THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18673, 30 September 1922, Page 17

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

POINTS FOR UTILITY BREEDERS. Messrs Brown and Cussen. the Government poultry instructors, addressed the Uui - edin Utility Paltry Club at its meeting on Thursday night. , , Mr Brown, in opening, congratulated the club on its standing and growth, a™ sa that there was necessary and .useful wotk ahead of the utility poultry clubs of the country. For one thing, they w® r ® taced with the possibility of over-production on account of our limited market, and now markets would have to bo obtained. x “ e utility man had to see that the size ot the eggs were kept up to standard an even grade of 20z.. The way to create a demand was to supply eggs of superior quality and size. Mr Brown went on to say that there are no two breeds of fowls alike, ihe Leghorn had its own special type. -tYP® gave the breed and colour the variety, and one of the objects of the poultry shows was to maintain breed types. Many good pullets were seen, but few typical males, and this because the right male was not used. To got good-constitutional vigour and typo, Mr Brown considered the male should be shorter than the female. -the object of the utility standard was- to cpi*" rect the weaknesses bred by fanciers. But the utility man had to watch that he did not go off on a short cut for egg production and get away from breed type. A bird might bo good as a layer, but, to breed from not good to maintain the type, and ■ therefore not good to uphold a' permanent strain. Yet the fanciers had made all the breeds they had to-day, and it was up to the utility man, to preserve and improve the good work of the fancier by breeding for type, constitution, vigour, end points inducive to egg-laying. Judges that judged fashion were a danger to type. Breeders for show should ureed to a standard type, and judges should be aducated to judge to a recognised standard of type. The breeding from birds that were the heaviest layers was all right, but it must go hand in hand with birds of correct type and vigour. Mr Brown spoke on the necessity of the manufacture of now judges —most of the judging was done year after year by the same set of iudges, some of whom judged to types of their own fancy. Mr Brown, with the ‘assistance of Mr Cussen, gave a demonstrative interpretation of the Now Zealand utility poultry standard typo of Leghorn, several birds being penned for the purpose. At the close of the lecture a hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr Brown and Mr Cussen, after numerous questions had been asked and replied to.