POULTRY NOTES. By Terror.

Otago Witness, Issue 2371, 10 August 1899, Page 39

POULTRY NOTES. By Terror.

— Commenting on tho show exhibits (No. 294) the first prize pullet, is a typical bird ; has grand shape and colour, good comb, one serration out ; good lobe ; otherwise a clinker. Second prize has grand siz» and ahapo, gootl face and lobe, comb well serrated, but too soft and flabby, hiding the sight. Third haa fine size, good length of leg, comb too far over the back, grand lobes, fine long back, good face. The winning cock (No. 253) is bad in iobe, but has capital shape and colour and good face for an old bird. His serrations are rather narrow; comb too far over the back; has good wattle, and is a shade too short in leg. The first hen (No. 260) is as fine a specimen as I have Been; has grand back, good lobe ; face too pale if anything, but otherwise is almost perfection. Mr Joyce haa something to be' proud of in this bird. No. 263 (the second bird) has good shape, rather high back, and is wanting in comb. No. 261 (the third prize) is a good type, has good lobe and colour, a well and deeply serrated comb (rather narrow in serration) sound face; fails in size to the first bird. The winning cockerel is a grand bird, has good length of back and leg, a perfect face, is weak in lobe, rather on the small side as regards size, has splendidly serrated comb, nice broad serration, and good wattles. The second cockerel is a fine, upstanding bird, has good face, lobes rather wrinkled and flHbby, good colour and tail, nice broad serration — one spike has a pimple on it, — short' in wattle, has iiice while toe nails. Brown Leghorns: First (No. 139) (J. Jones, jun.), a fine specimen ,righ.t. through. Excels in carriage, comb, and plumage, has dark! hackle. Second also very, good bird, with better legs than the first, but inferior' in wat- ' ties- and lobes. .... White Leghorns: First cock nothing to speak of. First cockerel (No. 119) a fine bird, with good head. Many better birds in the district, but not shown. Langshans : Apparently weight counted with the judge in this breed.- The first prize cock was, in the opinion of many, not a purebred. It was too black fora Langshan ; some thought it a black Cochin pure and simple; we shrewdly guessed it to be a Le Creve-cceur-Langshan. The third bird should have been first. In cockerels also there waa much dissatisfaction. The highly commended bird (No. 156) deserved a much better position ; it had a very fine head. I Jiked the second prize bird very well, and in the opinion of several experts either it of No. 157 should have got first. In Dorkings also weight evidently ruled in the judging, but even as regards weight surely No. 213 should have taken first instead of third, as against 214, the first prize bird; she certainly led in other respects. In Wyanrtotten the only hen entered was a poor specimen, being double laced. Mr Sprosen's first prize silver cockerel, which took the special," is a fine bird with plenty of size and of the true Wyandotte shape, has a well shaped comb, but with the spike rathei high, grand tail and legs. The second and third birds failed in (size, the breasts also being patchy and the tails showing signs of white. The olhei cockerels were bad in top "colour, and one of them verj white in lobe. In the pullet class there were gome nice birds, but the lacing of the first and second pullets was far too heavy, giving the appearance of white spotß instead of black lacing. The white cockerel was a fine bird, but would have been better if a bit larger. In the golden variety there were some good birds, but they did not compare well with the silver. , — I must again hold over some comments on the show generally, also some other. mattei oxomised last week- •

— Since the show I have visited the premises of Mr Jones, jun., a brown Leghorn, and Minorca fancier of South Dunedin. ' This fancier has a very nice pen of Minorca pullets, one of the best I have seen, taking them a» a whole. These pullets were reared from 'eggs obtained from Mr Sprosen last season, ftnd two of them- obtained highly commended cards at the recent show in a class of 21— a very creditable performance. They are mated with a Minorca cock of Aitken's strain. In the next pen Mr Jones has some very nice brown Leghorn pullet mated with the winning t>rown Leghorn cockerel at the late show. In another pen the second prize cockerel in 1896 is mated with four very nicely coloured pullets, two of them being from eggs obtained from Melbourne. The fowlhouses are well constructed, according to up-to-date fashion, ,*vith Canadian roosts; the Minorca pen is iiioely sheltered by trees. In another pen are several very nice brown Leghorn cockerels, Jjrothwrs of the winning bird, but rather late. 'Anyone wishing for a good cockerel should pay these yards a visit. —Mr J. Wood, of Wyndhain, has_ bought all Mr Spatz's Indian game, including the first prize cockerel of last year and first prize cook of this year, the imported cockerel which" took first here, the second prize hen at Timaru and the third prize at Dunedin last year ; also the hen which took first last year and second this year at Dnnedin. Mr Wood Iwj- undoubtedly secured stock of the very highest with. * 1 understand that Mr Spatz now intends to devote' his attention as fancier solely to "Minor oas. - a —By the bye, I team that" Mr Mason, of Morningtqn, .upon whose pens I recently reported, is also inclined to part with his Indian .game—^Minorcas and Wyandottes being his special favourites. Presumably the Indian game are after all to become purely farmer s jbirds, and certainly with a view to exporting a better cross with any of the heavy breeds does not exist for table purposes. On the London market I notice by recent files that a pair of Indian game-Dorkings weighing 161b fetched 21s, as against 16s for a pair of Langshan cockerels weighing 21£lb. Evidently quality counts for something in the Home market. . Dear Terror, — As an exhibitor at the Dunedin Fanciers' Club show I think the members and secretary deserve a high compliment for the able and energtic manner in which .they carried out their several duties. From *he moment exhibits arrived in Dunedin till their departure every comfort was provided. At the hall the night of receiving exhibits there was an absence of the hurry-scurry, haphazard way of working. Every member knew his work, and did it with a neatness and despatch deserving the highest praise. The pens were provided with a fine clean sand, and I nwas pleased to notice an absence of the fluttering chaff. This added greatly to the comfort 'of the birds. The pens were cleaned out and renewed every morning, leaving them fresh and clean. The dogs were also provided with ©very comfort, the cleanliness and comfort of the stands reflecting great credit on the Bociety and Mr Charles Bills, who, I understand, has the care of poultry and dogs under .Ills direct supervision. I have no doubt the .care taken by -the society and' the kindness .end courtesy which they extended to visitors rend exhibitors will in a large measure tend !*o make Dunedin one of the premier shows (of the colony. The object lesson on trussing, {sacking, &c, given by Mr Charles Bills in the pboard room should prove a lasting benefit to jjthose interested. Wishing the Dunedin Fanfciers' Club the success they deserve — 1 am, •etc., EDWIN REILLY. [I am extremely pleased with' Mr Reilly's ,Very timely letter. There can be no doubt but Jfchat his eulogiums respecting the management of the show are in every respect well merited, end the following paragraph from a Christ- . church paper shows that the efforts of the committee, and particularly of Mr Charles ;Bills, are appreciated by exhibitors from a ■distance: — "The Christchurch dogs and poultry which were exhibited at the Dunedin fanciers' Club's show last week were returned t>y last night's express in a condition which showed that they had received the best of attention. Some annoyance was caused to the ijowners by the railway officials refusing to : deliver the exhibits at the passenger platform, thus necessitating an expedition in the darkless to a goods shed, where delivery was ob"tained after a lapse of nearly half an hour." — Terhob.]