POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Volume 1851, Issue 3809, 15 March 1927, Page 33

POULTRY NOTES.

By Terror. “Waimate.”—Yes, I think 10s is too much to pay for three-month-old chicks at the end o.f February. It would be a fair price if they were September hatched and of good strain. Late November-hatched chickens are unlikely to lay before the winter is over, particularly as this year we have not experienced a good growing season. A- report of the New Zealand PoultryAssociation’s meeting,-held in Auckland, will be found in this week’s notes. It will be seen that the association has been throughout the year alive to the poultryman's interest. In one sense the report is an appeal to all interested in the industry to join thg egg circles and clubs. The association’s delegates have enhanced power when interviewing Alinisters when they can show that they represent a considerable body of men. Otago poultry breeders will no doubt note with satisfaction that Alessrs Goodlet, Coombes, and Rattigan, all of this province, are amongst the leading owners of birds at the Papanui egg-laying competition. , Possibly it is due to the fact that Christchurch is not holding a young bird show this year that entries are coining in somewhat freely from the north for the Dunedin Specialists’ Young Bird Club’s young bird show, to be held this month.

Should Air Brown, the Chief Government Poultry Instructor, not be sent to represent New Zealand at the forthcoming World's Poultry Congress, as is the desire of poultry people generally, a grand opportunity for obtaining valuable information respecting the poultry industry and of the results of scientific research will be lost. Air Brown is certainly the best channel through which such information could ultimately be passed on to the public interested in poultry. Failing Air Brown being sent, it is interesting to learn that Air R. W. Hawke, of Papanui fame, will be there representing New Zealand. '.Don’t be afraid to mix plenty of dry earth—garden soil—with the litter oil the floor of the brooder and scratcliing shed. It answers the purpose of deodorising the droppings, and it serves to hide and discolour the toes of little chicks, and prevents toe-picking. When removed with the litter it is grand stuff to put back into the garden.

A too narrow ration may be poisonous. Protein which cannot be entirely consumed in the body leaves behind it a large proportion of incombustible waste, which it is the office of the liver and kidneys to excrete, calling for special exertion on the part of these organs. It is the cause of liver and kidney troubles, and accounts for many stomach derangements arising from poison by the breaking down of products of protein, several of which are poisonous. Epsom salts have become (says an exchange) a regular part of the feedroom equipment. Its use is made necessary by the fact that during the winter season, when birds are confined, they cannot secure the abundance of green feed, which is highly laxative and keeps them in condition. During this period they are fed quantities of concentrated protein feed. Laying flocks are very apt to become constipated, and a condition of auto-intoxication develops. This does not kill the birds, but it. slows up production and lowers the resistance of the entire flock to disease. So the feeding regularly every two weeks of a moist mash containing Ub of Epsom salts to each 100 birds is very desirable for the average poultryman.

A Alatter of Interest to the Poultry World.— great sportsman Lord Woolavington has given £lO,OOO to endow a chair of animal breeding at Edinburgh University. In addition to this, the International "Education Board, which has been attracted by Dr Crew’s wonderful work at Edinburgh, has offered £30,000 towards the endowment of the animal research work there, subject to certain conditions. The Development Commission is also interesting itself in the matter. It is hoped to raise £70,000, and when that is done Edinburgh will have the finest school for animal research in the Empire.

In publishing a series of articles by George Scott, F.Ph.S., F.R.A.1., F.P.C. (London), F.Z.S., the editor of the Poultry World is careful to place tlie following footnote at the end of each article: —“It must, be distinctly understood that the opinions expressed by Air Scott in these very original articles are those of the writer only, and not those of the editor of the Poultry World.” This caution on the part of the editor will be thoroughly understood by those who read the articles, for they are. though very entertaining. “original” indeed. Writing under the heading “The Utilitv Show Farce,” he expresses his conviction that they are “bunkum,” and cannot last much longer. He says: “The utility show marches steadilj' to its doom. Precisely why this death' march is in progress, and why it must continue to the inevitable end, I have no space to go into here. These and other allied matters will form the subject of another article.” His article, however, is chieflydirected to expose the handling system of judging as (to use his own words) “a mass of pseudo-scientific bilge.” He considers the Hogan system, upon which he alleges the handling system is based, as “a subject for gargantuan mirth,” and he asks: “Is there any wonder that I pity those misguided ‘ utility experts ’ who, though their sincerity is beyond question, through ignorance well nigh rivalling that of Hogan himself, are promulgating his rubbishy theories? What have the thickness aud ossification of the pelvic bones to do with the laying powers of a hen? What indeed! Such, then, are the basic principles of the handling system of selecting layers as practised in England to-day in judging the utility classes. Dug up by the roots, these basic principles are the empiristic, pseudo-scientific, charlatanic theories of an ignorant farmer.” lie (Air Scott) contends that those who write deunciatory letters to the papers because of his outspoken articles are “self-confessed they stand on the same mental plane as Hogan himself, and, moreover, by their acceptance of an unproved hypothesis as a fact they have demonstrated that they themselves are incapable of scientific investigation.” He adds: “As a qualified physiologist holding the diploma of the College of Physiology, I assert, without fear of contradiction from anyone qualified to speak on the subject,- that the basic principle of the handling system is bunkum.” Air Scott’s concluding remarks in this peculiarly interesting article are as follows::—“As practical evidence that the whole thing is bunkum, there are birds winning the utility classes and being eulogised by the handling experts as possessed of great laying capacity which do not lay 50 eggs a year. So true is this, that the handling system is a standing joke amongst professional exhibitors. Let it be clearly understood that I am not imputing even a shadow of dishonesty on the handling enthusiasts and judges. I am not even blaming them for disseminating such a farrago of nonsense. On the contrary, my pity for their ignorance is profound. Hogan's sincerity, as I have already stated, was to my mind beyond question: his case was merely one of self-delusion through monumental ignorance. In their turn, the handling judges and experts of America and England, as ignorant of the most elementary principles of physiology as was Hogan himself, have been led astray by the paralogical and pseudo-scientific-garbage of ‘ The Call of the Hen.’ A qualified physiologist would have spotted its bristling errors at a single glance. What, then, is the truth? Simply that the handling system of selecting layers is a myth. The distances between certain bones and the degree of ossification of those bones have nothing whatever to do with the laying capacity of a hen or the power of transmitting that capacity iu a cock.”

Reilly’s report a good yarding of poultry. Prices all round must be considered quite good. At the moment they have numerous orders for pullets and stud cockerels, and they will be pleased to have particulars of those who have birds for sale. On Wednesday last they received and sold: — Hens: 10 at 7s 2d, 41 at 6s 4d, 30 at 6s, 22 at ss, 36 at 4s JOd, 17 at 4s Bd, 20 at 4s 6d. 20 at 4s 4d, 32 at 4s 2d, 58 at 4s 6d. 26 at 3s lOd. 38 at 3s Bd. 35 at 3s 6d, 21 at 3s 4d. 2 at 2s. Pullets:

4 at 10s, 10 at 18s. Chickens: 10 at 3s 2d, 28 at 3s, 13 at 2s 2d, 21 at 2s, Cockerels: 13 at 5s Bd, 2 at 5s 2d, 22 at 4s 2d, 30 at 4s. Ducks: 24 at 7s 2d, 38 at 6s, 31 at 5s Bd, 16 at 5s 6d, 16 at 5s 4d, 15 at 5s 2d, 3 at ss, 7 at 4s 6d. Pigeons: 16 at Is. All at per pair. Turkeys: 1 gobbler at Is 61d per lb, 11 gobblers at Is 5d per lb, 6 hens at Is 4d per lb. Eggs: These have been short of requirements, and they were able to place their consignments on a basis of 2s 6d to 2s 7d per dozen.

22nd PAPANUI EGG LAYING COMPETITION,

WHITE LEGHORN SINGLE HEN CONTEST. (Owner enter! three birds.)

SINGLE DUCK CONTEST. (Owner enters three birds).

Leading pens 47th week ended February 2® (323 days). FLOCK TEAMS CONTEST (six birds). —Light and Heavy Breeds.— Week’s Weight White Leghorns— Eggs. oz. drs. Total W. E. Ward .. i. 28 59.11 1460 H. C. West .. .. 27 56.0 1448 J. Liggins .. 18 38.9 1374 S. E. Davey .. .. 34 71.1 1349 J. Bobbett 25 57.9 1345 F. Hawes 19 41.4 1323 Rhode Island Red — P. Bailey .. 23 45.1 1303 SINGLE HEN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP. (For Light and Heavy Breeds.) Week’s Weight White Leghorns— Eggs. oz. drs. Total. Miss M. White 10.7 284 N. Harrison .. . 3 G.13 268 W. Newall . 6 11.10 242 F. Hawes .. 4 8.7 223 F. Hawes . 4 8.7 238 A. G. F. Ross . 1 2.3 227 W. Spence . 4 9.0 227 Black Orpingtons— J. Kingsland . 3 6.6 259

Week’s Egg»Total. A. C. Goodlet, No. 3 6 284 H. Williams, No. 2 6 277 W. J. Richards, No. 1 27G R. W. Coombes, No 1 2 269 L. J. Knowles, No. 3 6 268 Miss M. White, No. 3 o 268 SINGLE HEN CONTEST. (Owner outers three birds.) Black Orpingtons— Week's Eggs. Total. G. Blair, No. 2 .. .. 5 243 2-JO J. W. Thomson, No. 3 J. W. Thomson, No. 1 5 227 J. W. Thomson, No. 2 o 227 I£. Harris, No. 2 3 226 Any other variety. Heavy Breeds— Cuthbertson and Mitchell, W.R., No. 2 .. .. Cuthbertson and Mitchell, W.R. No. 3 6 221 5 QO.l D. O'Hern, W.W., No. 1 .. 4 224 Cuthbertson and Mitchell, W.R., No. 1 0 216 Any other variety. Light Breeds— H. Williams, B.M., No. 2 R. Pearce (Anconas), No. 2 227 4 208

Indian Runners— Week’s Eggs. Total K. W. Hawke, No, 3 G 304 It. W. Hawke, So. 1 .. 7 293 J. W. Thomson, No. 3 7 293 H. A. Dawber, No. 3 7 297 H. A. Dawber, No. 2 5 291 J. W. Thoms-on, No. 1 0 215 J. Thomson (Peking, No. 2 7 239