed belongs to the Mediterranean division of fows, whioh also ioclu les ths Spanish. Minorcas, and Leghorns. There is a traaitioa in England that the first Andalusians in that country wore imported from Spain in 1851. Whatever may be the facts in regard to this, it is certain that they have been crossed with other breeds subsequently to the date given. In fact, many ianciers are of the opinion that the Andalusians were ‘made up ’ by crossing black and white Minorcas or black Spanish with a possible dash of Dominique Leghorns, But the Andalusian has become recognised as a distinct and well-established breed. Ihe fowls present a unique combination of the true Spanish form with a colour rarely seen in other pure breeds. In size, form, and general appearance, except tho colours of the plumage, beak, and legs, the Andalusians strongly resemble the Minorcas. Like them the comb is single, rather large, deeply serrated, upright on the male and drooping to one side on the females. Tho face is bright red, showing but little above the eyes ; earlobes white. The beak, shanks, and toes are slaty blue. The general colour of the plumage in both sexes is slaty bine, the featlmrs on the breast being finely faced with a darker shade, and the hackles, saddles, wing-coverts, and sickle feathers of the male very dark blue, approaching to black. Andalm-iau hens are very prolific layers of large, smooth, white eg s. They are very little given to sitting, and when one becomes broody and is given a nestful of eggs, she is quite likely to change her mind in a few days, leaving her charge in a condition .which is-neither eggs nor chickens. But when one perseveres to the end and brings off her brood she makes an excellent mother, though she is quite likely to resume laying regularly while tho chicks are still following her. They soon become accustomed to it, and wait curiouslv and patiently until the egg is deposited and the spasm of cackling subsides into the maternal cluck, when they run to the sheltering wings, or follow the hen as if nothing unusual had happened. The Andalusians are interesting to the fancier for their beauty and peculiarities of colour, and to the practical poultry-keeper for their vigour, laying qualities, aud early maturity. Like ad Mediterranean breeds with large single combs, they require protec. tion from extreme cold; The chicks are very precocious feathering out while very young. The little cockerels begin to crow at an age when those of most other breeds are still in the down. They are also very pugnacious, although their iufantile disputes rarely end in very serious bloodshed. As broilersthey are unsurpassed. They are fit for the gridiron at an earlier age than many Asiatic breeds, and the flesh has a delicate, gamey flavour. The Andalusians are peculiarly, well-adapted to the Southern States, but - will aso suco-el well in the North with proper care and winter protec. tion. PROTECT YOUR POULTRY. Wash the roosts occa-donally with kerosene or erode oil. This prevents the accumulation of ! ice in the poultry-houses, aucl the fumes of this pungent oil penetrate into every crack and permeate the feathers of the fowls at night, thus protecting them, ( to a great extent, from the ravages of their insect enemies.