FANCIERS’ COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3517, 9 August 1921, Page 21

FANCIERS’ COLUMN.

The Otago Witness lias been appointed the official organ for the publication of announcements of the Dunedin Fanciers* Club. THE KENNEL.

By

Terror.

Fanciers and breeders ox .togs are cordially invited to contribute to this column. “Terror” will endeavour to make this department as interesting and up-to-date as possible, but in order to do this ho must have the co-operation of his readers, hence he trusts this invitation will be cheerfully responded to. Messrs Sedan and James have an inquiry from the North Island for a Smooth Fox Terrier pup by Champion Sout-hborn Symbol (irnp.). I hear that Mr -T. Lloyd has had several inquiries for his young champion Bulldog Bruce. —Mr F. Alexander has a very nice chocolate Pom. received from Christchurch. —‘Mr Henwood, of Roslyxi, an English Airedale fancier, has his dog looking exceptionally well in preparation for the forthcoming Christchurch Show. Mr Vero Shaw. 8.A., from whose “’Book of the Dog” I have often had the pleasure of quoting for the information of my readers, died on May 28 last. There were 118 Irish Terriers at the Joint Terrier Show held in England in May last, at which Mr Montgomery adjudicated. It is reported that some of his awards upset many fond anticipations, and many thought him unduly severe in the matter of size. One thing was admitted, says ‘‘Our Dogs,” by everyone, however —viz., that ho went, from first to last-, for the club standard weight and one uniform, typo. Anything else, including even champions and near champions, lie dismissed with the same ‘‘sang froid” as if they were merely platers. A glance down the catalogue showed that lie was the breeder of some now well-known exhibits, but this also had no influence on his judgment, which is only right and proper on the part of anyone adjudicating at such an important fixture or at any show. The Rev. S. A. L. Thornton had a field day with No Work Burke, a, home-bred one, and a son of that good terrier, Durty Murty, winning no less than six firsts, and finishing up by winning challenge certificate and a host, of specials. Mr Ponltney did well with his dog Foresight, who was looking remarkable well. Dr Twain ley had three on view, all home-bred, and got well in the money. In bitches, Mr O. T. Walters did remarkably well, winning many firsts and also the bitch championship with Peg o’ the Ring, a daughter of Tipperary O’Rafferty. Mr Will Slater also did well with Boldon Patricia, a. very taking bitch. Kelvin Bachelor, although eight years old. looked and showed like a young clog'. New South Wales is, it is reported, having a busy time preparing for its bte event —the coining of Crabtree. Some six or seven chins have been working in unison, and include the Airedale and Irish Terrier Club, the Bulldog Club, the British Bulldog Club, tiie Fox Terrier Club, Scotch Terrier Club, and the Pomeranian and Toy Dog Club. Three members from each club are appointed delegates to form a working committee. The clubs mentioned have guaranteed various sums to cover expenses, from £lO 10s each. Invitations are extended to oilier clubs, including the K.l*. bodies, who, howc-ver. are not willing to waive their drastic rules to avail themselves of the opportunity of co-operating and securing the opinion of an outside man. There are those in Australia, ns in New Zealand, who consider that, rules or no rules, considering the reputation with which Mr Crabtree arrives, every. effort should be made to combine and bring the dogs together. We are assured, however, that the New South Wales Show will bo a success, some 1000 dogs being expected. The show is to be a three days’ one. So far as can be gathered, Mr Sam Crabtree’s services are to bo rendered only to the British Bulldog Club in Victoria, but in response to urgent representation the club has decided to hold an all-breeds show. As an Australian scribe si vs: “ I his broadening of the interests of (lie ermine section will meet with the approval of all breeders, and ho especially conyonio.nl to those who reside in Victoria, “■ho Australia, and lasmania. [( roav tnoroforo. be honed that all sections of the '’’untie fancy a ill support the enterprise 0 f the British Bulldog Club of Victo-ia. fnwithout that club's activities there would have been no oppoitnniiy in Victoria finfanciers to take advantage of Mr Crabtree’s visit to Australia.” - Vermin in Ting’-' Coat.—Tt. might, be worth Irving the following:—Tlioroui’-hlv ponw # luiir to the. skin with n 5 tier cent veterinary baeterol solution (four tahlrsnoonfuls to nnyri. of water). Do not drv cent only lake off surplus to m-event drimntiN The dog will no! enicb cold. Do this daily f-.r three da vs, and do not n’low the sola lion to go into the dog’s eves. Though no real harm would come or this, ji would make !"e flop's, ores smart - A n . f) 10.h.e \ n Fug’;,:], „;e,Pieman \v. lit. to one of tlie public, gardens in I re pec. e 0.0 enn;i t pod 1 v a large ina-st-iff whi ’■ was refused admission The 1 irlw good rdlowed him to leave Ids dm- under fh.-ir (barge but. aft i -hurt time he i'"lu;i."d and informed them Ihit he ire] h.-'t Ids watf !s. Tie johl tlie sf -g “a u! that if be would rinit him to l ike the dog into ihe ground-? it would . u discover Iho

thief. Permission being given, he made motions to the dog of what lie had lost, whereupon it immediately ran about amongst the company, till at last it laid hold of a man. The gentleman insisted that this person had got his watch, and upon being searched, not only iiis watch but three others were discovered in his pockets. SHEEP DOG NOTES. Rv i'ERROR. —“Black and White,” summarising his remarks upon the various sheep dog trials of t-he season, now wishes to direct attention to the consistent performances of the teams. °t Messrs Aubrey fOmarama) and P. Kano (Ngapnra), The analysis of Mr Aubrey’s Help’s runnings, it is pointed out, shows that _he started 17 times (in nine competitions) and annexed seven firsts, two seconds, three thirds, and a fourth. Mr Kano’s Bustle’s Credit in seven trials made 16 starts and got four firsts, six seconds, two fourths, and four blanks. Mr A. W. Pearson’s Mick in some half-dozen starts consistently ran eight first, second, or third. <c,_ POULTRY NOTES.

By

TERROR

T-he returns for tlie Southland egg-laving sixth, annual test, to the end of the fourteenth week, July 21, show: —In single birds: Chas. Thomson’s W.L. leading with 79, Tracey King’s S.W. .second with 73, and P. Nelson’s W.L. third with 76. In the teams test (six birds) : Tracey King’s W.L., 391; A. E. Morris’s W.L., second, 382; G. J. Scott’s W.L., 361. In the duck test the three leading pens are as follows; Alex. Peat. 1.R., 350; Alex. Peat (No. 2 pen). 272; R. J. A. Clarke. 238 The returns from the Papanui egg-lay-ing test to July 23 (fifteenth week) give the leading pens as follows:—Heavy breeds: Single lion test: .J, P. Drewott, 8.0., 94; J. W. Mathieson, WAV., 69. Light breeds: Single hen test W. E. Ward, W.L.. 75; H. W. Beck. W.L.. 74; J. Digging, W.L., 74. Light breed: Single pen (three birds same owner)—-Green Tiros., W.L., 77-77-69 — total, 223; R. W. Coomb*. W.L., 78-75-69 222; Tracey King, W.L., 75-71-73 —219. Light Breeds: Flock ton n (§j§c birds) —Green Bros., W.L., 370: H. Williams. W.L.. 366: Vcri'ne.Bros., W.L.. 353. Returned soldiers’ test (six birds, light or heavy)—A. TL Adams. W.L , 424; E. L. Rice W.L.. 406; J. Gold, W.L., 399; J-. C. Musgrove, W.L., 394. Heavy breed: Single hen test (three birds same owner) —Tracey King, S.W., 75-76-79 —total. 230; J. J’>. Merritt, 8.0., 89-83-62- 225. Single pen ducks (three birds same owner) —R. W. Hawke, 1.R., 72-103-66 —total, 231. All practical poultry men know that the strongest chickens come from fresh eggs, but many of them do not know why. Well, this is the way of it. When the egg is laid it contains every element necessary for the formation and growth of a strong chicken. If the egg’ is placed under a broody hen the day after it is laid quite the beet kind of chick will be produced—all else being equal. Every day thereafter some of the contents of the egg are evaporated, and the elements which go to make the strong chicken are thereby in quantity. The fresher the egg, the better the chick, and the staler the egg the worse the chick. That is why practical poultry writers tell their readers not to hatch eggs more than one week old, that being somewhere about the breaking point, so to c-peak. A great deal depends, however, upon how the eggs are kept until they are put down to be incubated. In careful hands eggs would be wrapped in paper, turned daily, and kept in a medium temperature, with the result that evaporation would not take place, or be very slight, and consequently at even a month old may hatch out strong chickens. Only the best obtainable stock should be used for breeding. Prefer second-year horns to pullets for the breeding pen. Don’t breed from undersized hens or from the layers of small eggs. Above all, preserve type by selecting as breeders on birds typical in every respect to the breed. A small hen may be, a good layer, and consequently be a profitable bird in the laying pen, but she should never be bred from, as the probability is that her stock will be even smaller than herself. An Australian poultry scribe (“Hardshell”) says: “In mating birds don’t have them too young. Two and three-year-old hens with an 13 months code bird is as good a combination as you can get. If you breed from pullets and cockerel you will get smaller stock and smaller eggs. --Professor W. R. Graham, of the Ontario Agricultural College, says:—“The breeds having yellow legs and beaks lose more or less of the yellow pigment as egg production progresses, and. likewise, the colour came back in periods of rest. It must, however, be borne in ntind that the feeding’ of the birds affects the rate of removal, or of return. The best information we have is that this material is most abundant, in green feed and yellow corn, hence one must know a lot, about the method of feeding before undertaking to estimate eggproduction by loss of colour. During the winter months, when hens are kept indoors, a good yellow-legged pullet will lose all the colour out of her beak by about 39 egg* of regular laying, or, sav. in a period of sixweeks’ consecutive production, and where a pullet shows a bleached beak and colour gone from the front of the shank it would suggest that she has laid about 100 eggs.” To the foregoing T would add that birds running on grass keep their leg colour longer than do birds in confinement; and, as T said in ii rood t. note, hefo e judging production by absence of i igmeuta t-on. one should know whether the bird bad log colour to start with. The temporalure of n hen's bodv is 98dog. The iemnernhu'e of a sitting hen’s body is 103 deg. to lOidog. A sifting hen has a fever of from Sdog. to 7deg. It is this fever that makes them want lo si f and remain with them till Iho chicks are weaned. - Don’t warm up the eggs in the incubator to fast. Take two da vs lather than two hours. One who has reared turkeys in ;i large' way insists that in breeding is ah..'lnfodv fatal with turkeys, ami must never be resorted to. Tie says, abo, that turkeys are par+icula.rly susceptible to onfnro-hep-itlh’.a. from it. cannot prodc-o re'rung po-dts SG<r and salt ~n Mi- run will mwh to ; -,k vent, it. and perfect imnniuify m-y be secured l,v preventive medici'-e in the sofi fond. Turkovs can be luitih ’d by incubators and reared in brooders, bid corei:.cci bens are preferable. Rome allow the !■;"!,ey bens to sit as they become broody, 1 uf it pays

better to set the first clutch under hens and to allow iho turkeys to sit later in the season, either upon their own eggs or upon hens’ or ducks’ eggs. The rest does them good ; they moult more easily and are better stock birds for the next season. The management of the sitting lien is exactly tiie same as if she were on hens’ eggs. One Egg Inside Another.—l have met with several instances of this. The usual cause is the hen being too fat and the oviduct working irregularly. An ordinary egg becomes arrested through the temporary paralysis of the convoluted tube, called the oviduct. Its gyrations cease; another yolk is slipped from the ovary, the secreting white glands do their share. These advance until they cover the egg. The secreting shell glands cover the whole with a shell. Probably the irritation caused by the large egg excites motion again, and tlie egg is passed. The remedy lies in doses of salt* one drachm- —half Epsom, half Glauber’s — change of food. Give green food ud lib, and not too much other food, say, 2oz a day. Egg Pickling Extraordinary.—A notable development in egg preservation is being undertaken at Ipswich by the r ramlincham and Eastern Counties’ Co-operative Egg and Poultry Society, Ltd., which has installed apparatus capable of dealing with a million and a-lnilf eggs. A large building behind the society s office m Burrell road, Ipswich, has been adapted (o accommodate 11 tanks, each measuring Bt'l l,v 7ft, and 74ft deep. These tanks are constructed of reinforced concrete, on the American Kahn system, and each will take 149,000 eggs. Six of die tanks are already completed. This deveh pment in egg preservation will be of great assistance to the society in the “glut” season, when leases may easily be incurred through the flooding of the “market-. Last year the society beat if s? previous record* in egg collecting by handling over 20 millions, but the number handled in Ihe March quarter of this year exceeded by 1,547,831 the total for tiie coiTersponclirig* period of 1921. Reilly’s Central Produce Mart, Ud., report:—A very light yarding forward. Prices throughout More well maintained, very heavy table cockerels realising high value*. Eggs? are coming forward in increased quantities, and the market- shows a .-harp decline. On Wednesday we received and sold: Huns —2 at 11s fed, 2at 9s Gd. 3atßs6d 4at Bs, 10 at 7s, 11 at 6s 4d, 23 at, 6s; pullets—--2 at 1,35, 2 at 7s; cockerels—2 at 13s 6d 2 at 12s 6d, 3 at 11s 6d, 2 at 8s 6d. 8 at 8s 4d. 2 at 7s 6d. 2 at 7s, 2 at 6s all at per pair. Fraser and Co., auctioneers, produce merchants, commission agents, and agents for the Otago Egg Circle, 146 Crawford street, Dunedin, reports:—Eggs: Market weak. We quote Egg Circle eggs, 1* 9d to Is lOd ; plain, Is Bd. Poultry: Wo held oiliusual weekly sale on Wednesday, when pro vions prices were veil maintained. Tbe following prices were, realised:—Hens—16 at 5s 4d, 12 at 5s lOd, 14 at 6s, 15 at 6s 4d, 15 at 6© 6d, 14 at 7s; l-costers, to 7*; cockerels —l3 at, 4s Bd. 11 at 6s 4d, 14 at 6s B<l. 12 at 7s; pullets—4 at 9s, 4 at 10s 6d, 4 at 11s 6d. 5 at 13s 6d ; ducks—l2 at 7s 4d. 7 at 7s fid. Turkeys—T-Tens, lid; gobblers. Is per ]b live weight.