POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3754, 23 February 1926, Page 60

POULTRY NOTES.

By Terror. This week, barring one short paragraph, there will not be the usual “notes,” so-called, for my readers' edification, the reason being that I have taken the liberty of occupying the space allowed me to speak of a pioneer poultryman rather than of the birds he keeps. The poultry fancy has many attractions, but the greatest of all, to my mind, is its power to bring together kindred spirits—i.e., people with like interests A Pioneer.—ln the course of a short spell in the country, during which I had determined to “fight shy” of anything in the nature of business or ordinary routine, I—quite accidentally—heard the names mentioned of two gentlemen whose acquaintance I had made—one about 30 years ago and the other exactly 25 years ago—whilst making a trip around the country districts of Otago and Southland visiting poultry and kennel men and inspecting their flocks, plants, etc. My idea in making those visits year after year was, I may admit, not to teach, but to learn all I eould in the interests of readers of these notes about poultry and all that concerns them. This particular trip was southwards, and started in February, 1901. I had intended to travel by push-bike, and to visit, every Breeder I knew of between Dunedin and Inver cargill, and then to do Otago Central districts. I announced through my notes my intention, and, as a result got many invitations—one of them being from Mr Gideon Scott, of Tahakopa. Mr Scott had warned me that the roads from Owaka to Tahakopa were unsuitable for a push-bike, and when he learned that I intended to travel in that way I fancy he must have done so with “tongue in cheek,” for there were practically no roads worthy of the name. They were merely bush tracks from Owaka through Ratanui to Tahakopa, a short stretch of smooth and hard sand beach (with a fording place, over which the bike had to be carried) being the only safe and comfortable travelling. However, I reached my destination, and had the satisfaction o* learning that mine was the first bicycle to be seen there! I was received very kindly by both Mr and Mrs Gideon Scott I here was not much to see in the poultry vr ie ‘ci •* us *' a ew —fowl, —but Mr Scott s desire w as to go in for them on proper lines and to obtain purebred stock; and how best to go about it was, or course, the trend of most of our conversation. However, I learned a great deal about other matters. For instance, I learned that Mr Scott and his lady wife bad, as pioneers, in order to reach their allotment at the far end of the Tahakopa Valley, with their cattle, goods, and chatties, to use the first-mentioned as beasts of burden, and that their allotment was some 500 acres of dense forest. VV hen I arrived they had been there about 10 or 12 years, and I found and wrote at the time that Mr Scott had built his own home, dairy, outhouses, stables, and cowbyres, the last-mentioned being a two-storied structure large enough to house about 30 cows—the upper storey being for winter feed,—and had fenced the property. He had constructed a sawmill—even to the big wheel,—and conveyed winter to it by means of n race. All work done was quite up to the mark of an up-to-date carpenter. He had a separator,, and a constant supply of water m the dairy conveyed by high-pressure hydraulic ram. Mr Scott could look at Jill this and say, “Alone I did it.” I say “he could have” said so, but, being a modest man, left that for others to say for him. I may add that Mr Scott had

to sledge his milk to the creamery, and to get all household supplies as fur away as Owaka. What staggered “Terror” when he saw what one man and his wife had the courage to undertake and had actually performed was the depth of his own ignorance (he was then 24 years younger than he is now) iu ever having entertained the notion that a hack-block farmer was correctly designated “country bumpkin” or “Farmer Hayseed” I found in Mr Gideon Scott’s forest-dwelling a library of books and pictures giving evidence that a cultured man had selected them. The only worry Mr Scott seemed to have at that time was the difficulty encountered in attracting the attention of the authorities to the necessity of extending the railway from Owaka to Tahakopa, and it was interesting to hear of the means which had been adopted to do so Mr Seott was a great believer in possessing only first-class stock, both as regards cattle (he advocated and practised dehorning) and poultry, and his desire was to keep only purebred fowls of good strains and to house and feed them on up-to-date lines I could only spend a day and night w ith the Scott family, but the hospitable invitation extended was to stop as long as I liked! Naturally enough when I learned last week whilst in Invercargill that Mr Gideon Scott was now resident in that town I could not resist the temptation, notwithstanding my prior determination to keep away from everything suggestive of business routine, to call upon him, and I did so. -I found Mr Scott in his garden—he had just killed a sheep and was wheeling it in a barrow. I followed him up till he had to look round. Then I said: “I suppose you don’t recollect me, Mr Scott.” “No,” he replied, “I can’t lay I do.” “Well, I wouldn’t know you either if I met you in the street,” said I, “but do you remember the first man who visited you at Tahakopa some quarter of a century ago on a push-bike?” “Wait. Yes, hold on, I’ll tell you directly,” he said. “Terror.” Mrs Scott was quicker; she “picked” me almost “right off.” Not only did she say “Terror,” but added my proper name. Mr Scott is now in business in Invercargill—not such strenuous business as that at Tahakopa, but he still (partly as a hobby) runs a small farm (as the killing of a sheep indicates), and he keeps quite a large number of fowds—white Leghorns brown Leghoins, light Sussex, Muscovy ducks, white Indian runners, and a few geese,—and they are a fine lot of birds, housed in large openfronted houses, with perches over raised dropping boards. Mr Scott, whilst getting plenty of eggs, seems to value ais fowds more as table birds. He is caponising his cockerels, and says he finds a ready market for them. After viewing the stock, I spent a very pleasant evening with my hosts talking of old times, and was pleased to learn that the children who 30 years ago had fingered my pushbike as a curiosity, and who were then being educated at a half-time country school, which many days it was impossible to reach at all, were now all doing well in life.

—A northern poultry scribe signing himself “G. H.” tells the absolute truth when he says. “A man may have 2000 or 3000 of the finest bred, best laying hens and the most perfect males, tons of grain, oceans of water, and barrels of disinfectants, but unless these are combined with skilled labour the result is obvious. Labour is as necessary as grain or birds in the poultry industry.” There is only one word in the foregoing that I don’t quite like, md it is the word “obvious.”. Unfortunately the facts stated are not obvious to many. It should be obvious, but it is not! Over and over again I and others have stated the fact that success depends upon the man. The man may invest any amount of capital in plant and stock, including up-to-date incubators and brooders, and yet lose money, simply because the obvious is not obvious to him. He may even know all about breeding and keeping poultry, yet fail to be a success simply because he does not act up to his knowledge. The birds, if they are to be profitable, must be attended to regularly and intelligently, and, as many have pointed out, the men and women to do so are those who love caring for birds. Those w r ho do not “fancy” the business often put off till to-morrow —because there is some greater attraction to-day—what should be done at once, and the inevitable result is a setback to the birds. During many years of poultry-keeping I have experienced the result of “putting off” on several occasions. In poultry-keeping the birds must have first consideration every time. A tremendous lot depends on the caretaker.

—Reilly’s report:—Penning: 405 hens, 81 cockerels, 67 chickens, 29 inferior pullets, 10 old cock birds, 90 ducklings, and 10 ducks, and sold these at the following prices:—Hons: 19 at 5s Bd, 47 at 4s lOd, 27 at 4s Cd, 36 at 3s lOd, 12 at 3s Bd. 76 at 3s 6d, 50 at 3s 4d, 49 at 3s 2d. 89 at 3s; pullets: 10 at 6s 6d, 11 at 6s, 8 at ss; cockerels: 26 at 9s Bd, 12 at 7s 6d, 12 at 7s, 22 at Cs, 9 at 4s; ducklings :„ 15 at 9s, 32 at 7s, 22 at 5s 6d, 21 at 4s 8d; chickens: 8 at 2s 6d, 11 at 2s, 16 at Is lOd, 32 at Is 4d; ducks: 10 at 4s; cocks: 10 at 4s. All at per pair. Turkeys: Unfortunately, no turkeys came forward. Buj'ers are keen to purchase, and will pay as high ns Is 9d per pound for choice quality birds. White Leghorn pullets: There is a keen demand for really good White Leghorn pullets, and for these from 5s 6d to 8s is obtainable. The same applies to really first-class Black Orpingtons, Minorcas, and other good laying strains of pullets At the moment we hold orders for 300 pullets, and 150 Indian Runner ducks, and will be pleased to hear from those who have any birds for disposal. Eggs: As anticipated, our market has advanced and we were able to place all our stamped and guaranteed Is 10d. to 2s per dozen, and case eggs from laj 9d to Is lOd.