POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3861, 13 March 1928, Page 32

POULTRY NOTES.

By

Terror.

SHOW DATES.

The following show dates for the 1928 shows were allotted by the South Island Poultry Association at its annual meeting:— New Zealand Utility Poultry Club, March 16 and 17. Dunedin Specialists’ Young Birds Club, March 30 and 31. Christchurch Canary Club, March 30 and Ol Otautau and District Progressive League, May 9 and 10. Nightcaps, May 18 and 19. Christchurch Poultry, P.C. and C. Club, June 7. 8, and 9. „ Waimangaroa Poultry Club, June 8 and 9. Dunedin Fanciers' Club, June 14 and 15 South Canterbury Egg and Poultry Society (Timaru), June 15 and 16. Westport Poultry Club, June 22 and 23. Ashburton Poultry, P. and C. Club. Friday and Saturday, June 22 and 23. Taieri Poultry Club. Saturday, June 23. Balclutha Poultry Club, June 29. Waimate Poultry Club, Friday and Saturday, June 29 and 30. North Canterbury Poultry Club, Friday and Saturday. July 6 and 7. Granity Poultry Club, July 6 and 7. Hokitika Poultry Club, July 10 and 11. Oamaru Poultry Club. Friday and Saturday. July 13 and 14. Tapanui Poultry Club, July 14. Invercargill Poultry Club. July 1 < J and 18. Kaitangata Poultry Club, Wednesday and Thursday, July 18 and 19. Lyttelton Fanciers' Club, Friday and Saturday. July 20 and 21. Gore Poultry Club, July 27 and 2S. Temuka Poultry Club. Friday anu Saturday. July 27 and 28. Greymouth Poultry Club (reserved dates). July 27 and 28. or August 3 and 4.

The Dunedin Young Bird Specialist Club has decided j.o hold a show the two last days of this month. Judges have been appointed, and those to adjudicate on poultry are Air P. C. Sinclair and Air C. Barclay. An art union is to be run, and the tickets will admit to the show. Mr G. C. Coote is to act as superintendent. The Black Orpingtons are ahead of the white Leghorns_ at the Burnley egglaying competition in various tests, and Rhode Island Reds are doing well. The six best black Orpingtons in the open section at the Hawkesbury competition to February 7 have laid 1285 eggs, and tec best white Leghorns 1310. Ne.r is tee time to get rid of the hens not required for next season. Don’t wait till they get through the unproductive period of moulting. If kept on till they have renewed their feathers, the cost of feeding will be more than the advanced price, if any, that will be obtained in the market. The birds to be discarded are generally in good condition for the market just prior to the moult, and a few days’ special feeding will put on a little extra weight.

Bridging the Aloult. —Air W. PowellOwen, in an article in the Feathered World, reminds us that “ what the ‘ pullet ’ was is not what the ‘ hen ’ is.” He says: “The wonder pullet of.last year may be a commonplace hen this.” . The moult has had to be bridged, and in its bridging many wonder pullets prior to the moult will show up poorly after. He concludes his article with the following warning:—“The utilitarian who breeds systematically from hie heaviest-laying pullets solely on pullet production will, I am afraid, meet with a packet of weaknesses following the moult. Production must go hand in hand with strict selection ere the breeding operations are reached- Yet selection has been a weak link, and still is, solely because no one likes to put his back against the wall and start discarding. Is it not human nature for anyone to try to put 13 eggs under a small broody, 110 eggs in a 100egg size incubator. 100 chicks in a 100chick size rearer, to crack tee shells and help out late chicks, to nurse weaklings in case they might be saved, and to keep the dud* hen one day longer for fear she might commence to lay? Is not selection or grading or discarding teen a. hard nut to crack? I would” still advise readers to go over their hens once more now for weaknesses. No matter what your hens were as pullets, note also what they are now as hens after bridging the moult. Give preference as breeders to the successful bridgers.” Trap-nesting is all right to show which hens have, made the best egg record; but whether the ‘ best layers will produce daughters equal to themselves is another matter, and. one which has not been

proved. Laying ability descends from the sire, so if your pullets are good producers remember that if their daughters are to equal them they must as hens be sired to a male bred from a high layer, and he must, in order to be certain of results, be a bird of the same strain as themselves and of sound constitution. Don’t cross strains if it can be avoided.

Garlic has been used for medicinal purposes for over 3000 years. Alany farmers are great believers in it for certain complaints. Many poultry keepers hold that it is a preventive of bacilliary white diarrhoea and coccidiosis. Turkey raisers in America use it when there are outbreaks of the dreaded blackhead disease. Its use has no evil effect, and it is an excellent disinfectant of the alimentary system.

Green Feed in Winter.—Green feed can be provided in numerous ways. The most common and also most economical iS sprouted oats. Great care must be used in their preparation or they are likely to mould during the sprouting stage. Great trouble is sometimes found from mouldiness arising from the fact that either the grain is dirty or the sprouter or trays have not been properly cleaned. Dirty oats will mould almost every time, and for that reason only clean grain should be used. The oats sprouter should be thoroughly cleaned and scalded with hot water before starting a new lot. Soaking the oats in a solution of half a teaspoouful of formaldehyde to a gallon of water before putting them in the sprouter will also help prevent mould. No Eggs and Why.-—lf a man lias an empty egg basket there is a reason. He should stop and ask why. Probably he can find the cause and remedy it. Here are a few reasons why some folks uo not get eggs from their flocks. Poor ventilation of the poultry house may- be mentioned. Stuffy houses mean foul air, which is about as dangerous to the flock as cold draughts of wintry winds. Let in the fresh air,- if you must knock an end out of the house and use a drop curtain. Improper feeding may rob the egg basket—sloppy food and a lack of grit and grain. It may be corn alone is being fed, and no attention is paid to an egg diet. A balanced ration, part of which is fed in the form of grain and part in the form of mash, will give the results. There may be lice and mites on the poultry and in tee house. Fick up a few hens and look them over. Watch for the mites in cracks and ciences. Dust the hens aud spray the house. They suck the life out of the hens, so there can be no strength to make eggs. Lice powder and a good spiaymg material should be at hand all the time A broken roof that leaks water nni the u he ’-H ? r ma^ es the floor dam P and cold will keep the hens from laying, i hen x , tllat n “' st stand around on a cold damp floor will not be a very good laver well she may be fed. Fix the wfL an -n put x i ry 4 traw in the house. Hens will not lay if they are not bred ay ’wk? g L el6 1 ? le unfit for laying pen. What should you do? Get rid of them, and select a good strain from someone who is breeding the breed you are mnr reS A ed ln ' A good hen "’ill eat no ™profit -A a p P< j? ° ne ’ and yOU Cau get Reilly’s report: Eggs have again advanced and to-day we are securing 2s Pe r dozea for °" r consignors. On Wednesday an exceptionally heavy valuing of poultry came forward, and prices were distinctly lower for all birds. We received and sold:—Hens: 13 at 8s Bd, 15 at 6s, 18 at 5s 4d. 34 at 5s °d 24 at 4s 8d ’ 27 at 18 at 1 R 9“ d + t 0 4*l 4 40 40 at 3s 10d ’ 50 at 3s 6d, 1 62 at 3s 4d 48 at 3s 2d, 156 at 3s. 10 at 2 fe lOd Cocks: 2at 4s 2d, 2 at 3s lOd, 2 at 3s 8d 2 at 3s 6d, 3 at 3s 4d. Cockerels: 12 at 8s Bd, 19 at Bs, 15 at 7s 4d, 24 at 6s, 14 at 5s 6d, 18 at as ]2 at 4s ]od, 22 at 4s Bd, 14 at o S 4 1’ ?o at , 4 f 2d- Pul,ets : 14 at 19s 6d, 9 at 18s, 14 at 12s 6d, 14 at 12s, 7 at 6s 6d, 4 at 6s. 24 at 225. Chickens: I 8 f y onl 2s 6d to 4s. Ducks: 8 at as lOd, 4at 4s Bd. (All at per jiair.)

23rd PAPANUI ECC-LAYING COMPETITION. Leading Pens 47th "Week ended February 25 (329 days). FLOCK TEAMS CONTEST. (Six birds.) Week's Weight

SINGLE HEN OPEN CHAMPION-SHIP —Light and Heavy Breeds.— Week’s Weight

SINGLE DUCK CONTEST. (Owner enters Three IJirds.) Week’s

SINGLE HEN CONTEST. (Owner enters Three Birds., Week’s

WHITE LEGHORN SINGLE HEN CONTEST. (Owner enters Three Bi.da.)

White Leghorns— eggs. or.dre. Tote! A. Woolley .. .. 23 62. 0 1451 J. Liggins .. 30 66. 5 1421 V errall I? res .. .. 29 G2.13 1380 T. H. \vilee .. .. 17 32. 5 1376 H. C. West .. .. 26 61. 4 1362 J. G. Verrail .. .. 20 42.12 1356

Black Orpingtons—• eggs. oz.dra. Total H. AV. Beck .. .. 4 10.11 253 Mrs Heliaby 4 8.11 235 A. M. Espie .. .. 0 0. 0 225 A'lnte Leghorns— H. C. West .. .. 6 11. 3 262 S. E. Davey .. .. 3 7. 5 258 W. Spence .. 3 7. 3 244 J.’ MTntosh .. 4 9. 1 241 A. H. Adams .. .. G 13. 9 229 G. H. Chambers 4 9. 3 237

Indian Runners— *Bg«. Total A. G. F Ross, No. 2 6 314 F. R. Cotton, No. 1 .. r 311 Airs Gee No. 3 .. .. G 310 Ar- Adsett, No. 1 .. 7 307 A. G . F. Ross, No. 3 .. 0 305 A, Adsett, No. 3 .. 7 293

A.O.V. Heavy Breeds— egga. Total F. Bailey, R.I.B., No. 1 .. 3 247 P. A. Cornish, L.S., No. 2 7 242 P. A. Cornish, L.S., No. 1 5 211 Black Orpingtons— G. A. Grainger, No. 1 .. .. 7 253 T. D. Dalziel, No 1 .. .. 3 24S H. W. Beck, No. 1 .. .. 6 240 R. M. Cookson, -No." 3 .. .. 0 239 G. A. Grainger, No. 2 .. .. ® 232 Mrs Meyrick, No. 1 .. .. 8 230

Week's eggs. Total, H. Williams, No. 3 .. 7 283 A. 0. Goodlet, No. 3 .. .. 5 282 A. M. ISspie, No. 3 .. .. 6 28Jf G. .H. Mitchell, No. 2 . . .. 6 261 J. Maxwell, No, 3 .. 6 280 H. Harris, No. 2 279