SOUTHLAND EGG-LAYING COMPETITION

Southland Times, Issue 17919, 26 April 1917, Page 6

SOUTHLAND EGG-LAYING COMPETITION

The following are the results of the Southland Egg-laying Competition held at Kew, for the second week, ending

Spare birds 8 24 vMinorcas. tOrpingtons. POULTRY NOTES, By ‘‘Rock.’* THE COMPETITIONS. SOME POINTS OF INTEREST. Comparisons.—The splendid success of the recent laying competition held at Kew has demonstrated that poultry can be made to pay handsomely at this end of the Island equally, if not better than in a warmer climate. In one respect at least cold weather was a decided advantage. To Mr Cowan (the caretaker), by his attention and untiring efforts must be given a large share of the praise for the results obtained. Various comparisons have been made between the results obtained at Kew and those at the Christchurch test, but none, I think, as fairly as they should have been. The birds at Kew have certainly put up a better performance, but the conditions governing the two tests have not been equal. It must be remembered that the birds in the local test were placed in quarters that were perfectly new and clean, whereas the pens in Christchurch have been in continual use for 12 or 13 years. This is a very important point that appears to have been entirely lost sight of. Another point is—in the northern test no eggs are counted which weigh less than l%ozs. Here we have no such rule. The duration of the test here was four days longer than that held at Christchurch. Also in the northern test 60 pens competed in the light and heavy breeds as against 38 here. Experience has shown that the greater the number of birds kept, the more egg production tends to decrease. In regard to the weather and its effect on the birds, I think we have also been the gainers. The hot dry weather experienced in Christchurch in the autumn caused the birds there to moult a month earlier than usual, while the cold snap in Invercargill during the same month delayed the moult, thereby causing a check in the decreasing egg production. 9 Feeding Meat-meal.—Of the ten deaths at the* Kew test the majority were due to ovarian troubles caused by a forcing diet. Mixing the meat-meal with the mash has its disadvantages, in that the birds, irrespective of their requirements, must eat it or go hungry. I believe meat-meal is best mixed with pollard and fed to the birds separately, giving each one a chance to balance its own ration. * Broodiness. —The recent test has shown us that sufficient attention on the breeders’ part had not been given to the broody instinct. There were far too many cases of broodlness both among the light and heavy breeds. Competitors; If they want to get tho best from their birds, should cull any birds from the breeding pen showing signs of broodiness. Premature Laying.—Although birds brought to lay prematurely in the recent test laid well during the spring and summer months, they failed at the finish. The Spare Bird.—l am pleased to see a spare bird is allowed in the second test, but I notice no provision is made to replace a bird dying through the result of an accident. Perhaps this is an oversight. The management committee should make a definite statement on how it is intended the spare bird is to be used. Encouraging Breeding.—Among the many special prizes given in the recent test it is regrettable that none were set aside to encourage breeding. Breeding is the most important, and perhaps the least understood, part of poultrykeeping, and every encouragement should be given it. In the local competition a competitor, entering a team purchased from some well-known and successful breeder, or batching and rearing pullets from settings which he bought, is placed on an equal footing with other competitors who study their birds and make at least an honest attempt to improve their strain unaided. This is discouraging to the genuine breeder. By breeder. I do not mean a person who simply buys a setting and is responsible only for the hatching and rearing. There is no particular merit in this, and could he i*jne by a mere novice. We are told the main objects of the competition are of an educational mature. If this is so, and if poultrykeeping in Southland is going to make any permanent progress, breeding should be given all the encouragement it is possible to give it.

April 24;— Pen Daily Grand No. 23 C. Thomson Laying. 3614645 —32 Total. 56 34 JW. Hamilton 4434436—2S 53 15 J. J. Schultz 3423344—23 48 IS Mrs Anderson 2634544—2S 48 4 Enterprise Poultry Farm 4334443—25 47 13 Enterprise Poultry Farm 3432113—20 47 3S S. L. Beer .. 3434345—26 43 32 Jno. Stevens 2441341 —19 42 35 Ian Strang .. 2442322—19 42 26 Mrs Gorinski 2232223—16 35 1 C. Raines .. 241343*— IS 33 28 A. Provan .. 2232235—19 33 8 T. E. Davis 2211111— 9 30 24 K. L. Proctor 1333233—18 30 37 Mrs Carr 2311110— 9 29 10 Jno Dowdall 3332333—20 28 25 C. Warburton 1213122—12 27 17 C. Crichton . . 2415002—14 21 20 H. .Woodnorth 3122122—13 21 33 Mrs J. Mills 1203213—12 21 39 J. Stevens, jun. 0203022— 9 20 91 W. Buddie .. 2120121— 9 29 7 Mrs J. Pauli 0222133—13 19 6 fairs Moffatt 2012022— 9 IS 5 McDougall Bros. 1211132—11 1 13 29 Jas. Strang 4221102—12 12 3 tJ. Anderson 1010110— 4 9 2 Calder Bros. 0110111— 5 8 14 Jno. Thomson 1111103— 8 8 30 C. Rillstone 1101100— 4 8 21 F. Hall .. .. 0201211— 7 7 16 JR. Ferguson 0000000— 0 0 40 J. Hlslop 0031011— 6 6 9 JGough and Proctor .. .. 0101111— 5 5 27 H. Stratton 0010101— 3 3 11 C. Matheson 0000000 — 0 0 12 Mrs Morris .. 004)0000— 0 0 22 K. Finlayson 0000000— 0 0 31 fMrs O’Byrne 0000000— 0 0 36 J. B. Merrett 0000000 — 0 0 484 894