POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3420, 30 September 1919, Page 43

POULTRY NOTES.

By TEnac-a

The annual balance sheet of the Tapanui Poultry and Produce Club shows that, considering the difficulties the club had to contend with on account of the railway restrictions, the position is satisfactory, and as the president (Mr K. M'Kenzic) said, the committee has every reason to be pleased. The club decided to hand over any profits to the Hospital Peace Ward Fund, and owing to substantial donations "of grain and produce, the committee were' in a position to hand over £25 to the hospital. The election of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows:—President, Mr K. M'Kenzic (re-elected); vicepresident, Mr J. U'Dowd (re-elected); committee —Messrs P. Hav, F. Lischner, W. W. Mackie, W. R. Quin, A. J. Stiven, R, Leask, W. Mercer, J as. Eskdale, M. M'Auley, and Jas. Jerrold. The secretary was voted the sum of £B, and accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his services during the year. In acknowledging this, Mr Munyard said the railway restrictions had accounted for the loss of fully 100 entries in the poultry section, but local exhibitors had given splendid support. The entries in the winter produce section were steadily increasing. The date of the next show wa3 fixed for the second Saturday in July, 1920. ance in starting to breed poultry to build upon a thoroughly sound foundation, and this can only be done by procuring stock of high quality. It is the breeding—the parentage —of a fowl and its rearing which determines its future. But even with such a start careful study is necessary first of all to maintain high quality and subsequently to improve. There is no standing still in the poultry business, any more than in any other business; it is always a matter of going forward or backward. The poultry-keeper must know his fowls and know them individually. Their ago, ancestry, productive powers, their past record as breeders, and of what each is capable—at least all this is necessary for progress and for profit. It is only a leap in the dark to breed from birds one knows nothing about, and quite impossible to form any idea as to what their offspring will be. Sometimes it happens that reaslly typical birds prove a disappointment in the breeding pen, throwing stock very inferior to themselves. And this is the caso both as regards appearance and laying power. Again, on the other hand at times a bird which from its outward appearance hardly seems worthy of a place in the breeding pens will produce stock of a remarkably good quality. I nave met with many cases of this kind, and I believe that, notwithstanding ail the talk about laying type, that this is as true _ in respect to ogg-production as to breeding for* the shew pen. In view of all these facts it will be readily seen that to begin in a small way with a' few really good birds is the wisest plan for those who are contemplating taking up poultry work. The progress of this method may appear to be slow, but there is the certainty that one is treading on safe ground, and, given patience and perseverance on the part of the poultry-keeper, there is reason to expect that the efforts he puts forth will'be crowned with success at the end. Yellow Shanks.—Professor H. C. Knan. del, of Pennsylvania State College, says: " That yellow colour in the bird is nothing more than fat which is stored up in the body of the bird. That fat, as the hen lays her eggs, is gradually taken out from her body and gradually drawn out from her shanKs and her beak and her earlobes—in fact, everywhere where there is a surplus. This fat is put into the yolk of the egg. That is the reason why your heavy producer has the white shank at the close of a laying season." how foolish it was on the part \>f fanciers to aim at showing Leghorns, both hens and pullets, with bright yellow legs, even giving to the extent of painting them! Had they only known the very fact that a hen had yellow legs was evidence that she was a poor layer, and also that a strong point in the selection of a bird for the breeding pen with them —though, perhaps, they did not know it —was that she was unlikely to transmit strong egg-laying power to her progeny. As regards suitable litter for the scratching pen, dry earth properly used takes a lot of beating, but it should be of the nature of mould and not heavy clay or gritty. A good plan is to cut through a truss of straw with the bands cut on the top of it, and the fowls can be relied upon to scatter it, and in a yery short time make a splendidly mixed litter for themselves. Not only is earth cheap; it is a capital deordoriser, a very useful reducing agent for the droppings, and it prevents the chaff or straw from blowing about the place; while, of course, it may always—and will —be used by the fowls for dusting purposes. Pullets which start laying at six months in the light breeds and seven or eight months in the heavy breeds may be expected to continue laying, if properly cared for, right through the winter. They will lay eggs of average size, and because they are the eggs of fully-developed birds, it

is reasonable to expect to hatch strong chickens from them. If on the other hand pullets that start at four or five months their eggs are bound to bo small, and it would be risky to breed from them, for, though this precocious laying is certainly evidence of productive character, it is not desirable for it is at the price of stunted growth throughout the life of the bird, and. although the eggs become larger, they do not reach the normal size of the eggs of the breed. _ The best plan to avoid precocious laying is to avoid a stimulating diet, and to move likely layers to fresh quarters. Whan filling an incubator the game is to get in as many eggs as possible, of course. To do this they should be stood almost upright, with the small end in the tray; this will allow about onefifth more eggs than the stated capacity to be got in. A week later, when the infertiles are thrown out, the other eggs will settle down on their sides and do well. As a general thing the eggs are fertile on the fourth day after the male bird goes into the pen, and for seven or eight days after ho goes out. The heat in an incubator is greater in the centre than at the corners. For this reason it is wise to change the position of the eggs every day, so that they all get a fair share of the variations in the temoerature.

t — New York State (Geneva) and also Cornell have made exhaustive experiments to determine the importance ot mineral matter and grinding material for poultry. Wheeler proved that oyster shells are digested by fowls and the lime goes to make the eggshell. Wheeler also found that for growing chicks bone ash may supply mineral matter "as well as animal food. Oyster shell is not so good for chicks, cither alone or with bone ash. Compared to and with vegetable ration, ash and shell were better. Both animal rations and_ vegetable rations were rendered less oflicient by oyster shell. Florida rock gave better results than shell when both were mixed with, sand (no animal food). Rock alone with vegetable ration gave better results than sand. Rock and sand gave better results than sand. Cornell proved that fowls need lime other than that normally found in grain and vegetable foods; that >rrit is passed in largo quantities before it is reduced, and that a dissolving or wearing process takes place while the grit is retained within the body. It was also proved, but not yet published in bulletin that grit for grinding is essential for best production and health of fowls, and that lime* in the form of oyster shells supplies the need for material to make the eggshell; that hens not supplied with lime in the form of oyster shells laid fewer eggs, the eggs had weaker shells, and the hens ate their" eggs and were in weaker condition of health when compared with similar hens having oyster shcLs, but otherwise similarly fed and handled.

Messrs Fraser and Co., produce merchants, auctioneers, and commission agents, 146 Oranvford street, Dunedin, report: "Eggs: Market steady. Fresh, Is 4d to Is 4jd; Egg Circle eggs, Is sd. Butter market bare. Pound pats (senaratorh Is 7d; milled (bulk), Is 7d to Is 7±d. Pigs: Good bacon weights, 10gd to lid; overweights., 6d to 9cl. Tallow, 35s to 45s per cwt; market firm. ITonev: ■ Good bulk, 74d; sections, 9d to lOd; iOlb tins, 7s 6d. Beeswax, 2s per lb. Meatmeal, guaranteed 50 per cent, protein, 20s per 1001 b. Poultry : We held our usual sale on Wednesday at 1.30. We submitted and sold a line of 70 one-year-old hens and pullets. The following nriccs were realised: —Hens—six at 3s, 24 at 4s 9d, 10 at ss, 15 at 5s 6d, seven at 6s; pullets—five at Bs, five at Gs 6d, five at ks 3d; cockerels —two at 4s, one at 8s; ducks—three at 4s 6d, five at 4s 9d; geese, 3s 6d to ss; all at per head. Turkeys: Hens, Is 2d: gobblers, Is 3d to Is per 11) live weight. 1 ' Reilly's Central Produce Mart (Ltd.) report: A great scarcity in table poultry. Good cockerels urgently wanted. Ducklings eagerly inquired for. There is a keen demand for boiling hens. We sold quite a number of ducks during the week, which realised 15s per pair. Young ducklings reaching our market next month would command extremely high prices. (Possilaly 8s each would be secured for prime ducklings.) Geese would also command good values. Turkeys are wanted. Eggs are coming to hand freely, and we have had no difficulty in securing Is 6d per dozen for all oui consignments. Poultry consignors will fry pleased to note that we have enlarged our premises, and that we are looking forward to an increased supply of table poultry to meet the requirements of our customers. The following prices were secured by auction and privately:—Ducks—liis, Hs, J.ss; hens—6s, 7s. Bs, 8s 6d, 9s, 9s 6d; pullets—Bs, 8s 6d, 9s, lis, 14s; cockerels —Bs, 10s, lis, lis 6d, 12s, 14s per pair."