POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2524, 30 July 1902, Page 49

POULTRY NOTES.

Bt Terbob

ANSWERS TO CORESPONDENTS. Novice can procure water-glass from Mt Sprosen. hi Is tins, instructions -with tins. Wattaki can procure bronze gobbler fiom Mi

Wm. Clume, Kveburn. Ec-GINE is referred to Mr Sprosen for mfornia-

tion refjuired. Enqotreb.— An analysis of sorrel is published

m this week's i.otes. Jt H.— Eggs from England ar* unlikely to hatch iv New Zealand M: iloberts, of Abbotsford, tried it two years back, but without success.

— The- Bruce (Miltou) show takes place on the 6th and 7th of nevt month The schedule shows that the committee ha\e ai ranged, as usual, a first-class- programme. — Mr D. Hyde expressed himself a* highly pleased with the management and organisation of the Duneddu show. He' was alro highly complimentary as regards the quality of the exhibit?.

— This year, upon a hint from the judge (Mr Maude), 1 am going to preach combs and lobes for all I am worth. Last year it was dark eye*, in black birds, with the result that a more beautiful shon of eyes than that seen in the Langshan, Orpington, and Minorca pens at the recent show could not be wished for, and the judge wue greatly pleased therewith. Now that size and eyes are right, oombs and lobe* will lie- specially examined next year, so fanciers mubt look to these features particularly

— I learn, also, that m Orpingtons the tendency to breed loose-feathered birels i» being seriously deprecated. It is pointed out by Mr C. B. Rocke, of Melbourne, that loose and fluffy feathers threatens to seriously endanger the breed, aud. iv partieu lar, its utility qualities. Thie fault, thougli it has beet apparent for some year*, is con siderably more pronounced in the bhows this Season. The question as to what is correct is, of course, not open to argument, as all standards of perfection in England, and Victoria require the plumage to be "close " The English Orpington Club standard requires it to be so, and the latest English standard, that of the English Poultry Club, published in L.ewis Wright's revised \vork on poultry, which is undoubtedly recognised as the greatest authority on these matter*, ih similarly worded, p. 300. Mr Rocke Pays, further, that though he ha= heard it stated that many loose-feathered birds have won in Kugland. this proves nothing, as they w^re- probably superior in other qualities, aud, to show that tendency is deprecated at tLe present time in England, and eoras-

mg attention there, and, further, that it is also considered extremely harmful to utility qualities, he again refers to Lewis Wright's revised work, p. 299, where he says -. "The judging of Orpingtons ha« not been altogether consistent, either in regard to blat k of bluff. In the blacks there has of late been too much toleration of Icos" and flirffy feather, which invariably lead- in the end to thick and coarse fkin, and often to dochne in laying pow^rp." There are a few statements advanced by those who fa\ our tins looseness, regardless of the -tandard which I (Rocke) would like to deal w.th. though, as a'ready i-tated. in iew of the very strong terms of tho standard they are quite irrelevant, and the matter is not open t j argument. It ha.=> been 'aid that you cannot get the proper Orpington sl.app and type without the loose feather No one i? more insistent upon type or forn> than I am, but I cannot possibly sec how tlio actual shape or type can be affected by the feather Let us have width and depth of body, and. I would add. also a full, d^cp breant. by all mean? : but let it consist of body, not feather. Type or sha-pe wou'.cl be shown if the bird had no feather* at all. One might as well argue that no biced of fowls, miles? loose-feather?d. can have any type, which is, of course, ridiculous ; or that animals generally, horses, dogs, etc.. caji ha\o no particu'ar shape or type, as they ha\e no loose feathers to make it. I quite admit that loo^e feathers may d' ceive one. aud make a bad-shaped bird appeal good or a tall bird short, but thii makes matteis worse, and is a d.sad\anbage, as the facts are still the same The bird ih stiP. badly shaned, or tall, as the ease may be, and, in other words, is a fraud. Some have said that you oannot breed a short-legged and heavy-weighted bird unless be ik loosefeathered. How about the Dorking? I am afraid some, in discussing this subject, axe confusing the terms close and tigbt feathering, which have two totally different meanings. The Oipington does not want right feathering like a Lano^han. but simply "close," hk<? that of, say. the Plymouth Rock. Tight ih a much more extreme term than close, aud it not required. It is we-11 known that almo=t all loose-feathered breeds have fallen back in popularity and utility of late yeare, as. for instance, the Cochin and Brahma, and the decline of the- old hrcedd is almost confined to loose-feat-hercd birds. I would therefore a K k Orpington bleeders with whom the matter principally reste, to give particular attention to t\.r matins of their brooding pens for the> coming; season, po a= to rectify and correct Ihis fault, and not allow <tlie Orpington, winch is now, adni'ttedly, one of the most popular and one of the finest utihtv bieods to fall back oi their utility qualities to be impaired through neglect in thl-* particular, especially when the standard of perfection i= so emphatic.

— Dear Terror, — In your Poul+ry Xotes of the 16th inst., in reply to ""A Fancier," you say you do not know anyone in New Zealand who is breeding Old English game. Please let your correspondent know that he can get <t.F. of all kinds herr — the real oldtimers that will stand anything- — m fact, the real pit fow 1 * of «tll =or ts , and "dead game" at that I inn. etc , Johx J. Bkeeze. Hokitika

—Mr J. Smaiil advertise 5 Minorca pullets in this issue All hie birds v aro bred from Ins lenowned n-m.ung strains, and no doixbt they will soon find purchasers. T may men tion that Mr P. Carotin, of Roalyn. has })ui'chaced two handsome bird 1 : from this fancier since show tiinp. to mit« with his second puz^ Mrnnm cock.

— Two of Mr Heudry's pullrir, shown at Duuedin were purcha.-ed by Dunedin fanciers at jv"-pf»r»iable fieure". Mr L. Irvine taking ore and Mr P. Carolin the othor

— Mr Sprot-rn ad'.ertises Minorca eggs for &ale. Hi* birds are famous a^s a 1 living strain, holding splendid record-. He has in No 1 por> -rum* 'nl-endid ppponneni- m the pullet hue. mated to a real good eoekotel. They ar«- a'l large bucta, with splendid faces and comK. No 2 pen contains eight liens, mated to a good i rckerel, and No. 3 pern five Brood Langshan pullets and a fine big cock bird

— \Fr Lewis Wr-yht in his rec&ntlv-pub lifihrd work. "The N'nw Rook of Pou'try," say«- — "'There is no doubt that overorow-d ing does ocp'isional'y go on for quite ay. unexpected time with apparent success, and suc'i success may do much mischief in the way of evil example. But, as stated in our first chapter, sooner or late Nemesis come?."

— The so-called complaint of ''canker" is ciirhtheritic ioup. and of it Mr K. Cobb. F.Z S . say 3 —Carefully remove the growths and burn what you remove. With a small camel-han piiin^-brush nair.t the spots whence yon have removed* the crowths with the fol'owmg bolution • — One- drachm a<ul carbolic. 3dr acid sulphnron-,. tincture perohloride or iron. i>a/. frlyeorine Do not let the brush drip, and be quick o\ er the art of painting Kepe-at -every two day- if necessary.

— Mr F. Scott, of Havelock. wirev tJut hp took first and special with a Minoica cockerel ajrainst 12 others at la-it week"* *>how The bird nas hatched from a setting of egjj* procured last season from Mr Sprosen. %i local lancifcr.

— Dear Terror. — Would vmi kindly give me a description of buff Orpmo-tons v Are they a heavy bird, with feathery lej^B 1 ' W« have a fruit garden, and -find most fowl? very troublesome, flying over any garden fence and scratching up seeds, etc. We u«e<l to have Coohins. but they are. *uch poor layers. Where could I procure a pair of Orpingtons, and at what price I don't require fancy show birds. Our pullets have not done at all well this teasoti. They lay about a dozen eggs, and then start bo cluck a*id stop laj-ing altogether. They are only a mixed lot, but look very healthy, although bee are very prevalent amongst the birds and the fowlhouses. Would this account for th°ir poor laying qualities I'—l1 '— I am. etc., ixQrrsrrrvE

[Orpingtons are clean-legged I shall publish standard next week. You can ijrt BrfF Oruuigtoiis from Mr Morton of Wa, hola. Messrs A. and C. Grant of Moxeriel, and Mr Taylor of Milton, at reasonable price". N-o doubt the Hoe -would affect the Vaying to a considerable extent You should provide good dust bath-. in winch lignite or wood ashes is mixed with the dry *oil. — Teiu'.OK.]

— Dear Terror, — I must apologise for being so long in answering your questions. I did not ke^p any list of eggs set I use Robe-rts's Simplex, and urn very wt.ll .satisfied with what tlb& incubator ran do What I rant do, from one caute and ai'Ot-her, le my present trouble. My machine is 100 ep-g ; my first hatching was 45 cJncke I put my ©ggs out to air one morning, and forgot them for the day. and had a good many dead chiokß ; my next hatching was my best. 83 nice chicks; my next, 62. I then put 40 ■eggs in one drawer only, aad got 33 chicks. Now

this, all added together, was cry good indeed, but I was sadly handicapped by cats. We shot eight and trapped seven Tata, which also 'hid a fancy fcr chicks. I i-et a good lnanv hen-, but the results were \e-ry bad from the same cauM?, so at the present time T have only 115 from last season's work. Howo\ er, when I have learned to take as good care of my chicks as the Simplex can do of the egg-, numbers will improve decidedly. I am making preparations for a fro\«h «tart, and hope to be able to confine 1113' chicks more this season. My flock is principally brown Leghorn. My present rooster* are from Inncs'.- Timaru strain, and ha\e impiovod the colour of my flock much I got some Pcloin ducks' egg= from Roberts last season, and th<-> ducks are the biggest I ha\e e\er .-ten. I t,hall keep a strict account of egg- »ct tins i-ea«c)u for you — I am. etc., M. Elliott.

Cowdon." Windsor.

— Messrs Moritzson and Co. supply th» following aurtlysu- of gi-ritl f-ee-d obtained by them from the Dcpaitinent of Agriculture: Watn. 12.7 per cent : int. 3-D: AlhumnioieU, 6 7 (containing 107 per cent nitrogen): ea.boh\ drate-,. 60 4: fib-t-. 15 5: a-h. 1.1 :— tot.tl. 100 pei cent