POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3115, 26 November 1913, Page 29

POULTRY NOTES.

Bi Tekhob.

The annual meeting- of the South Island Association, held at Christchurch on the 13th inst., is reported to have been one of the best meetings ever held. The business was got through expeditiously, only one night (from 7.45 to 11.15) being taken up, and seeing the great amount of work that had to bo attended to, and remembering the great variety of opinions that are generally ventilated on every question raised at fanciers’ meetings, it is evident that there must have been excellent chairmanship and a good secretary. —lndeed, the association seems at last to be unusually blessed in its present secretary, for never before w'as the fancy better posted in all that transpires throughout the year. I have heard it said that the chairman and secretary will be “turned out to grass” at the summer meeting to be held in Dunedin in November. Consequently one must assume that there are still some discontented fanciers; but I don’t look upon the “threat,” if It may be so termed, seriously. Rather, I regard it as a compliment to the gentlemen in question and to the Executive Council, for no body of men can be expected to do their work conscientiously and satisfactorily without displeasing some, and these “some,’’ of course, are those whom it would be criminal to try to please. Dunedin fanciers will regret to hear that their delegate was unable to vote—i.e., that Dunedin w-as virtually unrepresented at the meeting, because the annual subscription was unpaid. The Dunedin Club is . to blame- for the . consequence of their neglect, for, of course, the laws of the association must be upheld. , ,

With their usual hospitality the Christchurch Poultry Club provided refreshments. Dunedin would do well to take the hint, and by doing so give occasion for a friendly exchange of views and experiences at the half yearly meeting. it will have been noticed that charcoal is often mentioned in these notes, and th£ reason is that it is of so much importance in the poultry vard that every one should have its value thoroughly driven into them. Charcoal is not a food, though fowls gain in flesh and eggs during its use; it simply puts them and keeps them in the bast condition for work. It prevents disease, because of its great capacity to absorb’ gases, acids, and impurities. It is an alternative, changing diseased conditions to normal, disinfecting the digestive tract, and toning up the system. In putrid disease# ■ like roup, in fermentation like sour crop, and intestinal maladies like cholera o? diarrhoea, it la of great benefit. In spring and summer when the fowls’ blood is slug* gish, it is needed as a purifier to ward off" diseases incidental to these seasons. It should be kept before the fowls in size to suit their age, and when the fowls refuse to oat it, fine charcoal should be occasionally mixed in the mash. The value of charcoal cannot be overstated. —As a rule the earlier hatched chicks make the best growth. This is due to the fact that the breeding birds are at their best when first mated up, and partly to the fact that, as a rule, more attention is paid to ths first lot or two. Don’t ever miss sight of the fact tha® your chicks are what you make'them yourself. If you are careful and painstaking they will be good. If you are lazy, and don’t bother about fording, housing, and cleaning, and the numerous small details that tell so heavily, they will be poor and weedy. There is no luck or magic about tha poultry business. The bottom of it. ail ii just plain horse sense and attention to dej tails Your fowls are what you mak® them. Once a week lift all the perches and look for lice. The small rod mites am the ones that do a lot of mischief. Urey may be killed at once by the application of kerosene. This should be done onca a week in the hot weather. Don’t hatch out more chickens than , you have space for The chicks are nico and small to begin with, and take up little room, but it is by and by that you hit , trouble. Give the growing chickens plenty of elbow room. Exercise makes for constitution, and the more the chicks can scratch, or run about the stronger will they become. A bad source of trouble from overcrowding'> is that the soil becomes saturated and foul with the droppings, and then Nature a hand in the game, and smites the bird* with some pestilence or other which is bred in the filth that must come from overcrowded quarters. ’ Then the man gets a. A sharp lesson—ho hatches Knit hoc many chicks, their vitality becomes impaired by overcrowding, the ever-ready gorrh effect® an entrance, kills off the birds like poisoned flics, and half the man’s -work goes fop nought. THE CENTRAL PRODUCE MART i (LIMITED). '• Messrs Reilly, Gill, and Co, proprietors, report:—At our sale on Wednesday heavier supplies of good poultry came forward, consisting chiefly of old hens, young cockerels, ami ducklings, all of winch realised high prices. Wo give below the actual prices secured by us for our consignors; Hens, 2s, 2s 2d, 2a 3d, 2s sd, 2a 6a, 2s 9d, and ss; cockerels, 2s to 2s 6d; ehickene, 9d, Is, la 3d, Is fed, 2s Bd, 2s lOd, 3a, and 3s 3d each; ducks, 2a 3d, 2s 6d, 2s Bd, 2a lOd; ducklings 3s, 3s 9d, and 4s. Turkey gobblers made 9£d to lOd per lb; turkey hens, 7id ; jocks, 6id to Bid per lb. Eggs, la o£d for stamped and guaranteed. Case eggs lljd to Is per dozen. POULTRY ASSOCIATION. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the South Island Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Association was hoid in the Christchurch Poultry Club rooms on November 13. Mr E. J. Hons '■'y (president) occupied the chair, and the following delegates were present Messrs T, ■H. Jones (Utago Game Fowl and Bantam Club), W. H. Amos (Ashburton), G. E. Jeffreys (Tapanui), A. B. Menzies (Oamaruj, Ji. Beardsley (Christchurch), J. W. Bishop (North Canterbury), R. C. Wells (Christchurch Canary Club), J. M’Lcan (United Pigeon Fanciers’ Club), F, Dacre (Picton), A. Walker (Granity), R. Pearce (Kaitangata), and the secretary. The executive’s annual report stated that the council had held 20 meetings during the year. The balance sheet showed receipts afl £142 19s 7d (including balance, £SI 15a 3d),, expenditure £lO2 17e Bd, leaving a. credit balance of £4O Is lid. In reply to the Otago Game Fowl and Bantam Club’s delegate, the President explained that the circulated balance sheet! contained a printer’s error. The item, secretary’s commission (£6 7b 8d), should hav® read, secretary's incidentals, £6 7a Bd. The report and balance sheet wer® adopted. The following officers were elected:— President, Mr E. J. Roes; vice-presidents— Messrs Matheaon (Invercargill), P. Carolm ■ (Dunedin), S. R. Burns (Timaru), \v. A. Sowman (Picton), and J. H. Hopkins (Granity); auditor; Mr V. Bed well; secre-tary-treasurer, Mr J. H. Shaw; council —• Messrs G. E. Jeffreys, A. B. Menzies, and H. Beardsley. The proposed new rules were considered and adopted, with slight amendments, on the motion of Mr H. Beardsley. t On the motion of the President, it was resolved to add the following clause to th® objects and powers of the association:—< “ From time to time to enter into arrangement with the North Island Poultry. Pigeon, and Canary Association, or any similar association in New Zealand, in respect to all matters in which it may bo to the mutual advantage of the associations to co-operate, and from time to time to rescind, modify, or alter such arrangement as may be found necessary or convenient.” It was resolved that clubs or societies which hold a one-day shew shall pay an. annuel feet of 30s, and where a two days* show is held, the annual fee shall be a>3 3s, and for a three days’ show £4 14a fed, and for a championship show (East Coast) £8 ss; specialists’ clubs, 10a fed, and if holding a summer show 10s fed extra. Mr F. Dacre (Picton) moved as an amendment to rule® 39 and 40 —“ That the Went Coast championships be struck out, and that, all championships be called Smith Island championships, and that the saaaa

ho competed for by all societies, clubs, or associations affiliated with the South island Association; each championship to be of the value of £1 Is and certificate, and won cnce, and such championship to bo competed for at that society, club, or association's fehow where the winner resides, and is a ■ member.” Several delegates said they recognised Picton's position, but tho amendment was too drastic an alteration to make off-hand, and a resolution to refer the remit to tho council was carried. The Dunedin Fanciers’ Club wrote applying for two additional championships to be d! oltcd in the pigeon section —viz., (1) owls, turbite, or Oriental frills; (?) fantaiis, nuns, or Jacobins. It also requested that the two phampionships won outright in the canary Section be replaced by two others. After some discussion, it was decided that the following new championships be t Hotted on the East Coast: — Poultry—Hamurg, brown Leghorn, black Leghorn, Game, and Minorca; pigeons—dragoon, magpie, and owls; canaries—Norwich buff, Norwich yellow. The championships on tho West Coast Were then balloted for, and resulted as follows: —Leghorn, Westport; Old English Game, Granity; Wyandottos, Picton; Plytnouth Rock, Hokitika. Tho allotting of Mio Minorca and working homer championships was left with the Executive Council. Mr W. H. Amos (Ashburton) applied for tho 1914 East Coast champion show to be | \eld in conjunction with his club’s annual ,

exhibition. lie said it was several years since Ashburton had boon granted a champion show, and his society was well able to cater for such a fixture. Ho moved—- “ That tlio 1914 champion show be held at Ashburton.” On behalf of the Christchurch Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Club, Mr 11. Beardsley applied for the champion show of 1914, and he moved in tiiat direction. Ho said it may bo interesting to delegates to learn something of the history of these champion shows. The association was formed at Christchurch on Juno 15, 1899, and at a subsequent meeting it was agreed that a champion show bo hold every other year. The first of such snows was held in Christchurch in 1901, when 10 championships wore competed for. In 1903 South Canterbury hold the champion show; in 1905, Dunedin; 1907, Southland; and 1909, Ashburton. The system of group championships was adopted for 1910, 1911, and 1912. when it was decided to revert to the old stylo of holding a champion show every other year. Mr Beardsley said he hoped delegates would agree with him after hearing this statement, which had been obtained from the association books. Mr G. E. Jeffries (Tapanui) seconded Mr Beardsley's proposition. Mr Arnos was granted permission to withdraw his club’s application, and tho champion show for 1914 was allotted to Christchurch. Tho draw for breeds to compote for the association challenge shield in 1915 resulted

as follows; —Indian runner ducks, black-red game, bantams, Dorkings, and Campines. In reply to a question by the Kaitangata delegate, the Chairman said the Christchurch Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Club was the holder of the association 6 challenge shield, and the 1914 competition would be held at that club’s show. Show dates were allotted as follow; Dunedin, Juno 3,4, o<nd 5; Ashburton, June 12 and 13; Christchurch, June 18, 19, and 20; Oamaru, July 3 and 4; Tapanui, July 11; North Canterbury, July 13 and 14; Pict«n, June 26 and 27. The allotting of other societies show dates was referred to the council. It was decided that the next annual meeting bo hold in Dunedin next and the half-yearly meeting in Christchurch during the champion show week. Mr A. Walker, in proposing a hearty vote of thanks to the Executive Council, congratulated them on the goed work they had done, and hoped the forthcoming year would be easier. Mr Amos seconded the motion, and sard his club had never been so well posted up with the work of the association as during the past 12 months. The motion was carried unanimously. N.Z. UTILITY POULTRY CLUB. At the ninth egg-laying competition of the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club the total for last week was 1524, bringing the aggregate for the 32 weeks up to 42,675. The highest record for the week was 38 eggs bv C. D. C. Eggcm’s (Nelson) and the Dominion Poultry Plant’s (Coromandel) white Leghorns. The next highest was 55 by 11. Leger’s (Weraroa), D. Y. Gibson’s (Herbert), the Heretaunga . Poultry Club s (Silverstroam) No. 2 pen, Mrs J. Green’s (St. Albans), and J. W. Green’s (St. Albans) white Leghorns. For the 32 weeks \\. Mercer (ITowick) heads the list with 941, closely followed by C. D. C. Eggers (Nelson) with 940. R. A. Lazarus (Hutt) 935, Wm. Scull (Christchurch) 933, and Thomas Fazackerley (Woolston) 919. Mrs J. Mills’s (Dunedin) white Leghorns had a total of 28 for last week and 848 for the 32 weeks. In the fourth egg-laying competition for ducks the total for the last week was 209, making the total to date for the 32 weeks 4903. T. Dowthwaite’s (Avondale) pen has the best record for the week with 29 eggs, the next best being 31 by W . Knight’s (Hutt) No. 2 pen, -W. Mercer’s (Howick), and A. R. Browne (Petanc Beach).