POULTRY NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 23826, 25 May 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.

It is very unfortunate that competitors did not support the Taranaki EggLaying Competition better. Lack of funds has forced the competition committee to close down. It is rather a mean attitude for competitors to take up and not pay their entrance fees when they see they cannot win. No competition can carry on thus. Great credit is due to the committee and caretaker for the many records put up at Normanby. The New Zealand record for both silver and golden wyandottes, three-bird white leghorn team, the world record for black orpingtons with 361 eggs in 365 days and many good scores by both fowls and ducks of different breeds have been made there.

MATING DUCKS It is advisable to mate breeding pens ot ducks as soon as possible more especially if the breeder intends to alter any of the matings or if all the ducks and drakes have been running together. Ducks are more than a little irritating for they mate together just when it suits them. f , The drake invariably takes a fancy to a duck in the next pen and will parade up and down the fence for days and some times weeks or the ducks will refuse to look at their drake and quack all day long at the drake next door with the result that there are no fertile eggs. All this will end in time but it is absolutely necessary to mate early and give them time to settle. If it is a case of changing matings the breeder will require to put the old partners as far apart as possible so that they cannot hear each other. If they are seen holding their heads on one side with one eye looking up. to the sky ana then bursting out in a fit of loud quacking it is certain that they can hear their old mates and they will take some time before they settle down. If they have never been mated to their next door neighbours and are just trying to court through the netting the best plan is to tack some sacks along the fence so that they cannot see and they will settle down sooner. No one has any idea how aggravating they can be, especially at the beginning of the season. ■ When once there is found a successful mating keep to it; there will be no trouble for they will mate immediately they are put together again. After they have been mated for a while examine the heads of the ducks for if the drakes have been too attentive their heads may be plucked and raw. If this is the case they should be painted with iodine, or a mixture of sulphur and vaseline and given a fortnight’s rest before being put back into the breeding pen. The choice of every duck to be used is important and should be made with great care. After satisfying himself as to parents’ records, type, stamina and so on, the breeder should consider important points such as activity, hereditary freedom from disease, or weakness and it is necessary that ducks should have a good rest from laying before mating up. Selection should be more rigid with ducks than with poultry for two reasons: First, because with their regular laying, more stock can be hatched a head from them in a given period; and second, because one can breed from them for up to six years and in some cases to eight years. WATCH DRAKES CLOSELY The drakes chosen for breeding should be carefully watched from when they are nearing maturity till the time of mating and even for a while after. With the active laying breeds management of young drakes before the spring is a great worry, as there is always a strong tendency for them to run each ■ other with the result that an odd drake I usually gets his organ damaged, and they pluck each other’s heads. Unless ; he is a special one it -is wise to kill j him. The trouble is caused by a weakness in the muscles controlling the

organ and even if the bird recovers there is no guarantee how long it will last , , >, , A duck with a good back that goes right up to the sockets of the wings will genierally be deep fronted. Rounded off backs often indicate twisted pelvis bones. Wry tails should be avoided. The feathering on a laying duck should be tightly clipped up and should slip back into position readily when lifted up and feel like silk. Ducks that have harsh or woolly feathers at the thighs generally have coarse bones and are poor layers. The bill should be in good proportion to the head, face smooth, eye bright, prominent and high up in skull, it should have ample width between the legs, and ample abdpmen behind the legs. This is a most important point in a laying duck. The duck in lay carries her abdomen nearer the ground than those that are not producing. Ducks which lay small or misshapen eggs should not be bred from nor should ducks that the drake does not like for her eggs will never be fertile and it is far better to take her away altogether. The number of ducks to-put with a drake depends on the breed. In heavy breeds like Perkins, Aylesbury, and Rouens, about five are sufficient, but lighter breeds such as runner, Campbells and Muscovys will take eight to 10 ducks for each drake. Young ducks make good breeders but second or third year birds are the best. The beginner must not expect to breed show winners or champion layers by buying some ducks and mating them if he does not know their relationship. On the other hand crossing two unrelated strains of ducks, no matter how good the individuals may be, is more likely to throw reversions to ancestors with faults than produce good ducklings. A breeder rarely introduces full fresh blood into his strain without diluting it a few times with that of his strain. The best hatchability in duck eggs is secured by feeding less meatmeal than is given to laying ducks. Ducks do not suffer from many diseases but the most common is “going light” or consumption. The feathers become loose and the bird loses condition rapidly, If gone too far it should be destroyed and the balance of the ducks given cod liver oil at the rate of one teaspoonful to every eight or 10 birds, mixed in the mash.

EGG-LAYING CONTESTS

MASSEY COLLEGE (6th week) Light Breed Single A. Hoare (W.L.) 6 33 A. Mumby (W.L.) 6 33 B. Wilkinson (W.L.) 4 30 J. Annan (W.L.) 6 29 Heavy Breed Single Huxtable Bros. (A. 0. 6 36 W. Larsen (A. 0. 6 33 Mrs Willers (A. 0. 5 28 A. Hoare (R.1.R.) 4 27 Light Breed (six birds) J. Wilson (W.L.) 29 173 H. Lucas (W.L.) 31 149 S. Morris (W.L.) 27 146 F. Allen (W.L.) 26 138 Heavy Breed (six birds) W. Larsen (A. 0. 31 172 E. Stephenson (A. 0. 30 125 J. Weallens (A. 0. 12 73 AUCKLAND (sth week) Heavy Breeds (six birds) W. Worthington’ (B.O.) 30 119 F. Bluck (B.O.) 26 116 Huxtable Bros. (B.O.) 21 105 S.’ Huxtable (B.O.) 20 77 Light Breeds (six birds) G. Douglas (W.L.) 32 134 W. Spencer (W.L.) 27 129 S. Moore (W.L.) 27 108 Mrs Lett (W.L.) 17 105 Single All Breeds Miss Whitehead (B.O.) 7 27 Seddon College (B.O.) 6 27 Mrs James (B.O.) 6 27 T. Douglas (B.O.) 5 27 Light Breeds (four birds) H. Mumme (W.L.) 22 99 J. Nixon (W.L.) 21 99 Mrs Rope (W.L.) 21R 90 Mrs Turner (W.L.) 20 87 Heavy Breeds (four birds) F. Lusby (B.O.) 25 108 Royton P.F. (B.O.) 26 105 Huxtable Bros. (B.O.) 25 103 F. Lusby (B.O.) 25 103 Ducks (four birds) S. Clark (K.C.) 26 136 S. Vaile (K.C.) 28 132 S. Clark (K.C.) 26 126 S. Vaile (K.C.) 23 H 6 N.Z. POULTRY FEDERATION Albany Branch (B.O.) 32 152 Birkenhead Branch (B.O.) 33 149 Papatoetoe Branch (B.O.) 28 143 Paerua Branch (B.O.) 27 119 PAPANUI (Bth week) TEST No. I.—J. H. SHAW MEMORIAL CHALLENGE. For light and heavy

TEST No. 4.—ANY VARIETY LIGHT OR HEAVY BREEDS. OTHER THAN WHITE LEGHORNS OR BLACK ORPINGTONS. Total A. E. Williams (L.S.) (No. 1) 46 4 25 A. W. Pritchard (81k.L.) 33 34 34 S. T. Bason (Lan.) 1 13 26 H. J. Anderson (Lan.) 37 32 28 D. A. McKie (R.1.R.) - - 10 Mrs J. A. Ritchie (R.1.R.) 14 37 - A. E. Williams (L.S.) (No. 2) - 39 - R. Pearce (An.) 21 12 33

TEST No. S.—SINGLE HEN TEST, LIGHT AND HEAVY BREEDS. Six pure-bred pullets to be single penned.

breeds, single penned. Weekly Total Total C. M. Goodman (A.O.) (No. 1) 5 36 C. M. Goodman (A.O.) (No. 2) 6 26 W. Turner (A.O.) 4 35 A. S. Barrett (A.O.) 7 48 V. Mabey (A.O.) 3 27 W. Baxter (R.I.R.) 6 21 J. R. Griffen (Barn.) 4 15 Ted Turner 5 42 V. Mabey - 14 R. T. Thomson D 24 E. P. Anderson (No. 1) 5 36 G. H. Mitchell 5 5 T. S. Dove 5 28 R. Liggins 6 44 A. D. L. McClintock (No. 1) 4 37 A. D. L. McClintock (No. 2) 6 29 E. Tilley 6 34 T. Barr 2 18 F. A. Atkinson — — J. Still 5 38 W. Skelton 5 40 Green Brothers. 5 13 J. Turner (No. 1) 6 47 Mrs J. A. Ritchie 4 36 J. Cunningham 6 35 E. P. Anderson (No. 2) - - J. Turner (No. 2) 5 41 W. Barrell - 21 T. Cairns 6 40 E. T. Stewardson 5 38 A. C. Goodlet 3 15

A. D. L. McClintock (No. 3) R. Liggins (No. 2) 6 5 42 45 H. S. Sanders 5 23 J. Hislop 5 36 A. O. Oakley 5 36 TEST No. 2.—WHITE LEGHORN SINGLEHEN TEST. Three pure-bred pullets to be single penned. Total A. W. Pritchard 7 39 3 V. Mabey 23 30 38 Green Brothers 39 30 43 T. S. Dove 36 32 34 E. P. Anderson 16 25 35 R. T. Thomson 43 39 39 J. Liggins 27 15 48 T. Barr 42 47 43 C. Bartley 30 37 27 R. J. Bate 34 38 40 W. M. Evans 44 26 41 Cotswold Poultry Farm 20 24 - W. Turner 45 37 35 W. A. Coombes 29 28 28 L. J. McNeill 40 27 38 S. B. Roberts 32 18 25 L. Brumby 41 45 44 C. O. King 1 3 29 J. Turner 2 40 38 Mrs J. A. Ritchie 42 33 38 Mrs L. Loydd 26 39 31 J. E. Rainey 45 43 42 G. H. Dahlenburg (No. 1) 38 15 15 G. H. Dahlenburg (No. 2) 44 26 45 Mrs M. Garrett 40 43 41 A. C. Goodlet 17 14 45 Calder Brothers (No. 1) 40 41 38 Calder Brothers (No. 2) 38 36 38 Mrs A. W. Prichard 27 43 39 J. Cunningham 43 46 31 A. 0. Oakley 40 46 43 C. J. Murray 32 40 17 E. R. Buckley 34 28 37 TEST No. 3.—BLACK ORPINGTONS AND AUSTRAL OHPS. Total W. A. Coombes 32 41 45 W. M. Evans 40 41 26 V. Mabey 20 29 25 E. P. Anderson 37 42 37 S. Brumby (No. 1) 41 25 46 S. Brumby (No. 2) 45 50 50 J. M. Davidson 27 41 2 L. Brumby 29 37 43 C. 0. King 29 35 45 T. Kennard 41 43 48 C. J. Murray 37 6 46 ' L. Williams 29 45 23 J. Still 31 12 39 Mrs E. Lees • 1 30

Weekly Total Total E. P. Anderson 24 69 T. S. Dove (No. 1) 26 182 T. S. Dove (No. 2) 21 185 J. Liggins 19 155 G. H. Lintott 28 210 E. Tilley 23 204 F. A. Atkinson 27 214 F. Ashworth 23 187 Miss H. Keddell ‘ 16 138 J. W. McGUnchy 27 239 A. J. White 30 228 J. B. Lees 27 212 E. T. Stewardson 26 211 E. Nottingham 29 233 F. C. Oetgen / 4 46 TEST No. 6.—SINGLE DUCK TEST. Total W. J. Scott (K.C.) 6 17 21 H. J. Anderson (K.C.) 41 54 42 G. H. Bradford (I.R.) - 28 G. H. Bradford (K.C.) 27 12 9 G. Wright (W.C.) 39 50 G. Wright (K.C.) 49 52 47 L. Williams (I.R.) (No. !)• ■a 27 w L. Williams (I.R.) (No. 2) 41 26 31 H. Ware (I.R.) 50 48 35 J. W. Thomson (K.C.) 27 49 48 Mrs F. G. Herridge (P.) 18 7 35