POULTRY NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 23774, 23 March 1939, Page 13

POULTRY NOTES

BY

A. PEAT

The official column of the Invercargill Poultry, Pigeon, Canary and Pet Club, and the Invercargill Canary and Cage Bird Specialists Club.

The fortnightly meeting of the Invercargill Poultry, Pigeon, Canary and Pet Club was held on Saturday evening at Everybody’s Hall, Tay street, Mr R. C. Wilson presiding over an attendance of 27 members. Mr Wilson extended a welcome to the meeting to Mr J. Peters whose successes with Yorkshire canaries for many years will be remembered by old members of the club.

The following nominations were received for the positions of judges at the annual show to be held on May 12 and 13: All poultry, Mr R. C. Wilson and Mr J. Baxter; bantams, Mr C. Fallowfield; fancy pigeons, Mr S. Lindsay; working homers, Mr S. Robson; canaries, Mr C. Burley and Mr J. Peters; budgerigars, Mr C. W. O. Schonyan and Mr C. Burley; foreign birds and finches, Mr J. Peters and Mr C. .Burley; pets, Mr P. Lindsay. The election of judges will take place at the next meeting of the club to be held on April 1. It was decided that where there is only one entry in a class half points only be awarded. Mr J. Ferguson was elected to the position of assistant-secretary. The following members were elected to allot specials for the show: Messrs Cooke, Holloway and Patterson. The secretary reported that the following presented cups to the club for competition: Mr J. Cooke, Mr J. P. Smith and Mr S. Robson.

At the conclusion of the meeting Mr R. C. Wilson on behalf of the members presented a wedding present to Mr D. Holloway and wished Mr and Mrs Holloway the best of good fortune during their married life. Mr Holloway replied.

SPECIALIST CLUB At the regular meeting of the Invercargill Canary and Cage Bird Specialist Club the president, Mr W. Taylor, presided over an exceptionally big attendance of members. Two new members were elected. The members discussed the forthcoming “Your Bird Show” to be held on April 1. It is pleasing to record that more than 100 entries were received for this show which is the first of its kind held in Invercargill. Cups have been given for the best canary and for the best budgerigars, 5/- for the best mule, 5/- for the best foreign finch and a dressed suckling pig for the most entries.

VISITS TO BREEDERS The first aviary visited in a series of visits to breeders was that of Mr R. Patterson, Metzger street, where many fine specimens of the Yorkshire canaries were seen. A fine yellow cock was greatly admired, this being the best Yorkshire in the last Invercargill show and included in its many other wins were first and special at the Gore club’s show. Some very promising young birds show that this fancier has had a very successful breeding season and among the young ones a variegated buff hen took the eye as a future winner. This breeder also has that popular singing canary, the roller, and indications are that this aviary will be again to the fore at the various shows in the South Island. Mr Patterson also has an interest in the poultry line, the breeds kept being Rhode Island Reds and Light Sussex. A Rhode Island Red pullet shows great promise of being a prize winner this year.

The next visit was to the loft of Mr J. Cooke who has racing pigeons and Silver Hamburgs. Mr Cooke has an excellent pen of Silver Hamburgs and the progeny are particularly promising and they should hold their own with any others in the South Island. Mr Cooke has had considerable success with h ’ i pigeons both in racing and showing and of his birds his champion black pied hen which has had many successes still takes the eye.

MASSEY COLLEGE EGG LAYING CONTEST The following special prizes will be awarded for the eighth annual egglaying contest, which concluded at Massey Agricultural College, Palmerston North, being for 50 weeks’ egg production. Only those entries qualifying under the egg weight regulations are eligible for prizes:—

SINGLE PEN SECTIONS Single pen cup for the highest individual..—Mr F. S. Allen’s (Levin) White Leghorn (291 eggs). Runner-up to single pen cup in opposite section.—Mr L. Mason’s (Wellington) Rhode Island Red (269 eggs). TEAMS SECTIONS Golden egg trophy. For highest score, both sections.—Mr W. A. Larsen’s (Feilding) Australorp team (1623 eggs). Breeders’ trophy. For most points, all teams for eggs and breed points.— Mr W. A. Larsen’s (Feilding) Australorp team (1623 eggs). Silver egg trophy. For runner-up to Golden Egg Trophy in opposite section. —Mr J. Wilson’s (Carterton) White Leghorn team (1621 eggs). OTHER SPECIAL AWARDS Lord Greenway Cup. To the team of Rhode Island Reds laying the greatest number of eggs.—Mr G. A. Edge’s (Carterton) Rhode Island Reds (1222 eggs).

Red Club’s Rosebowl. To the individual Rhode Island Red (all sections) laying the highest number of eggs.— Mr G. A. Edge’s (Carterton) Rhode Island Red (272 eggs). Silver Hen Trophy. To the highest individual Leghorn (all sections) laying the highest number of eggs.—Mr H. A. Lucas’s (Wellington) White Leghorn (303 eggs).

Highest individual, all sections, all breeds.—Mr W. A. Larsen’s (Feilding) Australorp (308 eggs).

Certificates of Merit go to Messrs L. Mason, W. A. Larsen (2), F. S. Allen (2), J. A. Annan, A. G. Mumby (2), Ancona Stud Poultry Farm, Mrs M. N. Chapman, W. F. Stent, E. W. Stephenson, L. G. Hooper, G. A. Edge, J. Wilson, J. Mold, F. Ecob, Cotswold Poultry Farm and H. A. Lucas.

Only three birds exceeded the 300 mark. They are W. A. Larsen’s Australorp (308), H. A. Lucas’s White Leghorn (303) and F. Ecob’s White Leghorn (301).

TRAP-NESTING Regular and systematic employment of the trap-nest throughout the year accounts fo. a good deal of time and labour. It can be a very exacting and monotonous task if the trap-nester is not deeply interested in his fowls and in such a case sooner or later the work will be only half done. On the other hand an interested worker will never tire of it and would hate to loose one egg. All our successful breeders, using the term successful in its very .best sense, have built up to their present position by doing their trap-nesting and recording well, day by day and year in and year out. A trap-nester must be very exact and punctual in everything. Where there is delay in going round the traps there will inevitably be big numbers of eggs laid on the floor.

Most breeders would quickly drop trap-nesting if they knew of a short cut but in spite of all that has been said in favour of the handling system, the fact remains that trap-nesting is the only method which gives certainty. Most poultry keepers will readily admit that the trap-nest is the only reliable means of discovering both those fowls which are suitable for breeding stock and those which should never find their way to the breeding pens. Trap-nesting eliminates guesswork. It tells what to know about size, shape and texture of the egg which all the handling in the world cannot prove one way or the other. The breeder knows from the trap-nest records and from nothing else, the exact total of eggs laid in the winter period and in the pullet year. Most poultrymen believe in trapnesting, even though they do not practise it and it is true to say there is not nearly enough trap-nesting done. It is necessary to have each pullet rung with a different numbered leg band. There should be sufficient trapnests, say four trap-nests for the first 12 fowls and one trap for every additional four. The traps should be inspected at least five or six times a day and there must be a systematic method of dealing with broodies. A chart should be placed on the wall allowing a square for every day in the month for each bird and a space for remarks about egg size and texture. Failure to keep the traps clear will lead to the laying of floor eggs, which means incomplete and misleading records and in addition there is often the loss of the eggs through breakages caused by the imprisoned bird who becomes restless.

It is sheer waste to trap any pullet for her full laying year unless she is likely to make a good breeding fowl. If she shows any faults or weaknesses during the first three months of production—many pullets show these early imperfections when regularly trapped—she should either be sent right off the place or placed in with the layers that are kept for eggs alone. Naturally the trapnester has a fancy for certain birds when he starts the season. They may be from a special record hen and although they are not coming up to expectations he hopes perhaps that the pullets will improve and finish up well after all, so he goes on day after day taking records which at the end of the year are of no use to him. It is foolish to continue trapping after finding early faults which should have condemned the fowls. Among the faults of the incurable and often highly inheritable kind are bad shape and texture of egg, doubtful size of egg (the pronounced and persistent small egger is usually cleared out but the border-line fowl too often gets the benefit of the doubt) and very slow rate of winter laying. The mere fact of trapnesting fowls does not improve them and as soon as any of these faults appears trapnesting should cease. Trapnesting, to be economic in the true sense, must be used as a means to finding out which are the best hens for breeding purposes. It must be used as a guide to the fowl’s real worth, and not for the sole purpose of obtaining high records. The value of a hen lies in what is left in her at the end of a year’s laying not in what has gone from her. If she has been forced to lay beyond her limits just to show a high record she has nothing left of any value to the breeder.

N.Z. BELL BIRD The Bell Bird is 7.75 inches in length and is a honey eater living in the bush country, gardens and orchards of the South Island. Its head feathers have a deep purple or red gloss according to the pollen of plants upon which it has been feeding. The bill is black with the upper parts yellowish olive. The wings and tail are black on the male and brownish olive on the female which is the smaller, the under parts being yellowish olive and the legs are lead grey. It’s flight is undulating and very rapid.

When bell birds are mating they fly one above the other at full speed, one dun'icating the other bird’s movements. The bell bird lays four or five pale pink eggs marked with reddish brown spots in a nest of twigs and moss either in a low branch in brush wood or in thick branches of trees 20 to 50 feet high. The breeding season extends from the end of September to the end of January. They are excellent mimics and are noted for their famous liquid bell-like notes. If alarmed they sound

raucous note of “funk, funk.” The male and female songs are different. The Maoris call the bird Mako, Komako, Titimako, Kopara, Makomako and Korimako.

EGG LAYING CONTESTS

TARANAKI (50th week, final) Single Light Breed J. T. Hazelwood (W.L.) 2 311 Mrs A. Revell (W.L.) 5 261 F. S. Allen (W.L.) 0 254 R. Smith (W.L.) 3 237 Heavy Breeds Singles S. Bason (Lang.) 6 306 J. Hurdle (A. 0. 4 284 Mrs Hickman (R.1.R.) 2 278

S. Bason (Lang.) 6 252 S. Bason (Lang.) 5 243 Ducks, Singles Mrs A. Revell (F.W.R.) 7 330 Mrs E. Kelly (W.C.) 6 301 C. Cousens (K.C.) 0 256 C. Cousens (K.C.) 1 249 Light Breeds (three birds) Mrs J. Tippett (W.L.) 3 669 F. Allen (W.L.) 3 657 Mrs A. Revell (W.L.) 5 622 C. Hansen (W.L.) 0 590 Heavy Breeds (three birds) S. Bason (Lang.) 17 801 J. Hurdle (A.O.) 6 724 Mrs B. Hickman (R.I.R.) 2 598 W. Larsen (A.O.) 3 591 Ducks (three birds) C. Cousens (K.C.) 8 749 Mrs E. Kelly (W.C.) 6 737 Mrs Revell (F.W.R.) 7 640 AUCKLAND (48th week) Heavy Breeds (six birds) J. Anderson (B.O.) 32 1455 3. Vaile (B.O.) 28 1329 N. McNair (B.O.) 33 1267 Huxtable Bros. (A.O.) 32 1230 Light Breeds (six birds) *Mrs Lett (W.L.) 25 1234 Mrs Chitty (W.L.) 15 1212 E. Vernal (W.L.) 25 1092 *G. Elley (W.L.) 23 1059 Single All Breeds *K. Powell (B.O.) 6 278 *Mrs Philson (B.O.) 5 258 •H. Moreland (B.O.) 7 245 S. Huxtable (B.O.) 6 241 Light' Breeds (four birds) Mrs H. Turner (W.L.) 25 1001 H. Price (W.L.) 23 902 A. Wilson (W.L.) 18 889 G. Douglas (W.L.) 22 882 Heavy Breeds (four birds) *A. Connell (B.O.) 19 1044 ♦Austral P.F. (A.O.) 15 909 *N. McNair (B.O.) 22 907 N. McNair (B.O.) 9 904 Ducks (four birds) Mrs Somerville (K.C.) 27 1116 C. Cousens (K.C.) 18 1105 Mrs Finn (K.C.) 22 1086 S. Clark (K.C.) 23 1081 MASSEY COLLEGE (50th week, final) Heavy Breeds Single Mrs R. Willers (B.O.) 4 287 L. Mason (R.I.R.) 2 269 W. Larsen (A.O.) 0 250 K. Mullins' (R.I.R.) 3 240 S. Bason (Lang.) 6 233 Light Breed (Singles) F. Allen (W.L.) 6 292 F. Allen (W.L.) 5 291 J. Annan (W.L.) 5 288 A. Mumby (W.L.) 5 281 Heavy Breeds (six birds) W. Larsen (A.O.) 22 1623 E. Stephenson (A.O.) 17 1326 L. Hooper (B.O.) 29 1321 G. Edge (R.I.R.) 16 1222 Light Breeds (six birds) J. Wilson (W.L.) 31 1621 F. Allen (W.L.) 23 1537 J. Mold (W.L.) 24 1520 F. Ecob (W.L.) 25 1487