POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3352, 12 June 1918, Page 43

POULTRY NOTES.

Tsv Teshok —Mr F. C. Brown, the Government chief poultry expert, says that many case, have recently como under hie notice o pullets not growing to the desired size. nor commencing tc lay when expected, in some flocks the hatching had been at the rig tit period, but at six monhts old exhibited a weedy, backward appearance. In some cases the unsatisfactory condition was due to jnsuiiicient food being supp Led, as well as to wrong management generally ; but in other instances the birds were well cared for, and an abundance ol food supplied, but of a wrong kind. Mr Brown ctoes not say, but 1 presume we takes it for granted without his saying it, 'that in other cases the feeding may have been all right, but that the "'care" was carelessness exempi.J He points out that the old practice . making a mash of two parts of pollaru to one of bran does not hold good nowadays, owing to 'the inferi . quanty of the pollard at the disposal of Breeders. He recommends as a substitute tor inferior pollard' ground wheat, and suggests a mash of one part ground wheat to two parts bran; but as usually only inferior-quahty wheat is ground by the millers, ho recommends poultrymen to choose their own sample and get it ground accordingly. This is undoubtedly sound advice, and should bo followed as far as possible, for certainly hens will lay sooner and more frequently on good feed than on poor, and, what is more, the present price of eggs warrants the little extra cost of good over inferior food. The poultry sections at this month's Duncdin Fanciers' Show promise to be as attractive as usual. Two hundred and Sixty-eight have been received, as against 273 last year. The most noticeable feature here is the large number entered in the utility classes, the white Leghorn pullets alone totalling 51. In the other classes Rhode Island Reds appear to be becoming increasingly popular, while Leghorns find Minorcas are well up to the mark. Wyandottes show a slight falling away, as do bantams. The pigeon section is the one which shows the largest expansion, there being 250 entries, as against 168, principally homers. Canaries number about the same. The cats and children's pets section maintains its popularity, and there is likely to be some line exhibits of Persian and other cats.

and two Langshans were disqualified in the single +)-;sU competition at Hawkesbury (New South Wales) for producing egg? which did not come up to the standard of 240 z 'to the dozen, and in the heavy breeds (single test) four silver Wyandottes, three Rhode Island Reds, six black Orpingtons, and one Langshan were barred for the same reason. -In the pens of six birds to the pen two teams of six silver Wyandottes and the same number of black Orpingtons were put out. Breeders who have suffered in this respect in New Zealand are, I imagine, already devising schemes for increasing the size of eggs whilst maintaining number, and, no doubt, they find the problem a difficult one to solve. Perhaps, on the principle of ' prevention" being better than "cure," the quickest method of getting over their trouble will be to start with a new strain —i.e., with one which in other hands has stood the competition test conditions. All they will then have to do will be to maintain by careful breeding what they have already got. The Christchurch Club's show, held last week, is reported to have been a great success. The entries were not up to last year, but strong classes were nevertheless presented to the judges. In the open class Wyandottes (71), Rhode Island Reds (53), and Orpingtons (38) formed the strongest classes. White Leghorns in these classes numbered only 14, and Minorcas 13. In the utility classes Orpingtons numbered 51 and Wyandottes 49, and white Leghorns 90. Mr P. Carolin secured the club Cup with a young cockerel, thus keeping Dunedin's end up. Mr J. B. White (Dunedin) also got a special award with a silver hen. —Mr H. L. Sprosen also scored in the Utility Class by getting a first with a Minorca (singlo comb), and a third with a pullet in the hen or pullet class. crooked beast is in the majority of cases laid down as a disqualification. It is quite true that few judges actually impose the penalty for such. At the same time the defect" is one> much concerns the breeder who is aware of its undesirableness, but so far has been able to do little towards its prevention. The older poultry authorities, without hesitation, attributed it to allowing the chickens to go to roost too soon, the weight of the body causing an indentation of the soft cartilage of the breast, which became permanent as

tho breastbone hardened. Later-day practical poultry-keepers have all demonstrated tho above cause as mere theory, experiments showing that chickens not allowed to roost until more than half grown had an equal percentage of the above defects as those allowed their own will in the matter of perching. It is also well known that wild birds which perch from tho time they leave the nest have never been seen with this defect; further, a yard of the ordinary barnyard fowls, which as a rule perch how and where they like, have fewer specimens with tho objectionable indentation than have tho well-bred and fed specimens of the poultry fancier. The newer and more reasonable theory is that the complaint is hereditary, and that its greater prevalence among fanciers' stock is tho fact that the birds aro kept under more or less artificial conditions than tho commoner stocks. As a preventive tho following advice ha 3 been given by an English expert:—"Let tho growth bo slow, so that large frames may be built, tip before tho birds become fleshy. Provide chickens with plenty of fresh green food, give them worms and other insects, make them exercise, and feed them chiefly on grain, such as a mixture of barley and oats and wheat. Allow them an occasional tonic of iron and a drink of limewater, and you will produce strong-boned, big-bodied birds, with plenty of muscle, tho very best breeders, and free from crooked breasts or any other such deformities. Get the bones well grown, and they will carry any amount of flesh.

Messrs Fraser and Co.. 146 Crawford street, Dunedin, agents for the Otago Egg Circle, report: " Eggs: Market weaker. Fresh, Is lOd to Is lid. Stamped, 2s 2d. Poultry: At our sale on Wednesday at 1.30 we had a fai>- yarding of all classes to offer. The feature of the sale was the high prices of ducks and turkeys. The following prices were realised:—Hens—2o at Is 3d. 10 at Is 4d, 30 at 2s 6d, 25 at Is 9d, 20 at 2s, 18 at 2s 3d; pullets— Ave at se, 10 at 6s; ducks—2o at 4s; geese —four at 4s 6d. six at ss; turkey gobblers —ls at lid five at Hid; hens—one at 10, six at 10id, five at lo£d per lb live weight. We have an unlimited demand for turkeys." The Co-operative Fruit-frrowcrs of '•"■ago (Ltd.) report: "A moderate yard- / of poultry came forward for our sale i Wednesday, and prices for all lines were illy maintained. Cho'ce ducks are in demand, and hens have good inquiry. Eggs: The market is fullv supplied with preserved and fresh eggs. Stock foods have good inquiry. The following prices were realised at our sale on Wednesday:—Hens —nine at is 4d, 71 at Is 6d, 131 at Is 7d, 36 at Is 3d. 27 at Is 9d, 12 at Is lOd, 15 at Is lid, 35 at 2s. 18 at 2s Id, eight at 2s 2d, three at 2s~ 3d. two at 2s 6d, three, at 2s 9d; ducks—five at 3s 5d ; cockerels — five at Is lOd, two at 2s, 12 at 2s 2d, nine at 2s 9d, ono at 2s lOd, 10 at ss, 32 at 3s 2d four at 3s 3d, 'two at 3s sd, two at 3s 6d."