POULTRY NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 5199, 13 February 1904, Page 16

POULTRY NOTES

TURKEYS OX THE FARM. Xo farm is complete v.'ithiout a flock of turkey-:. These interesting birds are not only valuable to the farmer for the ivllolesomo food they furnish his own table, but when sold at prices usually prevailing to supply the enormous demand of cities and towns, they net more clear profit than almost any other product of thej farm. In view of this fact, it is dilfcult to understand why more attention on the part of agriculturists generally is not Riven to this remunerative side-line of farming. Coddling has developed strains of the recognised varieties of turkeys which have increased the care in raising them, but it is still possible to raise turkeys by letting them follow their own instincts and raise themselves. After they are about two weeks old, their watchful mother will prove the best custodian of tho fast-growing youngster's, loading them into the green pastures whore insects afford them food, and c tablishing their roosting place where they arc about as sale as they would be in a coop or poultry-house. "When the faithful old turkey with her _ family of fat gobblers and plump hens in the fall of tiro wear abandons the fields and joins tho other barnyard fowls in picking up the wasted grain about tlie barn, she has done her part, and generously paid for whatever effort may be made to take care of her through the winter. On most farms it tolls to the lot of the wonicn-folk to superintend the turkeyraising operations, as only an occasional farmer takes any interest in them. ft is, perhaps, beneath his dignity to trine with turkeys. His time and attention are given to the work of feeding cattle or pigs on which a handsome profit is expected. As a result, his wife. Jacking his cooperation in this particular line, has no facilities for raising turkeys, and believing that they require better accommodation and more care than she can give them, decides not to engage in the work. Many a farmer’s wife*, however, is not so easily thwarted in her endeavours tip pay the grew cry bills out of tho proceeds from tho co-called minor products of the farm, and, in spile of hindrances, succeeds in raising a goad crop of turkeys every year, ft is from this supply that same ot the largo-t and fattest gobblers are obtained for tho tables of city people. VARIOUS BREEDS. (By Frank Brown.) At one time Minorcas were called RedFacod Spanish, and it would not be at all diffonlt in a few years by breeding to introduce into the Minorca the white face which is so distinctive a characteristic of . the Black Spanish—in fact some breeders have a diffculty to keop it ont. Description.—All these breeds are great as egg producers. The Minorca- and. Andalusians lay very large eggs, in which respect they are similar to tho Black Spanish. Some varieties of Leghorns lay medinni-rized eggs, and others, together with tho Anconas. lay rather small eggs, not nearly so small as in tho case of the Ilaanburghs, but perilously near the 2oz standard. Xo one of the Mediterranean races can bo regarded as a good table fowl, in fact, soma of them are distinctly poor in that respect. The Minorcas are about the best, and wo might put the Andalusians in the second place, both of them having grey flesh. All tho Leghorns and the Anconas have yellow flesh, which is small in quality and full of sinews. The Minorcas and White Leghorns are about the largest, and there has been an unfortunate tendency to unduly increase the size of the body. Most of the others are small. and compact. AH tho members of tho Mediterranean family have large single combs, which stand upright in tho male birds and fall over in the hens, and they have also white, deaf ears or ear-lobes, though in the yellow fleshed races this point is a little difficult to maintain. Varieties.—Of the Minorcas there are two varieties, tho Blacks and tho Whites, but tho latter are very seldom aeefn. The former have entirely black plumage, with beak of dark korn colour, and legs black or nearly slate. The latter have white beaks, glossy white plumage, and pinky white legs. It is generally acknowledged that the Minorcas thrive heist in a somewhat sheltered position, and this is more especially true in respect to the White variety. * Andalusians resemble tho Minorcas in all points of e-hapo, etc., but they have a slate blue plumage, which is always very difficult to maintain, and I suppose there is no breed which for exhibition purposes gives greater trouble in securing decent specimens than this variety. When first introduced there were only two varieties of Leghorns, namely, the Whites and the Browns, but now we have some seven varieties, including those already referred to, the Buffs, the Blacks, the Duckwings, tho Piles, and tho Mottled. Leghorns, as already stated, are somewhat lighter in body than ihe Minorcas, and are very active indeed. In fact, it is this great activity that has made theni so popular, because they are splendid foragers, and also keep themselves warm by exorcise even in the most exposed parts of the country. All have yellow legs and feet. Tho Whites are pure self-colour, though in that there is always a tendency to straw' tinge;'the Browns resemble, both in males and fenrales, Black "ted game, that is. in tho male tho breast and. under-parts are glossy black, the back, shoulder coverts, and wing bow deop crimson red, tho hackles rich orange, red striped with black in the males, and in tho female salmon red on the breast and partridge brown, on the back; the buffs are yellow or buff in plumage; the Blacks self-coloured; the Dnckwings and Piles resemble game fowl bearing these designations; and the mottled are splashed black and white in plum age. Anconas are very similar to the Mottled Leghorn in that tho plumage is splashed black and white. • FE.EXCH. Origin.—Tho Hondan at one time hold a very important position amongst French table poultry, but this is a breed which has lost a considerable amount of ground. It would appear to be descended from '■Polish blood on tho one side, by reason of the fact that it carries a large crest, and from tho Dorking to some extent on the other, as indicated hy the five toes, and aim the fact that it has pinky whtie lees and feet. The Barbezieux would appear to be very similar to our B’aek Minorca, and probably was brought over from some part of the Spanish peninsula, and being bred upon different lines has been modified, in one or two direction-. Description.—The Hondan is a large, full, compact-bodied bird. It has a somewhat large crest, not nearly so big in French Hondians as in English, and a well-defined leaf-comb, which is similar to a butterfly placed in the- centre of the head, or to a split strawberry. It has also a’ largo, full beard of muff underneath the head. It is broad and! deep in body, and distinctly heavier than most of our non-sitting varieties. As already stated, it has five toee, and tho lega are pinky white. I believe that the fact of its carrying a crest has militated against its pomParity. because in a moist climate a bird so decorated is more likely to take cold bv reason of the feathers becoming wet. The Barbezieux is, as before mentioned, very similar to the Minorca in many respects. If anything, it is longer in the leg, and not quite so round in the body, ™ , . , Varieties. —There is only one variety of the Hondan and the Barbezieux, hence they do not need any further description. SCOTS GREYS. Origin.—The origin of this breed is not very clear. From the appearance it would almost seem as if the Dorking, or tho old Jew breed as it used to be called, was responsible for certain qualities. We are very greatly lacking in definite information upon this point. The evidence coming to ns is that thc Scots Grey has been bred in Scotland for a long period of time, and that once it was vary popular indeed. 1 remember about twenty to twenty-fire wears aero seeing very much larger numbers of Scots Greys kept in

different parts of North Britain than is now the ca.se. We have no direct evidence as to how it originated, and all that "e can do is to deduce Irons genera. appcaiances the influences which have been at work in tho making ot inis breed. Description.—Tho Scots Grey is a very good all-round fowl. It is a good layer of larcc* white oggs, well-flavoured, but the average egg-production is probably .about the lower-1 of any cf tho non-citing varieties. With regard to this latter term if jq a moot question as to whether they should bo included in tho non-sitting c’ass, as some of these birds do umioub>edly show a tendency to brcodinOfS. As table fowls they would probabV rank about the first of non-sitters. Not quia* so good as tlie Dorking in the quality -' tho meat, which is not so abundant, as the frame is smaller, and the breast-bone or keol shallower, they have very good properties in this direction, and they aro found to be somewhat hardier. Thev aro wonderfully hcalt.v small caters, but aro more suitable for farm purposes than for keeping in confinement.

Variety.—Thera is only one variety of tho Scots Grey. Tho plumage is similar to, but not quite tho same a?, tho -Plymouth Rock., The ground colour is a beautiful blue grey, with neat, small moons of a metallic black on every leather, though there is a tendency on somo parts of the body to run into almost a solid block. These birds are somewhat large in body, weighing in the mnlo> from 8V to 01b. They have four loos, and tho logs aro white or spotted. In selecting a variety of non-sitting fowls, one of tho most important points to keep in view is tho place where the birds aro to be maintained. AVci find that on the Ea/st coast of England the Leghorns, Anconas, and Scots Greys do distinctly better than tho Minorca*, but in Urn Western and Southern parts of the island the Minorca and Andalusian are excellent. Activity in a breed is a very great point in its favour, and without activity it is impossible to have that vigour which is always so desirable.