Untitled

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1847, 31 July 1907, Page 51

(By “Fancier.”) During the progress of the dinner held in connection with the recent show of the South Wairarapa Poultry, Pigeon, and Cage Bird Association, at Carterton, a suggestion was made by a gentleman present that an egg-laying competition was needed in that portion of the North Island. This suggestion is a very sensible one, which should be noted by all poultry societies in the 'Wellington province, with a view.-to combining in carrying out. the formation of an egg-laying association. The project is rather large for any one society to attempt, as it requires a large amount of capital. There appears i o be no reason why an egg-laying contest should not be commenced in the area stated alone, and such a competition would go a long way in helping to foster now one of the most important industries in the dominion. If all the poultry societies in the Wellington province took a hand in the matter, much enthusiasm would prevail, and as almost every town would be interested, the contest would no doubt pay handsomely. At Cambridge a competition testing the egg-production capabilities of the hen is in progress, but it is rather far north to be of much interest to breeders in this portion of the North Island. To create any enthusiasm in a contest of this nature, it must be closeat hand, while the freight to a distant place such as Cambridge or Christchurch, would have an unwelcome effect on the' entries. By the poultry societies combining, each one would be in a position to act as organisers in their respective towns, which would have more influence than if the carrying out of the scheme were controlled by one body. These competitions helt) to build up laving strains, which is the key to profit in the industry. It should be our ’desire to boom the poultry industry as much as possible with faces and figures, X egg-laying contests are the organisations that help to do this-.

This country has many people who have taken up poultry-keeping in the wrong way, and after having disposed of their cash, sell the barn-doors and then argue that poultry-keeping does, not pay. The writer has heard of a case of this kind in the Wairarapa, where a gentleman was investing a large amount A money in stocking a poultry farm. At that period his friends came along and “couldn’t "see what there was in cne poultry business to warrant him putting so much capital into the venture.”' Now it so Happened that the gentleman who was embarking in the poultry industry knew the (justness, while the others did not, so lie went on with his intentions, with the result mat to-day he is reaping a. fair margin A profit from the wont of his fowls. People who have developed the erroneous idea that poultry uo not pay are doing the industry much harm, if they were to pause a little and study what they intend to utter, much less would jo said.

Many farmers do not recognise the most elementary principle,? oi success m poultry-breeding —that a. few good airds pay better than a good many second-raters. On the same pian a large number of good birds properiy distributed over a farm pay very well.

For egg-production you must have good lasers, me uest type of noii-siiiers, and product rs of the largest number of e>jgs of good average size. oe-,eu-e sending tne product of tne hen to -market tmey should be graded. The equality of size and similanty of colour a; a basKefc or crate of eggs make ail me dinerenco in tneir value. A mixed jt of eggs, of all shapes, sizes and colours, uy-es not present as iiign-ciass appearance as does a carefully graded election, be they white, brown, or •anted. An exceptionally busy season is being experienced at tne new Government grading depot at Auckland. Seme - ; r..y .iozen eggs v.eie graded during the week ending June 29, while there was a fur„a.r umreasc tne following week. Eggs are coming forward very freely for this . .16 of tite year, and the supplies.- of poultry are good, there being a plentiful demand for the birds. A wager was recently made by a farmer residing in the district of Brigg, i. at lie nu.i a couple of liens weighing n-/er 221 b the pair. The birds (liens) on „-cmg placed m the scales were found ,o weigh 22 lb 14oz. At Brown Hill, Ashing ton (England), are kept three ducks w inch, for a con-Siueru-ij tune, imu three eggs daily. ,e eggs were removed every morn mg, and ifcc.ntiy the owner found tiir.fc the tni-ee Uucks had laid live eggs m tne oddity-four hours. The English market is to be protected against foreign importations of eggs. Adi joiv-.pi Bgjja ..re •to ue ilia men, as frequently it is found mat uiey are placed j rt tuners as’ no mo laid. The Black Leghorn is becoming quite a popular fowl m England, and a warm CXEU LfcEhl i.S Oil 111 LJlc ilOii!6 pOUitiy 6 co ns superiority over tne ~ yaudotte. Mr t ook, the originator of the Urpmgeon variety oi\lowis, always liked a spangled fowl, and after c-xg.it years work produced the opaugicd orpin gron, jictfd. i>arjc Dorking cocks were mated to Barred Plymouth Rock liens. Tins cross gave punets of great size, out almost black, with very little white'in me.n, and just a littie brown in the breast. These pullets were mated to Anver Spangled Hamburg cocks for ..nape and laying qualities. Tor some time the cocnereis came of a drab colour, but eventually this was obliterated, raid they now breed very true. .in rose comb lias not become very popular, all the demand being for the single comb. The plumage is i\ beetle green, with edges of feathers tipped with white. They are great layers,'and very haidy, people being pleased with them.

EGG-LAYING COMPETITION. WESTERN AUSTRALIA HOLDS WORLD'S RECORD. Mr W. C. Grasby, in the “Western Mail” of July 6th, writes as follows of egg-laying competitions and the history of these in the Australasian States:— ' Poultry owes a great deal to 1 the fancier. It owes much of its beauty, its variety, its markings, and its colours. It also owes much of its frequent lack of constitution, and its comparative uselessness. Admitting at once the value of the work of the fancier, hut ako his tendency to breed out the usefulness of any breed in favour of fancy points, the utility poultry man hit upon the idea of holding laying competitions to test the actual laying capabilities of the various The results have been a series of surprises, and have taught many things, some of which may be stated.

Egg-production is a matter more of individual characteristics, family, or strain than of the breed. The old idea, about egg breeds and table breeds which the poultry writer and lecturer of only five or six years ago, used to rattle off like a child its multiplication table has exploded, and is heard no longer among men who have studied competition results. Until .last Sunday, June 30th, 1907, the despised Langshan held the record with 1481 eggs from six birds in twelve months. These were not show Langshans, and would be laughed at in a poultry show; but the utility man looks upon poultry in the light of the maxim, “Handsome is, as handsome does.” The Subiaco competition has enabled Mr Williams' “Sunnyhurßt” White Leghorns to beat the world with

a record orf 1494 eggs, from six birds in the year; but has fallen short of the breeder’s ambition to touch the 1500 mark. Oh, why did noi each of those birds lay just one egg more, and show an average of 250 per bird. This leads up to the second great fact taught by competitors that egg production is largely a matter of feeding. We must have the strain, i.c., the brains of the utility breeder exhibited in hie working intelligently and ca<refully along well defined lines of selection, and mating to’ produce the egglaying capacity; and then we must have the brains of the feeder and caretaker working equally intelligently to make the birds work up to the capacity bred into them by the breeder. The vast importance of this fact is seen when we remember that while the breeder can and will honestly supply birds of the urine breeding as those lie puts into competition pens, he has no control, and is in no way responsible for the buyer’s neglect, lack ct knowledge, or too great care.

les, cne may coddle his fowls into unprofitable laziness almost as easily as starve thorn. Those who organise laying competitions are actuated by «. desire to advance the poultry industry (o shew what poultry will do, and to show them how. Well, if big records are wanted we must remember that we must not only have the brains of the breeder, but also’ ever bear in mind that within certain limits, the brains of tne owner will make the record. THE HISTORY OF COMPETITION IN AUSTRALIA. Egg-laying competitions in Australia originated in a challenge by Air W. F. Even den after a controversy in the “Sydney Daily Telegraph” in regard to the laying of various breeds of birds. The first was begun at Hawkesbury on April let, 1902, with 38 pens. The winning pen were R.C. White Leghorns, and they laid 1113 eggs, or an average of 135£ per bird. Tlia following year 70 pens were entered, and this time Silver Wyandottes ciii’e first with 1303 eggs. That same year, on the suggestion of Mr H. M. Pugh, backed up by Messrs Marshall and W. C. Grasby, .a competition was started in South Australia. Twentysix pens entered, but the winning Silver Wyandotte'S only scored 1032 eggs. From this low performance, South Austwvian birds have worked up to’ top place. The third Hawkesbury trial, 1904-5, had 100 pens, and was won by Silver Wyandottes, with 1224. In the same season the second South Australian competition resulted in White Leghorns winning with 1251; and the first Decide College Competition enabled Die V; lute Leghorns to put up a record of 1313. At the same time, the “Australian lien” organised a duck competuioii. when a pen of six Buff Orpington ducks put up a world’s record of 1326 eggs. Tl>o following year, 1905-6, quite a number of competitions were held, the record of the year being taken By Black Orpingtons, at Rockdale, with 1461 eggs, or an average of four eggs per day from six liens. In the 1906-7 competitions at Hawkesbury, Langs ha ns made a record of 1431, and Leghorns 1437. At Reekdale, YY kite Leghorns were top with 1473 and White Wyandottes next with 1444. At Gatton, Queensland, Whit© Leghorns led with. 1480, only one behind the record. At the Ryde Competition, Black Orpingtons led with 1332. At Narrogin, Brown Leghorns won with 1230. It is not necesairy to say more to enable the reader to fully appreciate our Sunnyhiust magnificent record at Subiaco, and at the same time illustrate the points I have tried to emphasise about the importance of breeding rather than breed. The Subiaco Competition was organised by the Western Australian Department of Agriculture, and was carried out under the management of Mr G. Allman. That he has put up a world’s record is sufficient testimony of his care and attention. Incidentally it must also be said that there is little doubt but that the climate and soil conditions at Subiaco had something to do with the results; or if they did' not actually promote the laying .they did not retard it, and this is evidence of the suitability of Western Australia for poultry.

BUFF ORPINGTONS. The following is a comparison of J:he standards of previous years, and 1907 : 1905. Colour (35 points)—Clear, sound, even buff throughout to skin. Skin and flesh fine and white. ’ Type (20 points)—Same as black Orpingtons, deep, short, broad, and cobby in body and short on leg, tail rather short and compact, the back should form a nice U shaped curve, carriage bold and upright. Head and comb (10 points)—Eye red or brown (red preferred), beak white or horn colour. Comb, face, ear-lobes and wattles bright red; comb small, neat, firmly set on head, evenly serrated and straight; wattles medium. Feet and Legs (15 points)—Legs short, straight, colour white, perfectly free from feathers, four toes on each foot, well spread out. Size (10 points) —Cockerels, 8 to 111bs; pullets, 6 to 91bs; old birds sometimes a little heavier. Condition (10 points). Rose comb buff Orpingtons same as single combs, except for rose comb, which should be small and neat; firmly set on head with good working, and a nice spike at back lying well down to head (not sticking up). Points for Judging. Colour 35 Typo 30 Feet and legs 15 Condition 10 Head and comb 10 Size ... _ 13 Disqualifications. Any deformity, trimming, or faking. 1907. Colour (25 points)--Clear, sound, even buff throughout to skin. Skin and flesh fine and white.

Type (25 points)—Deep, massive, broad and cobby in body, short on leg, breast deep and full, and well-carried forward, tail rather short and compact, back short and nice).; curved, saddle wide, carriage bold and upright. Head and Comb (15 points)—Eye red or brown (red preferred), beak Avhite or horn colour. Comb, face, ear-lobes and wattles bright red; comb small, neat, firmly set on head, evenly serrated and straight; wattles medium. Feet and Legs (10 points)—Legs short, straight, colour white, perfectly free from feathers, lour toes on each foot, straight and well set apart, toe nails white. Size (10 points)—Cockerels, 8 to lllbs; pullets 6 to 9lbs; old birds sometimes a little heavier. Condition (15 points). Rose comb and buff Orpingtons same as single comb, which should be small and neat, firmly set on head with good working, and a nice spike at the back laying well down to head (not sticking up). Both sexes should be of active habits. Points for Judging. Colour 25 Type 25 Condition 15 Head and comb 15 Feet and legs 10 Size 10 Defects —Any deformity, side spikes or comb, white on ear lobes, long legs, and feathers on legs. Disqualifications —Trimming or faking. POINTS ON INCUBATORS. Dr Richard M. Wood has prepared a bulletin for the Department of Agriculture at Washington, on “Incubation and Incubators,” a summary of which is given below: — Avoid smoke, study your incubator; do not overfill the tray; turn every egg the third day; cool the eggs every morning; test all eggs by the seventh day, again by the eleventh, and once more by the fifteenth day. Acquaint yourself with all its parts, and iearn how to clean and trim a lamp. Get the adjustment right and keep it so. Set it up carefully and according to instructions. Have a regular hour for incubator work. Do not tinker too much with the regulator. Keep the lamps full and the wick and tube clean. Be sure your hands are clean-- when handling eggs. Read the manufacturer’s directions for setting up. See that the eggs are clean and dry before setting them. Do not disturb the eggs after the evening of the eighteenth day. Set fertile eggs only. Waste no effort upon those that are doubtful. Balance all eg:gs, large end up, a few hours before placing them in the tray. Do not expect to learn all about the air cell the first hatch. You will learn that later. Heat your machine and make your adjustment before placing the eggs in the egg chamber. Never try to run an incubator in a drafty place, nor near a stove, nor where the sun shines upon it. If the air space is too large supply moisture; if too small, put a saucer of dry lime in the room, and run without moisture a day or two. OUR OLDEST POULTRY PAPER. The “New Zealand Poultry-Keeper,” the oldest poultry paper m the country, has reached the opening number of its eighth volume, and certainly by the merit and variety of its matter deserves continued life and success. The contents of the July number include reports of all the shows and meetings of the previous month, progressive tabular statements of the laying competitions in progress, articles and instructions on the pursuit of the poultry industry, lists of both North Island arid South Island societies with the names and addresses of their secretaries, and other kindred matter, the whole extending to 38 pages. At its subscription (3s 6d yearly, post free), the “New Zealand PoultryKeeper” is about as cheap a monthly budget of interesting matter to those engaged in the promotion of a great national industry as is obtainable anywhere in the world.