POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3403, 4 June 1919, Page 45

POULTRY NOTES.

Bv Tesrob. I would recommend intending exihitors at this season's shows to read the remarks on "trimming" which appear in this week's Kennel Notes,, also the contribution.- by Mr J. H. Shaw in re the decision of the standard conference which appears below. During the winter months there is not one element which will harm a flock as much as will dampness. Where there is moisture there is filth; with moisture there is frost, and with it comes disease. Birds intended for show should be separately penned by now. The plumage, particularly of male birds, is delicate and oftentimes a broken feather may mean the loss of a card. The birds should, be first penned by lamplight, for there is less disturbance in removing them from the roosting perch to the pen than in catching them in the open. - , • —After the birds have spent their first night in the training coop they should not be taken unawares by your approach. Instead, walk lightly into the houses, calling cheerfully to them. As you slowly approach them they will soon forget their strange confinements and thrust their heads through the slats for their breakfast. It is easier at first to place a small stick on a frightened bird's back than a hand, but in time by kindness they will lose all fear of you. Every available moment should now be spent beside the training coops smoothing the birds' plumage and endeavouring to induce them to stand straight up, with head well elevated.

The success or failure of rearing operations depends mainly on the condition of the breeding stock. This word "condition" sums up many, points in themind of the experienced breeder.' It implies, first, the physical condition of the birds; they should be hard, not soft, fat and flabby. There is only one way of arriving at this state — viz., by plenty of exercise. Grain in the litter, free range, and a strictly limited allowance of soft food are the principal means to this end. It is always better to err on the side of having the hens in spare condition in June. Very thin hens do not make good breeders, but it is a simple matter to improve their plumpness by an extra allowance of food, whereas if too fat, it will take many weeks before they are brought back to a state of fitness for the breeding pen. Handling of every hen is not only desirable, but in our opinion necessary. Condition can be judged by examining the thighe, which should be hard, and the abdomen or portion below the breastbone, which should be soft and pliable, not hard and glossy, which denotes over-fatness. Lice should be sought for. There are few • hens free from them, and some will be found in a very bad state, with clusters of nits attached to the feathers. Mercurial ointment or white precipitate ointment will be found thoroughly effective. Both ointments are poisonous, and should be carefully used. If the hens are backward, an extra allowance of fish meal or any good animal food is the best way to bring them on. Spices should not be given. The increased use of spices is responsible for many difficulties in chicken-rearing 1 , and breeders who sell eggs or day-old chicks from spiced hens, or from hens whose records in the pullet year were obtained by spices, is committing an act which can hardly be considered other than a fraud. Good layers do not need spices to make them lay. and records obtained by the free uso of these drugs give an entirely fictitious value to breeding stock, since the good laying cannot possibly bo transmitted. If a white hen is dyed black or blue she will not give chickens of these colours. Neither will the spiced hen give daughters that are good layers. If hens have to bo put in separate flocks or pens, and some of them are strangers, the sooner this is done the better. Putting in a strnnge hen or bens amongst some that are laying, or on the point of laying, upsets them for a considerable time. Sometimes they fight for several days. This should be all "over a fortnight before eggs are required for batching, so that those who contemplate starting in mid-January should lose no time in choosing and mating their birds. In the case of a farm flock where all run together, this difficulty never arise 3,

and the only preparation that need be made is to put the best dozen hens available ih a portable house, running a good cockerel with them. This is less expensive than using sufficient male birds to fertilise the eggs of the whole flock. The age of the breeding stock is of vital importance to the breeder of heavy layers. Pullets, especially late-hatched birds, and those that have made very high winter records, give small weedy chickens, and consequently great losses in rearing. Second and third year birds, on the other hand, give fine large chicks that even a novice can rear. Hatohing from pullets is at the root of more than half the troubles experienced in rearlpg chicks from heavy layers. Some breeders are willing to lose 50 per cent., and think themselves lucky. Rearing could be done with one-third of this loss if none but well-matured hens were used as breeders.

A leading Lancashire breeder once stated that half the records made by birds belonging to big breeders go in at the mouth, and there is a good deal of truth in the statement j hence the importance of knowing how to feed, and whioh of the multitude of methods to follow. To put the matter in a nutshell, it does not matter, provided the right materials are. used, how or in what form the food is placed before the birds. Equally good results can be obtained from soft food given in the morning, at noon, or in the evening. The grain may be similarly varied as to time _of giving, the only stipulation made being that, if given 'in broad daylight, it is better to give it in litter, whereas if given at dusk it should be in a trough, so that the birds can get it quickly. —Of late inquiries have been niore numerous as to the value of dry mash feeding, and a word as to its advantages and disadvantages may be useful. Like the intensive system, this plan originated in America, and in like manner it has been boomed out of all proportion to its value. Its great advantage is its labour-saving, and this quality it undoubtedly possesses, although to be really successful it does not mean feeding the hens once a week, and then leaving them to their own devices. For workingmen or businessmen, dry mash feeding possesses many advantages, because they can be away for the day, and yet be 'sure the birds are well fed. From a farm point of view, the system "is not a success, because the great value of fowls on a farm; is due to the fact that they consume so much stuff which would otherwise go to waste. Amongst these waste products may be mentioned small potatoes, roots, housesoraps. and such cheap foodstuffs as wet and dried grains and malt culms. None of these can be included in a dry mash, andvfew of us contemplate the production of winter eggs without a liberal supply of nearly all of them. The small potato properly balanced by fish meal or dried yeast is one of the most valuable foods we have—in fact, fowls cannot be cheaply fed on a ration from which potatoes are absent. There is no objection—quite the reverse—to giving heavy layers a box of dry mash as a supplementary food, but for farm, use I see no reason to change my belief in the value of soft food, combined with a small allowance of grain. The fowls* can be kept in the highest state of health and vigour, which are two results aimed' at by all good feeders. , —.The balance sheet submitted at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Poultry Club showed that the club had improved its position financially during _ the past year. This improvement was entirely duo to revenue obtained from the club'? competition. The sum of £2lB was received for entoies, and various other receipts in connection with the competition amounted to £915 12s 2d. The expenses totalled £3Ol 9s 2d, --showing a balance of £ll4 3s. In the Teport the club calls attention of members to the financial statement dealing with the working of the club during the year, and expresses the hope that members will agree that the raising of the subscription to 10s per year is necessary if the club i« to thrive. According to the balance sheet there was £ll4 3s excess of income over expenditure on the fourteenth competition account, but tho club account for the year showed £6l 17s 7d excess expenditure over income. lhe assets totalled £533.

Government Grant.—ln order to financially assist it in making the various alterations contemplated :n connection with ensuing competitions and also to meet extra wages' expenditure entailed, the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club decided at its annual meeting in May to forward a request to the New Zealand Poultry Association that that body approach the Government, on behalf of this club, for a grant of £SOO. This the association agreed to do. Mr K. W. Hawke was appointed delegate from tho club to the deputation which waited on the Minister. Ho reported that the deoutation had been favourably received and their arguments carefully listened to. Eventually the Poultry Association were informed that the Government had decided to' grant the sum of £52 per annum for 'three years towards tho competition ex penses. Although not nearly so large as was hoped, yet the donation is an earnest of the Government's appreciation of the work of the club, and encourages the hope that some further assistance may bo looked for in the future. Mr J. H. Shaw, secretary to the South Island Poultry Association, writing to the New Zealand "Poultry Journal, says:—"The Standard Conference has approved of the following instructions to judges of utility classes: —That the merit of specimens shall W determined by a careful examination of all the essentials in the 'Scales of Points, beginning with type and continuing throagh the list, deducting from the full value of each section of a perfect bird, for such defects as are found in each specimen. Judges must consider carefully each and every section of the speoimen, and not allow colour alone, or a specimen excelling only in head points, to influence their decisions. The vital importance > of • typical shape of tho breed that is being adjudicated upon is to be born constantly in mind, at the same time giving due consideration to colour in all sections, includintr under-colour. In determining size the judge shad decide by comparing the specimens in competitions, with due resrard to weight in all breeds and varieties, as specified in thj Standard. When a bird fails 10 attain to, or in case it exceeds, the size proportionate with tho type or shape, it must bo discounted quite severely. It is desirable that the judge recognise and reward those specimens that come nearest to the ideal in shape, size, and weight, still giving the important and 4 vital matter of correct! plumage full credit. Exhibits with any feather or feathers, stubs, or down on shrinks, feet or toes, or unmistakable indications of feathers having been plucked frqm same, must be passed. A wing showing clipped flights or secondaries, or both, shall make the specimen ineligible for com-

petition. The - entfre absence of main fall feathers, or absence of feathers from-second-aries, or both, shall make the- specimen Ineligible for competition. The entire absence of main tail feathers, or absence of feathers from secondaries or primaries, Is a serious defect, and a specimen with only one sickle shall bo penalised 8 points. The oomb on a specimen which merely turns over a trifle from the natural upright position Is not to disqualify; but an exhibit with dopped comb, or comb so large. as to obstruot the sight, must bo passed. Numerous other useful guides to judges will be ( included in the Standard, and exhibitors might rarefully note that faking in any manner shall disqualify the specimen penned." j Messrs Fraser and Co., produce merchants, auctioneers, and commission ajrents, 146 Crawford street, Dunedin, report j-j Eggs: Supplies are increasing daily, ana there is still a keen demand for all lines j fresh 2s 4d to 2s Sd,. Egg Circle eggs 2s 6d, preserved Is 10d. Poultry: We held our usual auction sale on Wednesday at 1.30. There was a good damand for all classes of poultry. We recommend consignments of ducks for next week's fiale, also young \ cockerels. The following prices wore realised at per head:—Hens—2o at 2s, 14 a* 2s Id, 100 at 2s 3d, 75 at 2s td, 80 at - 2s 6d, 15 at 2s 7d; cockerels—4 at 2s 10d, 12 at 3s, 15 at 3s 3d. 18 at 3s 6d, 3 at 4s lOd, 2at 4s lid. Bat ss; ducks—l 4at 4s; geese, 4s 6d to ss; turkeys—hens lOd, gobblers lid per lb live weight: pullets—• 3 at 3s fed. 4 at 5s 3d, 12 at 5s lOd, 10 at 5s lid, 9 at 6s, 4 at 6s Id, 4 at 6s 3d. 3 at 6s 6d, 4 at 4s. 5' at 4s 3d, 5 at 4s 6d

Keilly's Central Produce Mart reports Very, heavy consignments of poultry cams forward for our sale on Wednesday lask Hens, cockerels, and drakes realised record prices. Preserved eggs: During the week a much better demjnd has been experienced for these, and We were able to clear our consignmnts at Is lOd to Is lid per dozen.Fresh eggs at 2s -9d, and in some instance* as high as 3s was secured. The following prices were ruling at our poultry sale: Hens—ls at 3s 3d, 24 at 3s, 35 at 2s 9d, 37 at 2s Bd, 88 at 2s 7d, 60 at 2s 6d. 23 at 2s sd, 7 at 2s 4d, 8 at 2s, 2 at Is Cd; cockerels—l 6 at 4s 6d. 20 at 3s 4d, 30 at 3s, 15 at 2s lid, 22 at 2s lOd, 9 at 2s 9d, 4 at 2s 7d, 1 at 2s 6d, 7 at 2s; ducks—l 6 at 4s 6d, sat 4s 3d; geese—--6 at ss, 6 at 5s 9d—all at per head. OTAGO EGG CIRCLE. The third annual report states that during the year 14 joined the circle as active meinbsrs, and the names of 11 have been etoruck* off the roll, nearly all of -whom dropped out through not having sufficient eggs to send in, A. few poultry keepers who welcomed the advent of the circle paid the entrance fee. but, being unable to surmount (profitably) the difficulty of conveyance, have dropped 1 out. The membership is now 74 (73 active and on* honorary). Branch depots exist *at Herbert, Beaumont, and Milton. The last named is supplied by eight member*. The circle's selling agents have, during the past year, disposed of 153,813 dozen eggs on behalf of members. Last year's total was 145,274 dozen. The demand for circle egg* still continues, and some. 5994 dozen were shipped io the "Wellington market. The Oamaru Circle sends its supplies for Dunedia market to our agent, and in all a total of ■•'. 236,006 dozen eggs have been .handled bv Messrs Praser and Co., as compared with 213,613 dozen last year. During the recent influenza epidemio, members donated overt 400 dozen eggs and a number of poultry td help those in distress in, Dunedin. In addition, to this, quito a number assisted) with eggs, chickens, etc., in their own districts. No levy has been made this year, but a fahf credit appears in the balance sheet. The committee fixed a maximum Of 2s 6d as the wholesale price of winter eggs this season, as it considered this to be in the best in« terests of the members. The retail price o( 2s 9d was also clearly mentioned in the ad* vertisements.. The next conference (March, 1920) will be held in Dunedin, and as this will mark the first occasion on which th« association has come oo far eoiuth to meet in conference, it is to be hoped that members will attend the meetings and make the occasion a red-letter day among tihe poultrykeepers of-Otago amd Southland!. The committee trusts that, the Government, in settling returned soldiers, will not overlook the claims of Otago' in the matter of securing land euitwv able for poultry-farming for those men benl that way.