POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3662, 20 May 1924, Page 46

POULTRY NOTES.

By Terror. „ The annual show of the Dunedin haiiciers’ Club opens on June 12, and continues till the 14th (inclusive). Entries close on May 17. The following championships have been awarded to be won outto t '^ le by the association —viz. : White Plymouth Rock, open class; duck, any variety, open class; utility Indian runner duck. The lists of trophies and speciu.s displayed in the schedule should attract a record entry. ,‘M r b*. Caroiiu addressed the April meeting of the Dunedin Utility Poultry ~b 1 be Wyandotte: Its several varieues snow and utility point;. Photographs O. Ins own prize-winning birds over a ponoi! ot some 25 years were passed around for examination, and lie concluded his auuress with tne relation of several amusing mordents which had taken nluee at --nows he had attended. After answering questions he was accorded a vote of thanks I wo new world’s records by Australian ions lire announced. At Gatton (Queensland) Air It. Burns’ black Orpington laid 0:5 eggs in the 352 days of the competition, and carried on to the finish of" the year, laying 347 eggs in 365 days. The previous record was held by Mr J. P. Drewitt s black Orpington at Papanui, u.iieh laid 343 eggs in 365 days. The other record is by a white Leghorn, also at Gatton. which laid 337 eggs in 366 days. Balanced Rations.—Agricultural experimental stations, in the course of feeding state that they show as follows: b ho Blood: When balanced rations, of which food of animal origin forms a part, and which contain mineral substances in amount and form suitable to fowls are served regularly, the blood of fowls is more ample than in other cases, and is also richer in all valuable constituents. And “ the blood is the life in a far deeper sense than most people understand. The Bones: lhese have more mineral in them, are stronger, and less brittle than in other cases. T ire Flesh: The flesh is leaner, darker coloured, juicier and tenderer, when cooked. It contains more aluminoids and Jess fat than in other cases. The Feathers: The plumage is very very perfect and profuse. The under down is very thick and close. Iho plumage is always glossy. Possibly the perfection of plumage partly accounts for the fowls’ indifference to rain wj cold. Says a writer on this subject: r owls fed on balanced rations containing food of animal origin are quite indifferent to rain, even in winter, and never seem to be harmed with it.” Prolificacy: Tne writer adds: “ We feel sure that the product of eggs at all seasons, and for more than one year of one individual, when balanced rations are fed systematically, is greater than when anv other method of feeding is followed.” -fertility: If fertility is taken to mean that eggs are to be hatehable and produce chicks of high quality, we feel sure balanced rations are incomparably tlie best. The balanced ration is designed to give the fowls just what they neej for the purpose they are kept—not too much of one thing and too little of another. Verily, to give them what they need, and no more, is the only way to feed economically, to have maximum health, maximum products, maximum fertility—everything we desire. High Egg Production.-—Poultry-men everywhere are breeding for production, and the man whose bird at a competition gets into the high figures -ets the best; orders for sittings and day-old chicks. At the moment it pays the individual to make a record, but it is questionable whether it is profitable to the industry as a whole. I notice that a certain writer in one of his scientific books is quoted as saying: ‘The conquest of a benefit in one domain brings into another domain inevitable evils”; and, further, that “complexity breaks down the automatically balancing influence of natural selection.” Nature is an autocrat, and we cannot ruthlessly cast her aside without eventually paying her price. “Is,” asks a North American scribe, “the craze for high egg production going to make the whole fabric of poultry-breeding top heavy' to such an extent that it will ultimately topple over?” Those who favour the craze will, of course, answer “No.” They will point to the fact that there were pessimists at one time who cried “Halt!” when 2CO-eggers were in the front rank as layers, and that instead of breaking down “the whole fabric of poultry-breeding” progress has gone on and on, till now we have birds capable of 300 eggs and more per annum! True; but though the fecundity of many strains of domestic fowls has undoubtedly increased, is this a real advantage t-o the poultry industry, or has it engendered disadvantages that partially or wholly offset this? Mortality is greater now, and the ratio is steadily increasing as the years go by. Probably deaths through epidemics have not grown in number, but the individual fowl is steadily growing less able to resist disease and death-dealing microbes —causes closely connected with a lowering of constitutional vigour and virility,—with the result that the death ratio has been multiplied many times. Such an increase in the death-rate of human beings or even of the large domestic animals, would cause a panic. Our better understanding of poultry hygiene has held the “epidemic” troubles in check, but the lowering of the rugged vitality which was found in the chickens of the early part of the century has left the birds of to-day less able to withstand the attacks of disease. And the eggs of to-day have not the high hatching qualities of those of the early ’nineties. It is more difficult to net fertility in an egg: there are more dead embryos; and the percentage of livability in the chicks that do hatch is not now nearly as high as formerly. It is necessary now to set more eggs to get a given number of pullets fit for the laying house than it was a few years ago. We hear from time to time of broody. hens rearing as many as 20 chickens at a time, and cf doing so successfully. If the hen is a very large one, even for a large breed, she can certainly accommodate more chickens than can a smaller bird, and if she is of the extremely “ sensible ” kind —i.e.. one who raises herself when the chicks are under her, so that all may get not only warmth but also fresh air—she may accommodate a very large number, even 20. Those who have had considerable- experience with broodies, however, have learned that there is risk in giving them more than 13 to 15 chicks, however large the birds may be, and with small birds it is found that from nine to eleven chicks is the limit for safety. A bird may be able to cover and keep warm a large number of chickens, but crowding has been necessary to do so, with the result that

those in the middle are unable to protrude their heads occasionally througn the outer loose feathers for the requisite breath of fresh air. With poor ventilation under the natural broody, just as with the artificial brooder, set-backs are inevitable, No doubt many brooding troubles are due to lack of ventilation. Sweating takes place and chills follow. Bowel troubles arise, and the food supply is blamed. Chickens turn weakly, inherited weakness is suspected. and the breeder is blamed. One has only to watch chickens under a hover to notice how they choose positions which, whilst providing the warmth necessary to their comfort, also allows for ventilation —- i.e., in the outer circle. Under a hen only the strongest chicks secure these positions, and the weaker ones are stifled. Reilly’s Central Produce Mart report: Medium yarding of poultry for their sale on Wednesday. All oirds were in good demand. Unfortunately, there are not sufficient cockerels, pullets, or good ducklings coming forward to meet our customers’ requirements. Eggs: Really choice stamped end guaranteed Have been in keen demand, and we have keen able to secure 2s 7d to 2s 8d for our consignors. We could do with very much larger consignments. We sold poultry at the folowing prices:—Hens—316 at 2s 4d, 2s 6d, 2s Bd, 2s lOd, 3s, 3s 2d, 3s 4d, 3s 6d. 4s 4d, 6s 2d. Pullets —18 at 4s, 9s 6d. Cockerels —71 at 2s Sd, 3s, -3s 2d, 3s lOd, 4s, ss, 6s, 7s, 7s 6d, 8s 6d, 9s, 9s 6d. Ducks —93 at ss, 5s 6d (all at per pair). N.Z. UTiLITY POULTRY GLU3. PAPANUI EGG LAYING COMPETITIONS. The fallowing are the scores ef the leading birds in each of the various tests for the 4th week ending May 3rd, for 28 days. SINGLE HEN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP. Total Eggs.

HEAVY BREED SINGLE lIEN CONTEST. Throe Bird Teams. Black Or pingtonvS. Total Eggs.

Six Birds. Total Eggs. C. Y. Mcßeatli, .. ..

H. AVillio.ms, W L. 25 VV Spence, W. b. 24 G. Grainger, B. o n s. 25 L. A. Wad ham, B. Orps. 24 J. P. Drewitt, B. Orps. 24 W Spence, W. L. 23

G. A. Grainger, No. 3 .. 25 O. A. Grainger, No. 1 23 J. P. Drewitt, Ko. 2 22 G. A. Grainger., No. 2 .. 20 F. Hendron, No. 2 10 ANY OTHER VARIETY CONTEST C. Bennett. No. 1, W. Wyandottes 22 C. Bennett, No. 3, W. Wyandottes 20 B. Pearce, No 1, Anconas 19 LIGHT BREED SINGLE HEN CONTEST. Three Bird Teams.

T°t a l Eggs, H. Williams, Xo. 2, White Leghorns .. 26 W. J. Richards, Xo. 3, White Leghorns T. Dalgieish, Xo. 3, White Leghorns .. 24 24 W. Barrell, Xo. 1, White Leghorns 24 J. Leggins, Xo. 2 White Leghorns 24 F. Ellis, Xo. 3 White Leghorns 24 J. S. Ainsworth, Xo. 2, White Leghorns C. H. Izard, Xo. 1, White Leghorns .. 24 23 A. D. Cumberpatch, Xo. 3, White L .. 23 G. E. Mood}-, Xo. 1, White Leghorns .. 23 J. Johnson, Xo. 1, White Leghorns .. 23 Smart Bros, Xo. 2, Brown Leghorns .. FLOCK TEAMS. 23

W. E. Ward H. Williams, 116 11. C. Craig, 115 J. D. McKechnie, 113 SINGLE DUCK CONTEST. Three Bird Teams.

R. AY. Hawke, No. 3 Total Eggs. 28 K. \V. Hawke, No. 2 , No. 2 team .. 28 H. W. Hawke, No. 1 , No. 2 team .. 27 H. P. Slater, No. 2 26 AY. Nimnio, No. 3 24 C. E. Barnett, No 1 24 R. W. Hawke, No. 1