POULTRY YARD The Houdan Breed of Fowls.

Otago Witness, Issue 1874, 21 October 1887, Page 8

POULTRY YARD The Houdan Breed of Fowls.

By B. P. Were it not for the fact that the Houdan is a non-setter, it might be described as an almost perfect fowl. It is both an excellent table fowl and a noted layer, is hardy, and a good forager. Though not so tame as some of the larger breeds, it is a quiet bird, and considering the return in eggs, is a remarkably light feeder. The chickens mature early and lay young. If properly attended to they are good winter layers when young. During the early stages of feathering is a very severe period for the chickens, but if they get safely over this period they are very hardy. Being very precocious, the sexes should be separated at four months of age. More than ordinarily precocious pullets will even commence to lay at that age, but this is not desirable, as it impairs their growth. As the breed is naturally small this tendency should be discouraged, and growth promoted as much as possible. To prevent the pullets from laying so early, stop giving stimulating food at the first sign of a desire to lay, and shut the pullet up in a cold place and merely give a handful of wheat at early morning. A day or two of this treatment will suflice to remedy the desire. The Houdan is a 1 op-knotted bird with a large crest of line form and a conspicuous and well-developed board and whiskers. These furnishings are greyish in colour, as is also the saddle and (ho top of the neck and wings, gradually darkening towards the breast, which should be full and low set. The birds, though black and white, cannot be termed "speckled," as the colours are marked too irregularly, though even marking is most desirable. The tail in both birds should be dark, carried erect, and well sickled in the male bird. The comb is large in the cock but small in the hen, and is of a tripet shape, something like that of a very badly shaped Brahma, with a leaf -like comb standing up out of each side. The Houdan stands on rather long, thinnish legs of a reddishwhite colour, perfectly free from feathering. It has five well-developed toes The birds always inclining to breed lighter, care must be taken to have the cocks dark in particular. One rooster only is wanted for 15 hens. For general improvement purposes in a mongrel " barndoor " flock of poultry no breed can be compared with the hardy, active Houdan. One male bird of this variety will do more good than two of any of the " sluggish " breeds, and with the best influences, transmitting ii.s valuable qualities in a marked degree to his pvogeny, of which male birds will bo found to predominate, especially if i lie cock is not allowed more than ] 5 hens. This is a decided advantage where there is a good market for young table fowls, allowing of the surplus stock to be materially reduced at the earliest period, and thus saving food as well as trouble in attending to them. A writer in the Live Stock Journal claims to have discovered a method of producing chickens of whichever sex he desires. The following is his method: — From a young cockerel of any breed of about four or five months old take away the right testicle, give him a fortnight's rest to recover from the operation, and then turn him in to hens or pullets, which have been free from alliance with any other male bird for at least 21 days. From the eggs laid by these birds will be hatched all pullet chickens without exceptions — that is, provided the operation has been properly done. To obtain all cockerels, remove the left testicle from the male it is proposed to breed from, and the desired result will follow. This (he writes) is no vague theory, but a principle which I have tested until 1 am perfectly confident of its rectitude. This season I hope to be able to report progress regarding the influence of a semi-castrated drake upon clucks. The Bathurst correspondent of the Sydney Mail writes : — " Those who take a interest in poultry-breeding will be pleased to hear that Mr "VV. H. Webb, who has devoted considerable attention to the subject, is still adding to his already valuable stock, and is realising and paying prices for birds that put into the shade any rates hitherto quoted by amatexir breeders in this district, or, indeed, in any inland district in the colonies. He has sold a pair of British black red game for £30 to a local buyer, and a resident of Enfield gave him 15gs for a game pullet, A pair of

Aylesbury ducks has gone to Wagga/for £7 7s, anfl other equally satisfactory bargains have been effected. At the last poultry showin Sydney Mr Webb, within four days,' scld 28 birds for £102 14s. Within the last two months Mr Webb has bought 14 head of birds at a total cost of nearly £200. His fowlyards and houses are models of cleanliness and order.