POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3251, 5 July 1916, Page 61

POULTRY NOTES.

By Terkou,

"—Those interested in the egg-laying compeitions will be pleased to. note the excellent figures being put up at the Southland competition. Allowing for tho fact that tho Papanui competition started a week later it _ will be seen that far better work is being done down south. In view of (he fact that file laying is so good in the winter months, there is reason to anticipate record figures for Now Zealand by the end of the competition, for the laying at present compares well with the best work done in Australia. The secret of the present,Southland success may he due lo the fact that the birds arc cm ground which has never been fouled by poultry, or.it may be that the locality of the pens is not so exposed to winds as are those at Papanui. It is, of course, too early to judge with any ccrtaint}', but it: must be admitted that Southland's prospect of making a record for New Zealand is good. - - A. 11. inquires where he can buy game fowls. T do not, know of any game fowls in e>r about Duncdin, but an advertisement above this column won!:! probably pur him in correspondence with: owners. Fanciers of the heavy and medium breeds should lie making final preparations for hatching and rearing operations now. For some weeks back I have been directing attention to the same fact. It is my regular business every year to state and reiterate fur tho guidance of novices the most obvious facts, and it is extraordinary how many there are who, the advice they got an qucntly report failures, able solely to neglect.whet Iter nest-boxes, brooders, etc., ore cleat.-- an disiuf'

■before using—it is compulsory if' profitable results are looked tor. It ;s tnrougn neglect of clue attention to the initial st< ps that most losses are occasioned. Novices should disabuse their miutis of all doubt in tins

—Mr J. Hadlington, the New South Wales poultry expert, speaking on the question 01 cleanliness, merely repeats -what all other experienced poultrymen have said over and over again when he says: —"Now is the tnne to initiate a course of action; a couple of months hence will be too late. Where autumn hatching has been carried on it is all the more important that a good cleaning up should take place before starting upon the main hatching season. The ground over which these out-ot-scason chickens have been run should be well cleaned up and spelled for at least two months before it is required to carry the main crop of chickens. Where this is not practicable, autumn-hatching should not Have been attempted, because experience teaches that to run young chickens over the Game ground all the year round without a- break is to court disaster in rearing them. The number of chickens it is desired to hatch should be decided upon now, so that dispositions can be. made, not only to hatch them, but to rear and subsequently find housing and yarding accommodation for them. To start upon a hatching season without visualising an the requirements is a great mistake, and only means muddling along afterwards. For every 100 chickens to be hatched, two good brooders are necessary if the; hatching is to bo continuous; and housing accommodation, calculated, upon half the space needed lor.adult birds, will be required for the growing chickens after they leave the brooders. Ii /4 00 good pullets are required, about IOOJ chickens will have to be hatched, the remainder representing cockerels and wastage. The tendency among poultry-keepers is to start the hatching season trusting to luck to bring out as many chickens as possible, and still further to luck as to how they arc to be fed and accommodated; only too often success in the mutter of hatching brings about a breakdown of the whole effort, eimply because that which will be essential in the event of success has not been thought out and provided for." —ln a recent number of a contemporary a correspondent tells how he lias throughout the year obtained an average of live

mid six eggs per woti from his fowls fed on the. following- menu: —For breakfast he gives boiled potatoes and middlings (warm in winter), and wheal tailings for the evennig- feed. Hi;-: method of mixing the morning's soft food is to drain off all the water from the' potatoes, and allow then: io dry;, then work in by hand as much middlings as will make the feed nice and crumbly. His birds are on free farm range, ploughed fields, clay subsoil, and only just the houses and field fences for shelter, and get only the two feeds per diem as above mentioned. He pertinently remarks that the scientists would tell you these birds ought to be dying of liver disease, whilst

as a matter of fact they are in perfect health, and putting up an. excellent egg record. I am personally always favourable to a moderate use of potatoes. If we study analyses and theoretical feeding wo should condemn them; but practice goes to show how extremely useful the tuber is for poultry under certain conditions, and when properly used. At the present time, when all foods are dear, and potatoes about as cheap

as anything in the market, I do not hesitate to advocate their use as a cheap and serviceable addition to the bill of fare. Personally, I do not use them quite as often as the men above, referred to. We usually work them in about three times a week, sometimes using middlings and sometimes barley meal for mixing in the way he describes; but given as he says they are quite satisfactory feed; and there is one great point'—that farmer doubtless grew his own potatoes and wheat tailings. All he had to buy would be the middlings, and it is difficult to' conceieve how he could provide as cheap or cheaper a fare in any other way, .and one that would give such an excellently satisfactory laying record as five to six eggs per week for the first three months of the year, and especially considering the "variety samples" of weather wo have this year experienced.—Joseph Pettiphcr, in Farm, Field, and Fireside. The New Zealand Utility Poultry Club's twelfth egg-laying competition for light-breed fowls for the eleventh week ended June 27 shows- that the following arc the leading pons:

1. Dalnrair P. Yards (Walthani), W.L. .. 283 2. A. E. Phillins (St. Albans), W.L. .. 285 3. Cakler Bros. (Oamarn), W.L 284 4. Verral Bros. (Swannavroa). B.L 270 5. Master Jack Green (St. Albans), W.L. 26:^ C. J. Xa near row (Burwood), W.L 2GG 7. Mrs J. Mills (Wcodhaugh). W.L. .. 261 S. A. Eaton (St. Albans), W.L 263 There are 49 pens (294 birds) in this competifon, and the total number o; cy;:;s laid to date is 10.433. In the third heavy breed contest the leadings pens arc: 1. Miss E. Willis (Shirley), 8.0 271 2. T. E. Conway (Kirwce). 8.0 261) 3. Miss J. James (Sockburn), 8.0 255 1. J. Nancarrow (Burwocd), 8.0 235 There are 11 pens (66 birds) in this competitor), consisting of two pens of white Wyandottes, one pen Plymouth Rocks, one Rhode Island Reds, five black Orpingtons, and two silver Wyandottes. To date the total eggs laid is I£oß. First single-pen contest: 1. Mrs J. Mills (Dunedin). W.L G2 1. A. S. Cooper (Sprevoon). R.I.R. .. 62 2. R. H. James (Marshlands). W.L. .. CO 3. Cakler Eros. (Oamarn), W.L 5S There are 14 birds entered —viz.. two Rhode Island Reds and 12 white Leghorns. The 14 birds have laid 623 eggs to dale. Seventh duck test: 1. H. W. Bcwcr (Levin) 203 2. Heretaunga Poultry Co. (Silveistrcam) 293 3. W. Knight (Lower Hutt.) 11l Indian runners only are competing, and there are only throe pens entered. '1 lie total laid to date is 703 egg's. "Messrs Rcilly, Gill, and Co. report:— "With the exception of a few pullets which name into our market for Wednesday's sale, the weekly sale- were devoid of interest. Very few birds came to hand, and prices were fully maintained. Sales were effected as per detailed list below. Eggs are much easier i" price. Some agents seem to have got panicky, and wanting to clear stocks regardless of values. Wo were able to secure for our consignments Is 5d and Is 6d per dozen. On Friday we heard of eggs being sold at Is 3d per dozen. Cockerels—ll at Is 9d, 50 at 2s fid, 16 at 2s Dd. 14 at 2s lOd. at 3s 9d. 13 at 4s Id, 11 at 4s 3d: ks—ll at, 2s, 1] at 2s 6d, 11 at 3s: hens—at Is Id, 13 at Is 4d, 31 at 1? 9d. 25 Is lid, 17 at 2s Id. 14 at 2s 2c., 19 at sd, 16 at 3s; pullets—l 3 at 3s Dd. 13 at is 15 at 4s 3d, 27 at 4s 6d, 13 at 4k. 7d."

SOUTHLAND HOG-LAVING COMPETITION. The secretary of the Southland Egg-lay-ing Competition reports the result for the eleventh week ending June 27 as follows :—-

. 879 8806 One bird dead; five in pen. Mr J. J. Schultz's pen (No. 23), with a seoro of 147 for four weeks, wins the monthly prize of a bag of oats donated by Henderson and Co., Ltd. Miss Sutherland s pen (No. 22) was second with a score of 125 eggs.

— "White Leghorns.— Pen Grand :\o. Dailv laying. Total. 2 J. Stevens 5433424—25 370 31 John Dow-cl all .. 3421241—23 347 35 Enterprise P.- Farm 4626454—31 345 22 Miss Sutherland 6263552—29 330 9 Mrs Gorinski 6145452—30 319 5 C. Crichton 6343151—29 315 23 J. J. Schultz 6556555—37 302 24 Rangiuru Egg Ranch 5333421—21 302 34 J. idislop 2435224—22 298 32 James Strang 4323341—20 296 13 J. B. JMorrett .. 2463534—27 270 28 K. Finlayson 3142241—17 271 30 Eillstone and Davies 5435434—28 264 23 H. Wocdnorth . , 5444534—29 261 3G Tracy King .. .. 4262405—23 250 6 S. L. Beer 4364454—30 250 12 W. Hamilton 2644323—24 246 8 C. Clavton 4241334—24 237 7 J. Thomson 4444244—26 232 26 F. Orme 4151422—19 228 20 Green Bros. 5305355—32 223 38 C. Warburton . 4344534—27 213 10 Enterprise P. Farm 1533433—22 210 21 T. E. Davis .. .. 44425 13—26 199 33 J. Stevens 5354425—28 192 11 Jauies Ireland .. 2112122—11 185 27 H. Fortune 2323412—17 1S5 13 C. Mathoson 2222023—13 177 1 R. Ross 3535122—24 165 IS C. Raines 3242233—19 10) J. Strang 5316336 —32 153 19 R. W. Hawke .. 0311101— 7 143 3 Mrs Carr 6144552—30 13S — Black Orpingtons.— 37 i\. Porgiiscn* 5314334—26 313 29 J. 11. liurrell .. 1221130—10 125 — vv hite Plymouth Rocks.— 14 T. E. Davis .. .. 0112132—10 173 — Cam pin os.— 17 K. Dunlop 2143)12—23 160 — Columbian Wyanclottes.— 4 Mrs J. Mills .. 1111211— 8 37 879 8806