A VISIT TO THE CHEF POULTRY YARDS

Otago Witness, Issue 2401, 8 March 1900, Page 43

A VISIT TO THE CHEF POULTRY YARDS

OF NORTH OTxVGO AND SOUTH CANTERBURY.

IV.— FLESH WORMS FOR FOWLS

The only novelty in the way of fowl-feed to which Mr Reilly directed my attention was hid practice of procuring and supplying flesh worms. In a corner of one of his paddocks — at a considerable distance from the dwelling house — he showed me a circular-shaped, roughly-constructed, tanklike iron box, about 4ft high and 3ft in diameter. About halfway down, in the inside of this tank, Mr Reilly stretches two or three iron rods, upon which, he rests a piece of wire netting. On the wire he places six or seven sheeps' heads, and, after covering the tank over with sacking, await*, events. At the end of about two days he withdraws a tray of sand from the bottom of the box, and finds, as a rule, that about a bucketful of worms have fallen through from the heads above. These worms I paw fed to young chickens and ducklings, and ai/j satisfied that they were regarded as a great treat.

Mr ReilJy keeps a great variety of breeds of birds, both of the light and heavy kinds, and, though his business is to raise stock and eggs for the market, he shows freely, and, as my readers know, is often successful in securing prizes. Last season, from November to the time nf my visit, Mr Reilly disposed of some £00 ducks, at an average of 5s 6d all round, aud at a slightly lower figure sold almost an equal number of cockerels. Kg grows some immense birds. I saw a silver Dorking cock, Jumbo by name, which weighed 12flb. Mr Reilly keeps a great number of ducks — principally Indian runners and Pelcins — and has gone to great trouble in providing for tjieir well-being. For one thing, he has at one place dammed back a creek, flowing through his property, so that it forms quite a large pond. He says that he has tried keeping ducks without water, as recommended by most modern authorities, and with water, as Nature seems to suggest, and he is convinced that they thrive better water-fed than otherwise. "Besides," says -Mr lleilly, "it is economical to rear them on water, as they are able to find a lot of food in a large pond which oould not be obtained otherwise." Passing from the pond towards the house, I noticeel a humming sound proceeding from the bottom of an apparently dry ditch, from which willows were growing, and, asking what it meant, was lold that the noise was made by beetles buzzing about at the bottom of the ditali, "and,", said Mr, Reilly, "if yog yrill

listen you will soon be aware that the ducks arc after them." And sure enough I could distinguish the noise of their feet as they pattered al»ut in quest of what was, no doubt f r. much-relished supper. Mr ifecSUy assured me that it was impossible to show, during the course of an evening, more than half of his pens or stock, but I fancy I have reported on all that is specially interesting in respect to fowls on his farm. Next week I shall report on Mr Buckland'c Minorcas and Langihans at Waikouaiti, andon Mrs Adam Anderson's turkeys at Otepopo (Herbert).