POULTRY NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 23228, 17 June 1937, Page 12

POULTRY NOTES

BY

A. PEAT

The official column of the Invercargill Poultry, Pigeon, Canary and Pet Club, and the Southland Poultry Producers’ Federation.

Members of the Invercargill Poultry Club are reminded that the club will hold its fortnightly meeting tonight. Two successful Invercargill exhibitors at the recent Christchurch show were Mrs J. Calvert, who among other prizes won the South Island championship for utility Indian Runner ducks and Mr R. M. Mitchell, a pioneer breeder of Black Minorcas, who had several winning birds including a cockerel which won first prize and a special prize for the best utility Minorca. This bird was sent direct from the Christchurch show to Invercargill and there also won the first and special prize in the same class. This was a great performance after a 700-mile train journey. The judge’s comments on the utility section at the recent Invercargill show were not available when the report was printed and they are now included in this column. The judge (Mr C. H. Cunningham) said the classes were up to standard in quality although some of the classes were poorly represented. The White Leghorns were the best represented. The New Zealand champion for. males was found in the cock class. This bird was of good type, with splendid colour and good head points. Australorps were well represented, the first and second cockerels being splendid specimens. The first cockerel gained the cup for the best utility bird in the show. Sussex pullets were only fair. No male birds were shown in this class. Silver Wyandotte pullets were poor, being small and poorly laced. The Minorcas were good, and some nice birds were shown in this section, the cockerel gaining the special prize for the best Minorca. It was of good type and splendid colour, with a nice lobe and good head points. The winning pullet was also a good specimen, slightly whipped in tail. This bird won the special prize for the best opposite sex to the cup winner in the utility class. Black Orpingtons were poorly represented, the best being a hen which won the special prize for the best heavy breed hen or pullet in the utility class. Buff Orpingtons had a South Island championship allotted, the winning cockerel being awarded the championship by having the most even colour. All were good type birds. Only two Rhode Island Reds were, penned and they were medium quality. The farmers and novices’ classes were also well represented, with fair quality birds. Khaki Campbell ducks competed for the South Island championship, the championship being won by a drake of good type and sound colour throughout, said the judge Fawn and White Runner ducks were poorly represented. There was nothing outstanding in these classes. Two cups not mentioned in the special prize list were:—Utility Opposite Sex, R. Mitchell, Minorca; Utility Heavy hen or pullet, J. Baxter, Black Orpington. On two occasions I have been asked why a class for border canaries was not included in the Invercargill show. No doubt those responsible will see that it is included next year, as there is no doubt about the increasing popularity of all varieties of canaries and cage birds. > To sex a duckling hold it in the left hand with its head down and the belly facing you and your left forefinger behind the base of its back. With the forefinger and thumb of the right hand push the vent downwards to make, it open. If this is done properly the interior of the vent will protrude. In drakes a tiny transparent projection about the size of a pin point will protrude towards the base of the interior of the vent. In the case of a duck this will not appear. PROGENY TESTING The Missouri State Poultry Experiment Station has started the first major change in station procedure in 12 years, with establishment of progeny testing. Incidentally, this will be the first progeny testing station in the United States. Mr T. W. Noland, director of the station, said that in all probability progeny testing would supplant the egg laying contests, as under present condition they had about served their purpose. An entry in the progeny test consists of 100 eggs. The eggs must be from trap-nested and blood-tested hens with records of 200 eggs or better. If the entry is pullet eggs, the pullets must be from hens with the above qualifications.

Each 100-egg entry is included separately and a careful record kept of mating, egg weight, infertile eggs, dead germs, chicks dead in shell, deformed chicks and weight of chick at hatching. Each entry is brooded separately and at the end of eight weeks the cockerels are either sold back to the breeder or sold on the open market. The pullets will be grown to maturity at the station and trap-nested one year from the time the first egg is produced. The trapnesting will be handled on the same basis that the laying contests are now handled.

Feed sacks should be hung on a wire instead of thrown in a pile, and they should also be kept where the sun will not fade them. It will mean a real saving during the year if all sacks are carefully cared for and returned to the feed man for credit.

Experiments have proved beyond doubt what has been known to old breeders for long, and that is that the dubbing of heavy-combed male birds, such as Leghorns, has a beneficial effect upon fertility. When the birds are dubbed fairly young it is also obvious that extra body growth follows the dubbing, and where birds are not kept for show, it would pay breeders to dub their males. A new breed has come to California. Produced from the easily fattened Giant Chittagong from India, the mammoth chested Japanese Shamo, Red Malay and finely knit big chested Cornish, it it claimed to be a marvellous quick grower, easy fattener, and toothsome to the last degree. The hens lay a large, rich, slightly-tinted egg, and it is - claimed that their winter laying is far above the average. They have been named The Californians by Judge M. C. Summers, the originator. ANCIENT EGG BOARDS “People think that the Egg Board is an encumbrance of modern times,” says Mr Kinghorn, of the Australian Museum. “It isn’t, you know. There was an egg board in the times of St. Paul. This has been revealed by the researches of Dr C. M. Cobern, who, in translating some ancient papyri, learned that human nature had changed very little, if at all, down through the ages. It seems that the papyri relate that in the time of St. Paul, corporations and even individuals were engaged in business and plans which show our methods of today to be hopelessly behind the times, while some of their workings and ideas could be termed “up-to-date.”

For example, the egg vendor, in A.D. 32-37, was placed on oath not to sell eggs privately at a discount, but at fixed prices, and then only through a public market. We live and learn; even as schoolboys we knew that banks were of ancient times, because it is written that Moses received a cheque •op. the. bank of the Nile. There still are people who sigh for “the good old ways.” As Mark Twain would have said, “ . . . it’s a gross exaggeration.” The shell of the egg is formed of

minute flaky pieces of lime, which in appearance and consistency first resemble damp parchment. It is gradually hardened and shaped by process of moulding until the egg is complete and ready for laying. A The process takes place in the lower portions ot the oviduct, where the egg is retained for some eight hours or so. Cracked, or otherwise damaged household crockery makes excellent poultry grit if broken up into pieces the size of an average grain of wheat. The. more docile the hen the better layer it will be. Sudden change of feeding, or of laying quarters, frights, or the management of a hasty and noisy attendant, are often first steps towards an early moult in young pullets. Experiments undertaken in America show that, on a basis of pound for pound of body weight, fowls require about five times as much fresh air as human beings and a little more than twice as much as horses and sows. KEROSENE EMULSION

For the eradication of red mite and fowl tickes, although there are many methods, it is questionable, states J. Hadlington, in The Sydney Morning Herald, if there is anything quite equal to kerosene emulsion, but it should not be expected that one spraying or swabbing of the perches and house will clean up a gross infestation of either. It is most unlikely that every parasite and every egg will be reached by one or even two sprayings and it only requires a very small nucleus of the pests soon to start a reinfestation. For this reason it is advisable to give successive sprayings and treatment of the perches at intervals of about ■ one week until the place is clean. The spraying should be done with sufficient force to reach every crack and crevice; in short, every potential hiding place should be saturated. Because droppings dry out quickly during the summer months and have practically no smell it is not a reason for allowing them to accumulate. BREEDERS’ COLUMN Last year there was an attractive list of advertisers under this column and to increase its popularity the column is being set aside on July 22 to give short descriptions of all the advertisers’ birds, how their strains were founded, any fresh blood they have introduced, their chief wins at shows or egg-laying competitions and any other items of interest. Would those intending to advertise under thL column send in particulars of their birds not later than July 15 to the poultry editor. Thinking well does not count unless you act well. In poultry farming, as elsewhere, experience—either our own or someone else’s—is our teacher. There is nearly as much ability in knowing how to act on good advice as there is in acting independently for yourself. Mr W. Whelan, 122 Tweed street, has about 300 back numbers of Poultry (Australia) which he would be pleased to give to anyone caring to read them. EGG LAYING CONTESTS MASSEY COLLEGE (Uth Week) Single Light Breed A. A. Hoare (W.L.) 5 60 A. G. Mumby (W.L.) 6 60 O. Marland (W.L.) 5 56 W. Scott (W.L.) 6 56 J. Wilson (W.L.) 6 55 Heavy Breed Single Miss E. Somer (R.1.R.) 6 69 Mrs Huxtable (B.O.) 5 64 Miss E. Somer (R.1.R.) 6 62 Mrs R. Willers (B.O.) 6 59 Mrs M. Douglas (B.O.) 5 58 Light Breeds (Six Birds) H. A. Lucas (W.L.) 28 298 Ancona P.F. (W.L.) 26 230 Mrs Sewell (W.L.) 20 ' 223 S. Batten (W.L.) 9 196 Heavy Breed (Six Birds) L. Hooper (B.O.) 30 306 W. A. Larsen (A. 0. 29 260 F. Dewhurst (R.1.R.) 29 226 Austral P.F. (B.O.) 30 216

TARANAKI (Uth Week) Heavy Breed Single Mrs H. Moreland (A. 0. 6 69 N. Ross (B.O.) 7 68 G. A. Edge (R.1.R.) 6 68 Mrs D. M. Waddell (B.O.) 6 66 Mrs W. Bushy (B.O.) 5 64 Single Light Breeds Sunny River P.F. (W.L.) 5 63 Sunny River P.F. (W.L.) 6 62 C. L. Urquhart (W.L.) 4 62 J. Hazelwood (W.L.) 7 58 Mrs Revell (W.L.) 6 57 Ducks, Single Mrs E. Kelly (K.C.) 7 77 Mrs E. Kelly (K.C.) 7 72 Mrs Revell (F.W.R.) 7 58 Heavy Breed (Three Birds) Mrs H. Moreland (A. 0. 15 177 N. Ross (B.O.) 17 ’ 173 J. H. Hurdle (A. 0. 14 153 G. Edge (R.1.R.) 13 150 Light Breed (Three Birds) Sunny River P.F. (W.L.) 16 179 Mrs Revell (W.L.) 14 153 M. Stephenson (W.L.) 14 144 W. Scott (W.L.) 16 133 PAPANUI (10th week) TEST No. I.—J. H. SHAW MEMORIAL CHALLENGE (for light and heavy breeds, single penned).

TEST No. 2.—WHITE LEGHORN SINGLE HEN TEST (each competitor to enter three pure-bred pullets to be single

Weekly Total Total to date C. Miln (A.O.) 4 36 J, R. Griffen (L.S.) 5 43 C. N. Goodman (A.O.) (1) 5 44 C. N. Goodfrian (A.O.) (2) 0 20 D. J. Hawke (B.'O.) 4 48 Miss F. Kerr (A.O.) 0 0 S. F. Marshall (A.O.) 6 60 W. N. Jepson (A.O.) 6 45 J. Gunn (A.O.) 6 30 G. D. Hollyman (A.O.) 6 54 J. Brennan 0 2 Ted Turner 4 45 H. 'Whyte (1) 5 44 H. Whyte (2) 4 46 Mrs C. J. Collings 4 28 G. Wright 5 38 D. J. Hawke 4 18 M. C. Mills 5 45 Miss F. Kerr 5 • 35 J. Hamilton 3 26 Miss H. Keddell ,> 50 J. Ibbotson (No. 1) 3 45 E. Tilley 1 39 F. C. Innes 6 51 W. E. Harvey 4 23 A. C. Goodlet 3 32 R. West 6 11 H. Williams (No. 1) 5 51 Mrs J. Still (No. 1) 0 0 A. Lucas (No. 1) 5 45 H. Williams (No. 2) 6 53 W. E. Ward 5 53 J. Liggins 5 43 E. P. Anderson (No. 1) 5 23 W. Barrell 5 10 J. Ibbotson (No. 2) 5 27 Mrs J. Still (No. 2) 4 16 A. Lucas (No. 2) 6 52 T. Cairns 5 48 L. P. Hawke 4 45 J. H. Graham f 3 44 T. B. Grant 2 12 T. S. Dove 5 45 Green Bros 0 25 C. A. B. Williams 4 44 E. P. Anderson (No. 2) 6 39 Mrs B. Andrews 3 29

penned). Grand total G. Millar (No. 1) 50 29 39 Mrs F. D. Dillon 43 34 43 Mrs B. Snelling 37 44 52 A. W. Pritchard 41 46 48

F. Ashworth 47 48 51 G. Millar (No. 2) 0 40 0 D. J. Hawke 10 50 42 Miss F. Kerr 34 35 7 S. F. Marshall 42 47 32 G. H. Bradford (No. 1) 34 56 51 W. M. Evans 55 52 39 Miss H. Keddell 21 34 37 J. Brennan 1 21 46 G. H. Bradford (No. 2) 39 48 46 L. Brumby 53 56 54 Mrs J. A. Ritchie 19 31 26 E. Tilley 48 44 0 P. Knight 28 50 52 F. C. Innes 13 49 48 Green Bros. 42 52 46 A. C. Goodlet 55 41 45 A. D. Whyte 12 0 9 J. H. Jones 36 52 38 H. Williams (No. 1) 34 28 49 H. Williams (No. 2) 38 53 45 J. Liggins (No. 1) 47 33 44 J. Liggins (No. 2) 35 40 37 A. Edwards 39 50 42 J. B. Lees 28 45 52 A. S. Cormack 40 17 47 T. S. Dove 50 31 34 A. O. Oakley 54 54 7 W. Turner 36 49 39 E. Fuchs 44 44 45 Argyle Poultry Farm 48 0 43 Mrs B. Andrews 28 52 37 TEST No. 3—BLACK ORPINGTONS AND AUSTRALORPS. (Competitor to enter three birds). Grand total. A; S. Cormack (A.O.) 55 25 51 Miss F. Kerr (A.O.) 2 14 1 S. Brumby (A.O.) (No. 1) 41 6 38 S. Brumby (A.O.) (No. 2) 38 49 47 D. J. Hawke (B.O.) 54 63 28 L. Brumby (A.O.) 29 44 29 C. O. King (A.O.) 59 56 61 B. Cotterell (A.O.) 42 55 22 K. D. Martin (A.O.) . 48 58 47 W. N. Jepson (A.O.) 20 51 4 G. D. Hollyman (A.O.) (No. 1) 46 52 32 G. D. Hollyman (A.O.) (No. 2) 44 49 49 D. A. Tutton 16 18 7 TEST No. 4.—ANY VARIETY LIGHT OR HEAVY BREEDS. OTHER THAN WHITE LEGHORN OR BLACK ORPINGTONS. Grand total. R. Pearce (A.) 31 21 32 A. W. Pritchard (B.L.) 3 34 38 E. R. Buckley (R.I.R.) 38 54 52 W. J. Scott (R.I.R.) 24 27 60 T. B. Grant (R.I.R.) 47 46 29 C. Stone (R.I.R.) 45 36 28 P. A. Cornish (L.S.) 6 35 22 TEST No. 5.—SINGLE HEN TEST, LIGHT AND HEAVY BREEDS. (Each competitor to enter six purebred pullets to be single penned). Total. G. Millar 5 6 5 159 D. A. McKie (A.O.) 0 6 5 192 S. E. Davey & Sons (No. 1) 555 267 J. Liggins D 5 4 214 E. F. Butler 514 246 L. G. Ancall 5 4 5 305 G. H. Bradford (No. 1) 541 257 G. H. Bradford (No. 2) 7 5 6 280 G. H. Bradford (No. 3) 603 138 S. E. Davey & Sons (No. 2) 056 245 Mrs B. Andrews 205 201 E. Tilley 5 0 0 175 G. H. Mitchell 5 4 0 252 S. E. Davey & Sons (No. 3) 555 262 T. S. Dove (No. 1) 3 4 4 221 H. Williams 4 3 4 220 D. A. McKie 655 270 Calder Bros. (No. 1) 005 233 Calder Bros. (No. 2) 0 2 6 246 T. S. Dove (No. 2) D 6 6 236 E. P. Anderson 3 5 6 252 A. D. Russell 454 253 G. D. Hollyman 455 217 TEST No. 6.—SINGLE DUCK TEST. Grand total. F. Ashworth (K.C.) 66 57 50 G. Wright (K.C.) 61 67 62 Mrs C. J. Collings (K.C.) 60 38 30 J. W. Thomson (K.C.) 14 61 58 R. J. Vallance (K.C.) 69 30 55 A. G. F. Ross (I.R.) 67 42 62 L. Williams (I.R.) 20 30 59 W. A. Toon (K.C.) 2 32 44