POLLTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 4038, 4 August 1931, Page 29

POLLTRY NOTES.

By

Terror.

Early hatched chickens are generally the most profitable, consequently it is advisable to put down eggs towards the middle or end of August, so that the chickens will arrive in September amidst tlie most favourable spring conditions — I increased sunshine, fresh green groyvth, and awakened insect life. The future of the poultry industry—for the coming year | at least—depends largely for success ou the early hatched chickens, and those who intend to buy day-olds instead of hatching them should get their orders in early. They can be obtained at such moderate prices that there is no excuse for delay. Progressive rearers realise the importance of early hatching, so that pullet chickens may develop and mature in time for early autumn production, on which success and profit largely depend. Latehatched stock are mainly responsible for failures; in fact, except with smallframed, quick-maturing breeds, it seldom pays to hatch after October has passed. When to Start Feeding Chicks.— Chickens may be given food as soon as they are ready for the brooders. The idea which has arisen in recent years of withholding food until they were 40 to 60 hours old has' been pretty well exploded, and lias been favoured in the Jftist because in sending day-old chicks to distant places it has been found they could stand a starve for that length of time. Chickens are usually ready for their first food anytime after they are 12 hours old. when they are well dried off and sturdy on their legs. Roup in Fowls.—Discussing the treatment for roup, a writer in Poultry (Sydney) states : “ I experienced an outbreak of roup on my farm, and an expert advised me to use tincture of aconite, which proved an excellent cure. This drug is highly poisonous, and must be used with great care. The correct dose is four drops to each pint of drinking water. An eye dropper can be bought nt the chemist's to ensure the correct dose. Remove clogged matter from nostrils, etc., with a pointed match, and paint over the swollen face, nostrils, etc., with iodine ointment. Reilly’s Report.—Supplies of table poultry short of requirements, and any lines coming on to the market command good values. Stud poultry: Good sales have been made during the week with stud cockerels, breeding hens and pedigree pul-

lets. We sold: Hens— 4 at 8s lOd, 13 'Bs 6d, 6 7s fid, 7 7b 4d, 6 7s, 5 6s lOd, 8 6s 2d, 6 5s Bd, 6 5s 4d, 2 3s; cockerels—2 14s, 2 10s Bd, 6 10s, 13 9s 6d 12 7s fid 3 7s 4d, 12 7s, 2 fis lOd, 2 6s Bd, 2 6s 6d, 3 6s 2d, 5 6s, 8 5s fid; pullets—6 8s 2d, 6 15s, 6 20s; geese—2 Ils 4d; bantams —5 2s; —all at per pair. Stud poultry—2 Black Orpington cockerels 15s each, 2 black Minorca cockerels 21s, 1 turkey, gobbler 15s. * Eggs are meeting with a steady demand, prices ranging from Is 7d to Is 9d per dozen, but with the warmer weather approaching, we anticipate prices will come back. OVER-PRODUCTION. The “ Grand Old Mah ” of the poultry world. Sir Edward Brown, LL.D., F.L.8., is continuously warning poultrj’ keepers of the dangers arising from over-pro-duction. In a recent number of the Feathered World he compares the losses by death at two of the English leading egg-laying trials —viz., at the National test and the Harper Adams trials—to show the high mortality. The following is a quotation from his article on the

These figures, however, only apply to white Leghorns entered in the championship section. Evidently the position is very serious, and demands consideration of breeders as well as those promoting these laying trials. On that point more is said below, I As now to be shown, whilst all the more | popular breeds appear to be affected. I there are some outstanding examples of what is taking place. I have therefore taken out figures for the breeds at Milford which had more than 100 birds ' entered in all classes. The results are set forth in the subjoined table:—

It is also desirable to compare the championship and small pen classes for the two leading breeds in the two trials: —

No other conclusion can be arrived at than that at present the white Leghorn as a breed is feeling the strain of abnormal productivity to a greater extent than any other class of fowl. Considering its universal popularity, and that breeding has been forced to an extreme point, this is scarcely surprising. It would be invaluable if we could know the lines of breeding adopted by many of the most prominent breeders, and especially those who have gone in for close breeding. Unfortunately those who practise such methods do not make public what they themselves know, even where they recognise what are the facts of the case. —After the Trials. — ... There is, however, another phase to ■which attention should be called beyond what takes place during these tests, as that only reveals part of the story. Possibly, although on this we have no evidence, the mortality is as great or greater after the birds have been sent back home. It may be, on the other hand, that the change to a new environment following upon 48 weeks at the laying trials, has a remedial effect. On the other hand it is more than likely that many birds do not live long after they have been returned to their owners. As to them we know

nothing. It would, however, be an invaluable service if there could be revealed how many of Hie high-record pullets in laying trials are alive at the end of 12 months following their period of trial.

TWENTY-SEVENTH PAPANUI EGGLAYING COMPETITION.

Leading Pens, ICth Week, ended July 24 (111 days). TEST I—J. H. SHAW MEMORIAL • CHALLENGE. (Light and Heavy Breeds.) Week’s Weight eggs. oz. dr. Total. Heavy Breeds—■

TEST 2—WHITE LEGHORN. SINGLE HENS (Owner Enters Three Birds.) Week's eggs. Totals.

TEST 3—BLACK ORPINGTONS ONLY. (Single Hen. Owner Enters Three Birds.) Week's

TEST 4—ANY VARIETY LIGHT OR HEAVY BREEDS OTHER THAN WHITE LEGHORNS OR BLACK ORPINGTONS Week’s

L.S. stands for Light Sussex. 8.0. stands for Buff Orpington. A. stands for Ancona. B. stands for Brown Leghorn.

TEST S—ELOCK TEAMS. (Six Birds.)

P. signifies Pekin. K.C. stands for Khaki Campbell.

subject:— Trials. No. Birds. No. Dead. Percent age of Total. National 204 20 14.2 Harper Adams . 180 29 1G.1

Breeds. tn s 6 Z tn d M ~ £3 at o Q 6 Z s £ rf o cn U —' > 6 <Z W. Leghorns . 832 91 10.9 188.03 81.2 Blk Leghorns . 141 7 4.9 192.48 86.3 W. Wyandottes 760 50 6.8 190.95 84.1 R.I. Reds . . 620 41 G.6 190.31 84.2 Light Sussex . 182 13 7.1 170.21 84.6 Buff Rocks 114 8 7.0 183.13 81.5 Tl., all breeds 2934 230 7.8 185.10 S3.0

Championships. N ATION AL. No. Birds. Deaths. Per Cent. White Leghorns . . 204 29 14.2 White Wyandottes 204 IS S.3 Small Pens. White Leghorns . . 34 S 42 12.1 White Wyandottes 330 24 7.2 Hat.per Adams. —— Championships. No. Per Birds. Deaths. Cent. White Leghorns . . ISO 29 16.1 White Wyandottes IOS 6.5 Small Pens. White Leghorns . . 266 26 9.0 White Wyandottes 322 20 6.2

Jt Campbell . . .. . . 7 14.13 104 II. Cotton . . .. .. 6 11.13 92 H. Wood .. 0 0.0 73 White Leghorns— II. Williams . . .. G 11.13 100 L. Roache . . 6 13.11 93 J. Ibbotson 9.14 92 Miss M'Kechnie .. - * •* 11.3 87 T. S. Dove . . . . . . 4 7.13 85 F. G. S. Chapman . . \ 10.7 82

V.’. L. Donald G 5 r. 82 87 89 A. .1. Maclaine . . G 4 96 75 79 T. S. Dove . . a 0 91 101 Ub II. Williams, No. 2 1 G o i u 100 71 H. Williams, No. 1 0 4 G 67 85 92 J. Ibbotson . . G 6 O 82 88 74

eggs. Totals. B. Cotterell 9 4 68 85 81 R. 51. Cookson . . 5 78 74 66 D. A. M’Kee . 1 4 4 38 74 68

eggs. Totals. Mrs Wiliams (L.S.) 6 6 4 94 101 91 A. W. Pritchard (B.O.) .. .. 5 5 7 7 79 89 S. H. Mitchell (A.) 3 0 4 73 70 B. C. Wilson (B.L.) 3 4 4 68 59 85

White Leghorns— Week’s Weight eggs. oz. dr. Total. W. Knight . . 9 O 69.13 4S9 L. V. Couch . . .. IS 37.14 414 II. Williams . . .. . . 14 30.14 406 L. Roache .. 12 26.0 404 M. C. Craig . . .. . . 23 50.4 402 Verrail Bros. . . . 15 30.15 393 TEST C—INDIAN RUNNER. (Owner Enters Three Bird's.) Week's eggs. Totals. .» J. \V. Thomson . . 7 5 7 7S 103 106 II. A. Dawber . . 3 7 6 66 109 9G G. A. Heath 7 7 7 55 IOS 14 TEST 7 —OTHER THAN INDIAN RUNNER. II. A. Dawber (P.) 6 4 7 93 69 90 F. Ashworth (K.C.) 7 7 5 51 62 62