POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3511, 28 June 1921, Page 21

POULTRY NOTES.

By

Terror.

7 E. F. —I don’t advise giving hardboiled egg to young chickens. A little coarse oatmeal answers splendidly for the first few feeds. It satisfies the chicks, and does not cause diarrhoea as do wet, soft foods. You can put a little finely-cut-up green stuff before them from the very start. • —“Sport..”—Double-yolked eggs are caused by forcing food, sometimes by overfeeding. if you are giving the boiled rabbits everyday you may conclude that is the cause. Try giving it only twice weekly. You will x;et just as many eggs, and, if (as I think) too much meat is the cause, the double-yolked eggs will discontinue. "Reader.” —You will seldom get from a full setting of runner duck eggs birds all of the same colour and markings. However good the strain, the shades of markings will vary. Fawn colour is preferred, but it is not a test as to purity, merely the ideal to aim at. Though the breeding pen may be all “fawn.” th© progeny will not be_ all true. It is the same with other points of perfection. Were it not. so all birds would be first prize- birds, and shows would soon be tilings of the past. “Fowl Breeder,” Fairlie.—You may—indeed there is nothing else for it—mate the imported cock to his own daughters, or one of the cockerels to the imported hens. If you adopt the last-mentioned plan you Slave the satisfaction of knowing- that at least one of the two hens is not, Ins mother, and very likely not even a near relation. If you make a pen of the father and daughters the progeny will be inbred in the fullest, sense ot the term, but in the follow, ing and each succeeding- generation you will have wider and wider scope for outbreeding-. The Southland and Papanui egg-laying competitions have scarcely being going long enough this year to be interesting, excepting to those who have exhibits. It is indeed quire probable that some of the birds which have not yet started laying will be amongst the leaders during the last few months of the tests. However, at flout,bland I notice that in the single bird test at. the end of th© eighth week (June 10) Mr Charles Thomson’s white Leghorns and Mr Tracey King’s silver Wyandottes are equal and leading with 46 eggs each. In the teams test (six birds) Mr Tracey King's white Leghorns lead with 270 and Mr E. G. Scott’s and Mr P. Nelson’s white Leghorns come (equal) second with 208 At Papanui the leaders are as follow: Heavy breed single hen contest—J. p. Drewett, 8.0., 57; light breed single hen contest—J. Riggins, W.L., 46; light breed single bird test (throe birds), best, bird—R. Wilson, W.L., 47; Tracey King, W.L., 47; D. F. Coulter. W.L , 47. Heavy breed single bird test, (three birds entered)- A. IT. Hounsell. R.1.R., 51. Light breed flock team (six birds) —11. Williams, W.L.. 217. Returned soldiers’ competition (six birds) A. 11. Adams. W.L., 269. Ducks; Single pen (three ducks) - R. W. Hawke, 56 62 52; flock team (six ducks) —J. H. Hannah, 51.

Mr John Taylor, who judged the Taieri Show on Saturday last, reports that in Minorcas the first cockerel was a splendid bird, good everywhere. The first pullet would be hard to beat in any class, being a good all-round bird of splendid type, and beat cockerel in type for special. In white Leghorns the first cock is a good bird, but nothing special. Hens: First bird hard to beat in any show ; second hen is of good utility, but small. Cockerels: First, good generally, but coarse in comb; second well up. Pullets: First a beauty with good lobes, even comb, face, and eye, also in type; second very close up; good lot of birds in whole class. Other breeds poor, brown Leghorn weedy. From other sources I learn as follows: —Utility breeding pens: Heavy breeds—the first-prize pen (Mr Sturmer’a 8.0.’5) cock bird was a real beauty, excelling in type and colour. The second pen failed to first in type. In light breeds Mr A. E. Goodlet’s deserved their win, it was a really splendid pen. In the second pen (Mr Henderson’s) tbe cockerel was one of the best in the show, but the hens were too leggy and wanting in type. was too. much white in the face noticeable amongst the Leghorns, particularly in the browns. hard, dry grain is very liable to cause crop trouble; over-distension, caused by giving too large a feed of grain after a. long fast, or mechanical obstruction on account of some indigestible substance blocking the passage from the crop to the gizzard, are common causes. Where no regard is paid to the hours of feeding, and large quantities of grain are thrown down, some fowls will be sure to gorge themselves greedily with it. As soon as the grain is put down they rush eagerly at it. This is unnatural: a fowl should pick a grail*, and not a mouthful, at a time. The fowl stimulated by the presence of the others gobbles down as much as possible, overfills the crop and then has what in the human being would be called "pain in the chest.” By instinct the bird has recourse to water to wash it down, but it can only pass to the gizzard, as that organ empties itself of the food previously in it-. In the meantime it swells, and causes distension of the crop. From the daily occurrence of‘this there is a loss of digestive powers, the gizzard lias become large, weak, and flaccid, unable to dispose of the food daily put, in it. Appetite ceases and thirst increases, the fowl drinks to the last, and dies. If the part is merely swollen a good remedy is to pour a tablespoonful of brandy down the bird’s throat, and to starve jfc for a- day-- i.e., from one breakfast time until the next, —and then feed her sparingly with soft food three times a day, mixing some finely-chopped raw onion in it.” By throwing ail grain into deep litter so that every grain has to be searched for and consequently eaten separately, crop-binding- can scarcely occur. those who think that a- hobby should pay its way should try poultry-keeping. One annoying fact in connection with the writing of poultry literature at this side of the globe is that the varieties of breeds kept are so. few. In a single issue of any English periodical one finds quite lively and interesting correspondence on the subject of. Brahmas and Cochins, Redcaps, Partridge Y\ yandottes, Campians, Sicilian Buttercups, Ancona*, Sussex, Polish, etc., and no end ot literature about games and bantams. Leghorns, Minorcas, black Spanish, shans, and Orpingtons of all colours’ are, of course, also dealt with at Home, as here. It strikes me that a new variety imported into the Dominion would only require its arrival announced to create considerable interest. As things are at present I find that two-thirds of what I could learn from Homo and American periodicals is about varieties °- Poultry practically unknown here. There is no stock (says a contemporaj\) that pays a higher rate of interest on an investment than poultry, although many farmers consider it of little value. Out-crossing is the method of breeding to get. improvement in a stock or strain more rapidly than it could bo obtained by progressive line-breeding; but an out-cross is always to be regarded as a last desperate resort to get improvement that cannot be secured by any other means, and as (if successful) a prelude to a course of pure line-breeding. Overfeeding is _ wasteful, because no return can be obtained from the surplus food. It is also dangerous because many birds die through overfeeding-, especially in hot weather. Large accumulation* of internal fat derange the organs of reproduction, and various troubles will occur. Properly-fed breeding stock have a hard look about them. The plumage is glossy, and remains so until* mounting time; the birds are active and alert. Badly or overfed birds have a sieeny or dull appearance, and they are sluggish in their movements. . Attention to details is the cardinal vn-iue among all successful stock-breeders. Methodical and common-sense methods are those which lead to success, but these aro founded on knowledge, not upon ignorance. Breeding stock should bo fed chiefly on hard food—not too starchy,—so as to be in . hard condition, to which they are assisted if they have to work for the grain. Soft, flabby, overfed birds are useless for stock production. So a’so are the fatigued birds which have gone through a series of shows. Going to Show or to a Purchaser.— Before packing for a long journey, birds should be well fed and watered, coaxing them to eat as much as possible by giving them different kinds of food, such as soft food first, followed by grain. The comb should then. - be thoroughly cleaned and afterwards rubbed with just a suspicion of grease, which gives it a beautiful red colour. The shanks should also be cleaned, and in the case of yellow-shanked birds a little grease may be used, taking care, not to soil the plumage. The best time to despatch on . a long journey is by a late evening train if there is one. This is contrary to the general practice, but Is nevertheless the plan that ought to ha adopted where convenient. Birds should never’be sent out on a Saturday; the risk of delay is too great. The buyer should always be notified of the date of despatch two days in advance in country places, as nowadays postal deliveries frequently take place only twice or thrice a week. Reilly’s Central Produce Mart (Ltd.) report: A particularly good yarding of poultry came forward for our sale on Wednesday—a nice lot of birds, —all of which met an exceedingly keen demand. Consignors would be well advised to pay every attention to the marketing of ilioir birds, as. for instance, liens coming to hand bad with scaly leg, poor condition, etc., do not command anything like the price of birds that show they have received every care and attention. The difference in price

sometimes amounts to as much as 4s to 5s a bird. A number of consignors cannot understand why their liens only realise 4s 6d per pair when thear neighbour’s similar fowls, same age, are realising 9e to 10s per pair. We often have complaints from those receiving the lower prices, and this is due entirely to the system of marketing. If people will insist in sending birds in a filthy condition, half-starved, and in many eases diseased on to the market they must expect low prices. The person who takes every care to market his birds in the best of condition deserves full values. In many instances his birds, though costing twice the money, are the cheaper birds to purchase. Really good poultry of all descriptions aro urgently wanted. Good prices are assured. Stamped and guaranteed eggs during the week have had better inquiry, and we have been able to place all our consignments on a basis of 2s per dozen; case eggs, unstamped. at Is lCd. We have a nice demand for stud poultry, and placed some nice birds —black Orpingtons from 30s to 44s per pair, white Leghorns 15s to 30s per pair, and brown Leghorns at 4-2 s per pair for nice pullets. Stud cockerels— White Leghorns 15s to 40s and black Orpingtons from 20s to 40s each. At the moment we can offer customers some very lino black Orpington pullets, also some white Leghorns, some Minorca*, and a. tine pen of Rhode Island Reds. On Wednesday we received and sold: —Hens —18 at 10s 2d, 12 at 9s, 16 at 8a 6d, 6 at Bs, 2 at 7s 6d, 8 at 7s 2d, 6 at 6s 6d, 6 at 6s 4d, 15 at 6s 2d, 89 at. 6s, 26 at 5s B<l. 13 at 5s 6d, 2 at ss. Pigeons—7 at 2s 2d. Pullets—6 at 445, 12 at 425. 15 at 16s 6d, 4 at 15s. 13 at 12s- 6d. 2 at 10s, 4 at 7s 6d. Cockerels- —1 at 17s, 11 at 14s, 2 at 12s. 2 at 11s 6d. 11 at 10s, 14 at Bs, 22 e.t 7s 6d, 4 at 7s, 2 at 6s 2d, 29 at 6s, 17 at 5 s lOd, 4 at 5s 6d, 17 at 5s 4d, 12 at ss. Ducks —- 10 at 12s 6d, 12 at 14s, 3 at Ss 2d, 5 at 9s, sat 8? 4d, -4 at 8s 2d. Geese—2 at 8s Cd, 4 at 8s 6d, 2 at Bs. Bantams—2 at 3s 4d, 2 at 2s. All at. per pair. Turkey*—s at Is ltd, 2 at Is ltd, 4 at Is per !b. Messrs Eraser and Co., auctioneers, produce merchants, commission agents, and agents for the Otago Egg Circle, 146 Crawford street, Dunedin, report: —Eggs: Market easy at 2s per dozen for Egg Circle eggs, plain Is lCd to Is lid. Poultry: We held our usual weekly sale on Wednesday. when the following prices were realised :—Hens—l7 at 4s 6d. 14 at 4s lOd. 18 at 5s 4d, 19 at 5s 6d, 17 at 5s Bd, 14 at 5s lOd, 11 at 6s, 16 at. 6s 2d, 15 at 6s 6d, 18 at 7s, 12 at Bs, 6 at 10s. Cockerels — 11 at 5s 4d, 16 at 5s lOd, 13 at 6s 4d, 1C at 6s lOd, 14 at 7s, 4 at Bs. Roosters to 6s 2d. Ducks —14 at 7s 4d, 14 at Bs. All at, per pair. Turkeys, Is l£d per lb live we ight.