POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2685, 30 August 1905, Page 31

POULTRY NOTES.

Br Teehob.

— I have to acknowledge receipt of a very nicely got up catalogue of lnaoiugs for the seacon from Messrs Baijent and Betts, of Ne'son. Pens of three breeds — viz., buff and black Orpingtons and silver Wyandottes — are included in the catalogue, and full particulars of show records are given:

—As the summer advances there should be ever-increasing vigilance by breeders in respect to keeping down vermin. Whitewashing walls with hot lime and kerosening 1 the perches thoroughly during tho next six weeks will do much to -lessen the pest for the whole season.

—In rearing chickens a most important matter is the keeping of, everything underfoot sweet and clean in the brooder, houses. , The trodden soil should be always kepto ! loose and friable by raking and renewing* Attention should be devoted to this mattes ' with the same seriousness as to feeding, watering, warmth, etc.. for all matters of health are of equal importance, neglect of either resulting in stunted growth or disease. At the Seacliff Asylum poultry 'farm there 19 a mixing house specially built for providing a supply of dry flooring material foi* the brooder houses, and the system mighfe be copied with advantage by all breeders in a large way of business. One section o£ this mixing houee holds black mould carted from the bush, another contains cinders and ashes from the asylum furnaces, etc., the next holds mould and ashes mixed ancf ready for use, and a fourth receives 1 the> sweepings from the brooder houses, and keeps it dry and fit for garden purposes. —In breeding from best iayers it is as well to recognise that it does not invariably follow that the progeny will be better afi the egg business than their mothers, or even as good. The best layer this season may be a doer only in the sense that; Bhc is a sport bred from poor laying Stock, and iS co, the probability is that her chicks will be poor egg producers, inheriting only her inherited qualities and not her individual chance performance. See that the breeders are selected from best layers by all means, out don't expect phenomenal results tho ' first, second, or third seasons, or there may ibe disappointment. See that the male bird, even more than the hens, is not merely tho progeny of a chance good layer, but tao stored-up result of proper alliances for generations back— i.e., a bird of pedigree, and from reliable hands. — Mrs Mary G. Roberts, of Beaumari?. Hobarfc, is still sending consignments of birds and settings of her numerous varieties, of ducks fowls, and turkeys to h« agents, Messrs Prycr and Co., of Bond street, Dunedin (sec advertisement), and expresses, in a recently-written letter, great i satisfaction at the success which her customers in New Zealand have enjoyed at the recent shows. In Indian runners particularly her strains have done well m tins colony. A runner drake shown at Wyndham was pronounced by the judge, Mr h. Reiily, who has largely bred the variety to have been the best he had ever seen in tho ■ colony; and at Hoban's last show j Mir Cadell, of Sydney, in allotting the campion prize to one of Mrs Roberts « Indian runner ducks, said it was the most pcrfeen drake he had ever seen. This fancier and breeder, I would remind my readers (I have mentioned the fact previously), is ai» enthusiastic collector of native birds: of every j description, and is particularly anxious jusfc now to procure a pair each of kiwis, kakas, ' and wckas. Her agents (Messrs Pryor and Co.) or I myself, feeing anxious to oblige her. will bo glad to hear from anyone able and willing to supply her requirements. — Andalusians are a breed that havebeen manufactured from tho crossing o£ two different colours of the Fame family, and the efforts of careful breeders has produced the handsome and woll-laced birds that have been seen at our lato shows. Thi^ I breed is one of the most troublesome ones in respect to breeding good coloured speci1 mens, and the amateur breeder who purchases a setting of cg'gs or breeds from * trio of good coloured birds will often be sadly disappointed in tho colour of the. yoipig stock he rears. White, black, and white-and-blaok birds will bo found from, good coloured parents, but although they may be melees for exhibition or stock pur- ' poses, ihcy arc quite as gcod in every other

respect as the correctly-coloured birds. Thi breed lays a fine large and white-shelle( egg. They are also very prolific. In matur in£ they are not equal to the Leghorn o: Minorca. They are large-framed birds, anc the cockerels are also medium *table poultry " iWithin the past few years efforts have beet xnade to improve this breed by the infu sion of foreign blood, but although th< cross has infproved the evenness and deptl of lacing, the shape of the bird has deterio rated. Several of the birds that have beer exhibited are altogether too stilty and nar row-bodied to be regarded as standard epeci Bten«- of the breed. It is to be hoped thai breeders will endeavour io remedy this de feet, and that the young stock exhibited ai 'our chows during the coming season mas © not be of such totally different types, as . was the case at some of the exhibitions oi .. a !_j^or and Co. (per Mr E. -Reilly) re. port:— Poultry: The market bare; all lots coming' forward meet keen demand. We sold: -Fair- roosters, 8* at 4s 6d. 37 at 4s 9d, '65 at ss; hens, 218 -at 4s, 86 at 3s 9d. ■iDucks, 65 at ss, 20 at 5s 3d per pair. .Turkeys— Gobblers, 47 at 8d ; hens, 36 at 5d per lb. Eggs have been coming forward freely, and" prices have • fallen to 9d per ' dozen.. We are pleased to say we cleared the'bulk of our consignments from 9£d to 403 per -dozen, the balance at 9d. — Messrs. Waters, Ritchie, and Co. report that during the past week' there was the iisual brisk ' demand for poultry in good tonditioH- for "local use. Values remain • unchanged; and- are likely to continue con- - jiderably. in excess ot export values for jiome little time. We should, therefore, recommend growers to send forward all consignments of poultry for local sale and bot for export. Prices during last week were -as follow:— Roosters, 4s to 4s od :or pair: huns, 3s to '3s 3d per pair; ducks, ' «s 6d to~'4s 9d per pair; geese, 5s per pair fpoor demand)';" turkey's, gobblers 7£d and hens 44d per'lb. Export rates remain unDhan'ged— namely; -first grade hens, 6s; roosters,. 3s .3d per pair. TwovHundrod Egg- Hen.- 1- ' How can we produce hens that will lay 800 eggs per annum? By scientific breed--»ne aa for a good -butter cow or milker, of W chicks will lay 150 eggs per year, start with a hen that. Jays 120 eggs v Some* as.Jor a good trotter or high jumping'hors&. Experiments. have been made to increase the number .of row& of corns on the cob -with success. - The same method is applicable to poultry breeding. We will SFrom these we will pick out layers, and ?o on until 200 - or better are the result., 'A-t the same- time,. _it is. just as essential to breed out oif males- from prolific layers as _ It is "the r females — in- Tact it is more so. If. ,we look -after the breeding of the females tmly we .'will" introduce on ; the male side blood which is._ lacking- in - .proficiency, an"d thus- check attempt -a>6 progress. It Js jnsfc-.as essential that the male should ba< bora the hen ' which Jays' 175 eggs and -a | ' «"y«-' tha fc was bred, from, a hen that laid" ■ e^s-as it is that the- hen should' be.— Poultry Herald.