POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1927, 29 January 1891, Page 5

POULTRY NOTES.

Fertility op Aged Hen.— The silver Porking hen which I wrote you about three years ago completed her 13th year this day, and is well and hearty. Last year she laid 31 eggs and brought out nine chicks. — W. H. 8,, in the Field.

An Immense Tubkey,— At a show of the New York Poultry Exohange a bronze turkey was exhibited that stood 3ft 6in high, measured 4ft Bin in length, had a spread of wings from tip to tip of 7ft 4in, and weighed 48£lb.

Judicious Gulling. —It is only by judiciously selecting the very best for breeding stock that nice chickens can be obtained. You may procure eggs for hatohing from the best poultry yards, yet your fowls will inevitably deteriorate in a few seasons, without careful culling of birds for breeding. This especially applies to male breeding birds, as one male influences a greater number of progeny for good or for ill than one female does.—American Poultry Yard. A Pbombio Turkey.— A turkey belonging to Mrs Gray, Millfiold, Northumberland, at the beginning of the present season laid 17 eggs, and from these hatched 17 chicks on May 14. When the young birds were about five, weeks old the mother turkey again commenced to lay, and from tbat time until now she has supplied her owner with 103 eggs, or 120 in all for the season— a most excellent record.— Poultry. The Stimulant .Craze,— The supposition that fowls' must be continually receiving egg foods, red pepper, or stimulants, has led to many errors in poultry keeping. The most important requirements are warmth, dry shelter and a variety of food. If the fowls are not fed exclusively on corn, or any one kind of grain, they will need no medicine. Tbe objeot will be to have them in such condition that they will always be willing to hunt and scratch for their food, which indicataß health. Forcing with stimulants may be beneficial for a while, but there will some time come a reaction.

Japanese Fowls.— Japanese fowls, a very beautiful variety, have the appearance ef being a speoies between the pheasant and game fowl, the peculiarity of their drooping plumage having a closer resemblance to the former than the latter birds. Japanese fowls, we believe, are unknown in this country, except to those who have travelled in the East, and to a iew |anciers who may have seen them occasionally exhibited at some of the poultry shows on the Continent. The male bird is described as being exceedingly pugnacious, the hen as a prolific layer and raiser of chickens. In Japan (his breed is baldia very high estimation, on

[account of its singular beauty and delicacy of eggs and flesh. They are somewhat smaller than our ordinary breeds of game fowls, but, like them, are very plump, and of fair size when trussed. The acquisition of this breed would, no doubt, be welcomed by many of our fanciers.

Hatching Under Difficulties.— l have just met with a case of hatching under difficulties which may interest your readers. On the Bth August a plumber in the employ of the Buenos Ayrea and Rosario Railway set 15 eggs under a hen. He was at the time near Santa Fe, and living in an ordinary threeaxle cargo waggon, in which was also the hen. On the 17th he got orders to proceed here, via Grigoyen and Galatz ; in all (allowing for Bhunts) a distanoe of 250 kilometreß. During this journey the waggon was Bub-j acted to innumerable severe shocks in process of shunting, and the majority of poultry rearers would have pronounced it impossible for the eggs to turn out any good ; but on the 29th August 10 chicks appeared, two of which, unfortunately, the hen trod upon and killed, but the remaining eight are doing well. When we think of the noise, shaking, and shocks (some of them sufficient to take the feet from under a parson) through which these eggs passed, we oanncb but wondet . at the large percentage which turned out good. — F. W. M., San Franofsco, Cordoba, South Amerioa, September 1, 1890.