FEATHERED FANCY

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 562, 27 November 1915, Page 5

FEATHERED FANCY

(By "GRIT.")

The secretary of the South Island Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Association informs me that the council will meet on the first and third Saturday of each month. This should assist the business of the association and keep all matters right up to date, and as the council are evidently out to work for the fancy, it is to be hoped that the various affiliated clubs will take particular notice of the dates of meetings and do their utmost to make the duties of the councillors as light as possible. This can easily be done. It only requires the various clubs to carry out the rules to the letter, and all the unnecessary explaining can be done away with.

The most troublesome time of all the stages of chick raising is the brooding period.

The best fattening grains for turkeys are oats and wheat. An occasional feed of barley is beneficial although turkeys do not always take kindly to it.

To keep your layers going well, meat in some form should be fed at least twice a week, and plenty of green food.

At the last meeting of the Christchurch Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Club a motion expressing the club's sympathy with the family of the late Mr J. Hepworth was passed in silence.

You will often notice patches of the wild yellow turnips in full flower, and as I have often passed a patch of this I have noticed that it is always swarming with green linnets of exceptional colour, and it has struck me that this will probably contain similar colouring matter to marigolds. To those keeping linnets or even feeding canaries, the suggestion might prove useful.

Where the feed is allowed to become mouldy in the house it is the cause of many deaths among poultry, particularly with chickens. The affected bird stands about in a drowsy manner and shows little or no desire to eat. This is just one of the many poultry troubles that can be entirely avoided by feeding nothing but fresh, clean feed, and keeping the pens and yards free from filth and not allowing old food to accumulate.

Mr H. Beardsley recently reported to the Christchurch Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Club that he had caught a Homing Pigeon wearing the metal ring A.F.C. 286 C and the rubber ring 165. I think from the ring that the birds belongs to a member of the Auckland Flying Club. I know that* this club, instead of having the year 1914-15 on the ring, have a letter, and seemingly the letter C explains this. I would suggest that the secretary of one of the local Homing Clubs be requested to make enquiries, or if the bird is an Auckland bird, and I have no doubt that it is, it could easily be sent in one of the training hampers to the North Island, and when liberated it would probably again pick up its route.

Where poultry droppings are used for manuring the garden a good plan is to mix the droppings with equal parts of earth and they will retain a larger percentage of their value, for the earth acts as an absorbent

and does not throw off the valuable properties as the clear droppings do.

Nothing makes a cooler, cleanerlooking, poultry, pigeon, or bird house than a plentiful supply of whitewash.

By giving your pullets every attention now is the time to get them to grow fast and get into winter profit when eggs are dear.

At the meeting of the Christchurch Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Club to be held on December 6 next, the prize schedule in connection with the club's 1916 show will be drawn up. In the past, sub-committees were appointed to do this, but this year the whole club will arrange the schedule. The meeting is an important one, and should be attended by all members. After every schedule has been drawn up and printed, one always hears complaints of certain classes not having been provided for. Usually these complaints come from those who have only been connected with the fancy for a few months. At such meetings as the above, and when the appointment of judges is under consideration, and the "information" of these cyclopaedias of the fancy would be of great value to fanciers of years' standing, it is conspicuous by its absence.

Continually examine your chickens for lice. Look under the wings, and if there is any sign of the skin having been irritated you will soon know that the insect powder is required. It is surprising how quickly these pests accumulate. They are a great annoyanceito growing stock, and the cause of many deaths.

I am told by an English letter that the fancy at Home at present is almost at a standstill, there being no demand whatever for stock. This has been caused through the war.

It would appear that those persons that attend poultry shows are above the usual generous lot. At the, last Christchurch Show, though the art union prizes have on several occasions been advertised, still it fails to find the owners of several prizes. The club will again advertise the winning numbers, and should the prizes not be claimed by December 1 the club will dispose of them. In case any of our readers have not seen these previously, I give them again, and trust they will be claimed. Ist 1520, 2nd 5696, 3rd 1958, 4th 4538, sth 2803, 6th 3828, 7th 5230, Bth 2957, 9th, 5114, 10th 4476, 11th 2996, 12th 2673.

I am sure the appointment of Gaptain Arthur Allan to judge the fancy pigeons at the next Poultry Club's show will meet with the approval of all fanciers. Captain Allan, who has not been resident in the Dominion for very long, is an expert with exceptional credentials, and where he has officiated, I understand, his awards have given every satisfaction, which is saying a lot.

I met in town a few days ago Mr J. Ker, the Old English Game breeder, who recently joined the Dominion's Tunnelling Corps. He was down on leave, and he expects to be leaving early next month for the front. I am sure all fanciers will join with me in wishing Mr Ker the very best of luck while wearing the King's uniform. Should occasion arise for him to visit England's shores, I know fanciers of Old English Game and Black Leghorns will be sure to benefit by such visit.When erecting a house for your feathered stock, always do so facing the north. One point this will ensure greater health for your birds, and, further, the greatest amount of sunlight during the winter months. I understand that the council of the South Island Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Association will in the future give more attention to the classification of pigeon sections in affiliated societies' schedules. To any fancier looking for success in winter, one of the chief requisites is a good, warm house, sufficiently ventilated to be dry and yet to be free from draughts. Where plenty of straw is used in the scratching shed, it is necessary to occasionally fork it up, so as to prevent it packing. I called on Mrs P. Crump, of Springston. This lady is a breeder of Andalusians, and she has a good flock of fine, healthy birds. Perhaps the lacing could be more defined than the birds at present show, but with a little more experience in the peculiarities of this breed this will soon be remedied. Her birds are splendid in body, and are great layers. At various country shows Mrs Crump has been a very successful competitor, both with birds and eggs, and no doubt at a very early date she will be figuring conspicuously at some of the more important fixtures. She gives her birds every attention, and this, no doubt, is the reason of the good return.