EGG-LAYING COMPETITION

Southland Times, Issue 17732, 9 August 1917, Page 2

EGG-LAYING COMPETITION

END OF WINTER TEST. The following are the results of the Southland Egg-laying Competition, held at Kew for the seventeenth week, ending August 7, 1917 : Pen W r eek’s Grand Weight No. total, total, perdoz. ozs 15 J. J. Schultz.... 31 397 26 26 Mrs Gorinski .. 30 380 26 32 Jno, Stevens .. 15 377 25J 3 8 Mrs Anderson .. 19 371 26 2 Calder Bros. .. 32 367 25 1 C. Raines .... 17 364 25 9 iGough and Procter 16 363 23* 17 C, Crichton .... 26 359 26 * 14 Jno. Thomson .. 20 357 25* 4 Enterprise Poultry Farm 22 349 25J 38 S. L. Beer .... 16 349 26* 34 ?w. Hamilton .. 24 345 24 23 C. Thomson .. 28 339 24 24 Mrs Procter.. .. 26 330 26 20 H. Woodnorth.. 26 324 26* 16 T.Pi. Ferguson .. 34 319 23 21 F. Hall 21 312 27 10 Jno. Dowdall .. 31 311 2;>j 30 C. Rillstone.. .. 24 310 25* 37 Mrs Carr .. .. 25 308 26 7 Mrs J. Pauli .... 26 299 24 39 J. Stevens, junr. 7 297 28 5 McDougall Bros. 16 292 25* 33 Mrs J. Mills .. 20 292 25 35 lan Strang .... 15 288 27 28 A. Provan .. .. 28 279 25 22 K. Finlavson .. 27 278 24* 40 J. Hislop .... 4 257 27 36 J. B. Merrett .. 19 251 26* 27 H. Stratton .... 14 238 27 13 Enterprise Poultry Farm.. 17 231 25 6 ‘{’Mrs Moffatt .. 13 227 26* 3 tJ- Anderson .. 18 221 27 19 W. Buddie .... 17 215 26 11 C. Matheson .. 22 210 24* 25 C. Warburton .. 21 204 27 12 Mrs Morris .... 27 197 25* 29 James Strang .. 24 177 24 31 tMrs O’Byrne .. 19 153 28* 8 T. E. Davis .... 21 141 25 857 11,671 37 spare birds .. 41 1,245 38 pens last year 837 12,587 v Minorca*. i For the same period last year the winter test results were as follows:—Jno. Stevens 494 eggs, Enterprise Poultry Farm 488, Miss Sutherland 475, Jno. Dowdall 473, 11. C. Ferguson 442. POULTRY NOTES. (By “Rock.”) DUCK EGG CULTURE. As a profitable congenial outdoor occupation, the keeping of Runner ducks for egg production is deserving of attention. Unlike hens, previous knowledge of duck keeping is unnecessary. Properly reared and fed, Runner ducks will lay a flock average of 200 eggs per annum, allowing for a rest and moult. ’They thrive on cheaper food, chiefly millers’ offal, whilst fowls must have corn, regardless of cost. Changeable weather, ram, frost, snow, will often check egg-production in hens, but does not affect ducks; they revel in wet weather and lay with monotonous regular.ty. Hens require large dry houses; cheaper houses will do for ducks. Hens are subject to scores of diseases, many fatal and contagious. Ducks are comparatively free from disease. Ducklings are easy to rear and full grown at 12 weeks. Chickens are -more difficult to tear and still chicks at 18 weeks. Fowls require many times more capital outlay on plant than ducks. Runners cost no more than fowls to feed; they obtain the extra food necessary for the increased egg yield by their own exertions, foraging all day. A good laying hen will lay five times her own weight of eggs per annum; an average laying Runner duck lays ten times her own weight of eggs per annum. Hens make bad gardeners; they scratch. Ducks do not. Fotvls fly over 6ft fences; ducks don’t — 2ft turns them. Duck raising is a branch of the poultry industry that can scarcely be said to be overdone; indeed, the contrary is the case. Early chicks are most people’s ambition, with the result that the duckling has to take a secondary place. But the profit on ducklings, if properly reared, and fattened for market at the age of ten or twelve weeks, is so substantial that the matter is well worth}’ the attention of 'those who are anxious to make their poultry yard show a good return. With ducklings intended for market at the earliest possible date, good food and good feeding are a necessity from the first. The profit to the rearer depends upon their making a continuous and unchecked growth. Feed them well, and feed them often; in fact, give them as much as they will eat. Ducks lay on flesh more quickly when kept away from water, unless it is an ocusional bath to refresh themselves. This is really all they require; if allowed free access to a pond, the exercise taken by swimming greatly retards and hinders their fattening. Water for drinking purposes should, however, always be supplied at feeding time in deep vessels, so that the ducks can give their beaks a good wash out. The following are the results of the winter test at the Christchurch competition, covering a period of 16 weeks and 2 days, April Bth to July 31st: — LIGHT BREEDS. W. H. West 412 G. Gee 374 Calder Bros 368 HEAVY BREEDS. F. Staines 8.0 405 J. Nancarrow 8.0 370 DUCKS. W. T. Green 609 H. W. Bower 553