POULTRY NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 23946, 12 October 1939, Page 16

POULTRY NOTES

-BY

A. PEAT

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

Mr W. S. Andrews, of Pine Bush, has purchased a very fine Buff Orpington | cockerel from Mr Sim, of Dunedin. Mr Robert Mitchell, of Benmore, is one of the oldest breeders of Black Minorcas in New Zealand today and certainly has been one of the most successful. He is a native of Scotland and in 1900, when 18 years old, he purchased a setting of eggs from Mr Pitts in the South of England, wno at that time was one of England’s most foremost breeders. From this setting, four chickens were hatched, three being very ordinary, but the other cockerel was outstanding and won at the Galston show, beating several prizewinners. This was Mr Mitchell’s first win and naturally it made him very keen so he sent to another successful exhibitor, Mr Tennyson Fawkes, and mated the pick of the pullets from this setting to his prize-winning cockerel. From this mating he reared some very good birds, but none of them was outstanding, so they were not shown. With the quiet determination of a true Scot, Mr Mitchell went in search of something that would breed winners. He attended the Kilmarnock Show and purchased a cockerel that was first in the selling class and was owned by that successful Scottish breeder, Mr A. Bone. This bird when mated to the pick of Mr Mitchell’s hens and pullets produced several good birds. They were very successful in the show pen, and the trophies they won included the cup for the best Minorca exhibited by a novice at Kirkcaldy.

At this time Mr Mitchell was living at Fowler Farm, Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland, and became a most successful exhibitor at various Scottish shows. He exhibited once at the Royal Show at Newcastle-on-Tyne and was second with a cockerel, being beaten by Mr Pitts, from whom he purchased his first eggs. He also won first prizes four years in succession at the Highland and Agricultural Society’s shows which were held at Perth, Peebles, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Other creditable wins include the Minorca Club cup at Kelsyth, and the Ayrshire Cup at Kilmarnock, where out of more than 1000 entries, he just missed the gold medal for the best bird in the show by a very small margin. Mr Mitchell also sold many birds which won in strong competition at the Leeds, Manchester, Belfast and Dublin shows.

BREEDING IN NEW ZEALAND After this most successful career in Scotland, he decided to come out to New Zealand and disposed of all his birds. In 1930, he started to lay the foundation for his present champion strain. When on a visit to Timaru he purchased a pullet from a friend who had brought her from the North Island. He also secured a cockerel from a neighbour and in 1930 he bred eighteen chickens from the mating, • but none was fit for the show pen. In 1931, the pick of the cockerels was mated back to his dam and from this pair a few winners were bred, including a cockerel that was unbeaten.

In 1932, when visiting the Balclutha show, Mr Mitchell took a fancy to the pullet that won the South Island championship and was exhibited by Mr Wilson, of Caversham, Dunedin. His long and successful breeding experience told him that in this pullet were the qualities that he desired to make up the deficiency in his winning cockerel. Thus he claimed the bird at the catalogue price.

The following season, among several other winners, this pair produced the South Island champion. Among the other prizes he won was that for the best utility Minorca at Clutha. Mr Mitchell is confident that this mating was the foundation of his present champion strain. Since 1933 he has won eight South Island championships, nine cups outright, about 200 first prizes and 50 specials, as well as many minor prizes. These prizes were won in Invercargill, Balclutha, Tapanui, Tuatapere, Nightcaps, Waimate, Dunedin, Oamaru, Gore and Christchurch. No doubt his greatest achievement as a breeder is in the production of his present champion hen, “Lady Invincible,” who has only been beaten once, and that was at Dunedin by her pen mate, which Mr Mitchell considers is not nearly such a good bird. “Lady Invincible’s show record is: 11 firsts, one second, 18 specials and certificates, including three cups and three South Island championships (twice in the open section and once in the utility).

MISTAKES TO AVOID Many young fanciers make a great mistake in chasing after winners and continually buying them or their progeny. In doing so they can never hope, to form a strain of their own, which should be the aim of every successful breeder. If they would only select a few good birds and line breed them, success would be bound to come, sooner or later. Every time fresh blood is introduced, however, new faults are bound to appear in the young stock and have to be bred out.

A most important point in the selection of your foundation stock is to go to a reliable breeder who breeds his own stock, for those who buy from a different source every years will never get a fixed type. I will admit these men are often very successful at showing or egg-laying contests, but they are actually winning on someone else’s brains and not on their own good judgment. Mr Mitchell’s success is a fine example of careful selection.

The following advice on mating up breeding pens of Minorcas by such a reliable and successful breeder as Mr Mitchell will be welcomed by all, especially by the young breeders: To produce the Minorca, present day judges desire that hens or early pullets of a large size should be selected, but they must have fine head points, not too much comb and carried nicely over to one side of the head, but not interfering with the fowl’s vision. The lobes should be smooth, medium in size and should lie well away from the eyes, which should be as dark as you can possibly get them. A cherry red face showing no white is most essential. The body should be long, deep, and square-built, with low tail carriage, plumage green-black, legs black and not too long. The females generally number nine in my breeding pens. When selectinig a male to head the breeding pen it is essential to secure a cock or cockerel with a well balanced head piece. His comb must be of fine texture with about four or five wedge shaped spikes which are deeply serrated, free from thumb marks or twists and carried erect. The lobes should be smooth of an almond shape, fairly large to medium in size, fitting tight to the head, lying flat and well away from the eyes. His body should be stoutly built, medium in size, with prominent shoulders and a glossy green-black plumage free from purple bars. The tail should be carried at an angle of 45 degrees. When mating up a pen avoid or discard fowls with any of the following defects in either sex: White in face, high, wry, or squirrel tail, light eye or haALv bent breastbone.

EGG LAYING CONTESTS

MASSEY COLLEGE (26th week) Light Breed Singles

PAPANUI (28th week) TFST No. 1.-J. H. SHAW MEMORIAL CHALLENGE. For l>g ht and heavy breeds, single penned. Weekly

TEST No. 2.—WHITE LEGHORN SINGLEHEN TEST. Three pure-bred pullets to be single penned. Total

TEST No. 3.—BLACK ORPINGTONS AND AUSTRAL ORPS. Total

TEST No. 4.—ANY VARIETY LIGHT OR HEAVY BREEDS. OTHER THAN WHITE LEGHORNS OR BLACK ORPINGTONS. Total

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

TEST No. O.—SINGLE DUCK TEST.

B. Wilkinson (W.L.) 6 146 A. Shailer (W.L.) 6 144 A. Hoare (W.L.) 4 139 A. Mumby (W.L.) 7 137 Heavy Breed Singles Huxtable Brothers (A.O.) 1 140 W. Larsen (A.O.) 6 136 Mrs Willers (A.O.) 5 128 Sunny River P.F. (R.I.R.) 5 125 Light Breeds (6 birds) J. Wilson (W.L.) 34 831 H. Lucas (W.L.) 34 748 S. Morris (W.L.) 32 680 F. Allen (W.L.) 33 678 AUCKLAND (25th week) Heavy Breeds (6 birds) 691 S. Huxtable (B.O.) 31 Huxtable Brothers (B.O.) 33 W. Worthington (B.O.) 31 679 679 629 F. Bluck (A.O.) 25 Light Breeds (6 birds) 703 650 622 563 G. Douglas (W.L.) 29 S. Moore (W.L.) 34 W. Spencer (W.L.) 25 Cotswold (W.L.) 24 Single All Breeds 145 145 143 138 Mrs James (B.O.) 6 Seddon College (B.O.) 6 Seddon College (B.O.) 5 Mrs Henderson (B.O.) 5 Light Breed (4 birds) J. Nixon (W.L.) 26 Mrs Rope (W.L.) 18 531 497 492 L. Stuhlman (W.L.) 24 A. Wood (W.L.) 21 473 Heavy Breeds (4 birds) 567 536 F. Lusby (B.O.) 26 Royton P.F. (B-O.) 20 524 F. Lusby (B.O.) 21 Huxtable Brothers (B.O.) 19 504 DUCKS (4 birds) 586 583 S. Vaile (K.C.) 25 E. Walker (K.C.) 24 570 S. Vaile (K.C;) 16 S. Clark (K.C.) 24 564

Total Total C. M. Goodman (A.O.) No. 1 5 146 126 C. M. Goodman (A.O.) No. 2 6 53 W. Turner (A.O.) 5 143 A. S. Barrett (A.O.) 7 78 V. Mabey (A.O.) Q 116 W. Baxter (H.I.R.) 85 J. R. Griffen (Barn.) 7 126 Ted Turner 5 58 V. Mabey g 102 E. P. Anderson (No. 1) 65 G. H. Mitchell 6 117 T. S. Dove 5 144 A D lg L, al McClintock (No. 1) 6 114 A ’ D. L. McClintock (No. 2) 7 7 105 E. Tilley 3 32 T. Barr g 49 F. A. Atkinson 0 • 36 J. Still 5 110 W. Skelton 6 72 Green Bros. 7 166 J. Turner (No. 1) 5 79 Mrs J. A. Ritchie 7 13G J. Cunningham 7 86 E. P. Anderson (No. i) 5 115 J. Turner (No. 2) 93 W. Barrell 5 146 T. Cairns 5 104 E. T. Stewardson Co A. C. Goodlet 3 A. D. L. McClintock (No. 3) 5 154 R. Liggins (No. 2) 52 H. S. Sanders g 98 J. Hislop g 143 A. O. Oakley

A. IV. Pritchard V. Mabey 76 137 135 127 98 113 99 ioa 124 Green Bros. T. S. Dove E. P. Anderson R. T. Thomson 126 33 148 124 125 131 160 74 129 152 144 150 J. Liggins T. Barr C. Bartley R. J. Bate W. M. Evans Cotswold Poultry Farm W. Turner W. A. Coombes L. J. McNeill 147 144 92 122 76 154 117 136 131 85 131 111 145 141 126 120 162 129 139 147 103 91 74 139 S. B. Roberts L. Brumby C. O. King J. Turner Mrs J. A. Ritchie Mrs L. Loydd J. E. Rainey G. H. Dahlenburg (No. 1) 131 127 76 2 129 101 143 67 87 127 84 133 128 125 138 51 72 111 129 122 139 79 111 66 G. H. Dahlenburg (No. 2) 150 84 149 Mrs M. Garrett 150 91 121 A. C. Goodlet 72 113 155 Calder Brps. (No. 1) 139 141 93 Calder . Bros (No. 2) 97 86 122 Mrs A. W. Pritchard 73 116 153 J. Cunningham 103 124 125 A. O. Oakley 95 162 147 C. J. Murray 93 109 90 E. R. Buckley 83 98 98

W. A. Coombes 74 142 115 W. M. Evans 116 77 — V. Mabey 93 73 69 E. P. Anderson 120 93 130 S. Brumby (No. 1) 118 - 118 S. Brumby (No. 2) 130 149 110 J. M. Davidson 111 110 81 L. Brumby 126 146 136 C. O. King . . 95 151 154 T. Kennard 126 133 123 C. J. Murray 130 . . 48 96 L. Williams 65 158 95 J. Still 144 124 130 Mrs E. Lees 128 89 127

A. E. Williams (L.S.) No. 1 149 58 123 A. W. Pritchard (Blk.L.) 91 85 87 S. T. Bason (Lan.) 42 39 49 H. J. Anderson (Lan.) 105 118 50 D. A. McKie (R.I.R.) 37 42 92 Mrs J. A. Ritchie (R.I.R.) 102 138 90 A. E. Williams (L.S.) No. 2 62 138 47 R. Pearce (An.) 73 71 126

Weekly Total Total E. P. Anderson 37 626 T. S. Dove (No. 1) 32 570 T. S. Dove (No. 2) 33 720 J. Liggins 24 573 G. H. Lintott 29 615 E. Tilley 35 725 F. A. Atkinson 36 719 F. Ashworth 33 686 Miss H. Keddell 29 538 J. W. McGlinchy 34 683 A. J. White 36 760 J. B. Lees 31 686 E. T. Stewardson 33 734 E. Nottingham 23 723 F. C. Oetgen 32 363

Total w. J. Scott (K.C.) 131 146 147 H. J. Anderson (K.C.) 149 179 151 G. H. Bradford (I.R) 118 30 165 G. H. Bradford (K.C.) 153 150 147 G. Wright (W.C.) 159 99 126 G. Wright (K.C.) 184 183 183 L. Williams (I.R.) No. 1 97 166 98 L. Williams (I.R.) No. 2 179 156 91 H. Ware (I.R.) 89 113 92 J. W. Thomson (K.C.) 158 122 100 Mrs F. G. Herridge (P.) 84 41 109