POULTRY WORLD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12065, 21 July 1917, Page 11

POULTRY WORLD.

Christohiirchj July 18, 191?Tho Editor, " St-ar. Dear Sir,—l have to inform you that the "Star" has boon appointed tna official organ for tho New Zoalana Utility Poultry Club. J. H. SHAW, Secretary. .NOTES AND NEWS. (By CROW-BLACK.) The Executive Council of the South Island Poultry Association will niee this evening. «, • i 1 „„u On Monday night the Chmtchuich Poultry Club will hold its bi-monthly meeting. At til© Granity Poultry show AllW. Hardie was successful in winning the Leghorn championship for the "West Coast outright-, and Mr "W. M'lntyre prevailed in the Minorca championshipI have to acknowledge receipt or Mr T. E. Conwav's catalogue of mating? for 1017-18. In nil ho has twentyfour pens mated —seven "White Leghorns, two Rhode Island Reds, Silver Wyandottos and eleven pens of Black Orpingtons. Excellent, photos of several noted stock birds appear in the catalogue, which was printed by the " Lvt.telt.ori Times" Company, Ltd.

During the week Mr T. B. Conway shipped two trios of Black Orpingtons to the North Tsland as well as two hundred eggs for sitting purposes. On "Wednesday next he will fulfil 3-n order for 100 eggs. Mr J. Nancarrow reports good business during the last month, especially for sittings of Black Orpingtons. Oil Friday he fulfilled a Christ-church order for 100 eggs. Tire Education Committer* of the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club has decided to hold an essay competition amongst its members on any subject relative to poultry culture. The length of tho paper is unlimited, which must bo fient- in by the first Tuesday in August. Competitors must write under a non-de-plum<». A representative of Lincoln Agricultural College and Mr C. Cussen (Government Poultry Instructor) are to be asked to adjudicateon the paper. Many persons condemn large hens as layers, hut it is interesting to note that Mr P. C. M'Donnell's Black Orpington hen ("Allertou Belle") was tho biggest of the six birds in his team (as well a3 being as big as any of the 1000 hens on the farm) and put up a 312 egg record in the last Hawkesbury competition. Tho individual layings of Mr M'Donnell's six birds were: 312, 279, 274, 273, 206.and 13-5; the 135 bird died four months hefore the close of the competition. The average weight of the six hens was 61b 7}or,s., and weight of eggs '26Jozs per dozen. Mr Conway, of Kirwee, received a quartet of this strain a month ago, and he states tho pullets eggs weigh 28oz.

On Saturday last, the Formers' Saleyards held a large sale of purebred birds, there being an entry of closo upon three hundred. There was keen competition for Whifo Leghorns, cockerels realising 2os each, pullets 13s 6d, 345, lis 6d and 15s per pair, breeding qunrtetes £2 ss. A line of well-bred Black Leghorns realised los to 16s per pair. Black Orpington cockrels found buyers at up to lfis each, and pullets 9a 6d to 15s 6d per pair. There wns little demand for Rhode Island Reds. Silver Wyandotte hens brought 6s to 8s each, and White Wynndote cockerels »p to 9s tid. I havo to acknowledge the receipt of a handy booklet through Messrs Simpton and Williams, railed "An Easy Poultry Guide," by Ed. Brown, F.L.S., London. Mr Brown is tho well-known author of ''Poultry Husbandry.' His latest work should be of groat value in every section of the community where an opportunity presents itself of keeping a few or many fowls. The book is sure to command a. ready sale, as Mr Brown has arranged, in association with the publishers, that tho sale.* shall be devoted to St I>unsta,irs. Regent Park, London, in which soldiers and sailors blinded in the wnr are being trained in the breeding and rearing of poultry. The published price is Is 4d. The fowls in tho egg-laving competition at Papanui are siying an improved egg yield, the 372 light and heavy breeds recording 1167 eggs for the wek ending July 17. Tho three leading pens in the licht breeds are:—Messrs W. H. West 349. G. Geo 323 and Calder Bros. 318 Tn th<j heavy breeds Messrs T. Jv. Conway's and J. Nancarrow's Black Orpingtons laid 34 and 31 respectively for tho "week, but F. Staines has the highest total (352) to date, ,T. Nancarrow being second f3l-4) and Victor Gee third (28$). Tn the duck contest Mra (fee's Indian Runners put up the possible for the week, W. Knight 39, Heretaunga and H. Bower 38, and W. T. Green 37, the latter having a lead of 48 eggs in the grand totals. The leading pens in the single-bird competition on July 17 are as follows: LIGHT BREEDS. White Lo?hom» — Green Bros. . * 1101111— <1 F7 Victor Gee . . 1000100— 1 71 J. Xnncarrow . , 1010110— { ?;? Atkinson Bros, , . 0111101— 5 7.> H. Williama . . 1101011- 5 78 R.. TI. TayloT . . 1111101— 6 Mrs Mills . . . 1110111— 6 75 HEAVY BREEDS. Black Orping-toaE— T. E. Conway . . 1011111— fl 71 Silver Wyandottcs— Thos. Wilson . . 0111201— 5 73 The highest totals on July 13 in the Masterton single-bird competition are as follows: — WHITE LEGHORNS. T. 'W. Barnes - . 74 W. A. M'Kenzie . . . .7-2 •T. Stevens, No. 2 . . • .71 E. E. Hare den . . . .07 D. P. L. Olayson, No. 3 . . 6o G. Barnes t>i BLACK ORPINGTONS. T. 13. Conway . . . . 76 TT. M, Boddington . . .71 "F. .Sfuine H C. H. Johnston . . . .68 BILYER wyandottcs. R. O. T. Dowt'nwaito .... f,l S. H. Scott r,i WHITE PLYMOUTH ROCKS. W, Tvniftht ..... 50 P. Freeman 54

N.Z. nTLITY POULTRY CLUB. QUESTION NIGHT. BREEDING AND REARING. The Education Committer of tho New Zealand Utility Poultry Club provided an instructive evening on Tuesday for its members, who were re--1 <■{ nested to ask questions relative to I then- greatest diflic-nltics in regard U> i breeding and rearing. Mr Dick i'president), occupied the chair, and i fully lifty members were present. I The following are the questions and I lrplie.s:— I Question: " What is the cause of ! chickens going oIF (gradually going jf-mailer, and then dying) after growing | well dMring the, firs;, three weeks?'' j Mr Fnzackerley: Feeding tho clnckens too early. Mr T. Yuh-on: lie had experienced I the trouble when he first used cold ! brooders, but after several attempts lie ' satisfied himself it was the want of ventilation. The atmosphere in the broodef must be sweet, otherwise the j chicks will sweat and lose all their vitality and die. Mr W. Green considered heat was necessary tor*chickens for the first.

three weeks, when they could bo put into cold brooders with more safety.

Question: ''What is tho cause of some, birds going light after moulting?" Mr 0. W. Tritt.: The birds are constitution ally weak. (Several other members endorsed this statement.)

Question: " Hmv should a breeder be selected : what points .should K> 'ooked for in main and female respectively?'' Mr J. W. Green: Firstly, every breeder slimild possess a strong constitution, and one must know how the birds nre bred. Everyone; should know bis own birds better than anyone elsePoints he looked for in boih. mules and females were type, cleanliness of face, boldness of eye, and vitality. Tf a breeder was studious he should have little difficulty in selecting hi? breeders from amongst the late monitors. Mr Eazackeriev: The male bird ho picked on typ<* and carriage, and he found in the females one of the, best ideas was to decide on the first layers. Mr I!. Vv. Ha wko said for the last five or six years ho made'it u practice of selecting the late autumn lovers by putting a ring on the birds' legs in April and leaving i-heni in their respective pens until mating time, as. some oi" them coutinvie in profit for a long time. Every bird laying in April he found in profit in July, and from these ho chose his breeders. Ho picked iiiales slightly related to tho females, with bold eye, bright face and excelling in type. Ho would not discard a male because it, was inclined to bo strawy in colour.

Question : Is dubbing the male bird an advantage for breeding purposes ' Mr Phillips: Yes; many heavy-comb-ed birds were given a Iresh lease of life when their comb was removed. Thoy '""ere more vigorous, and his experience was that good fertility could be relied upon. Mr Hawke: It was an advantage tn dub cockerels. If one wished to see a bird at his best in the breeding peu he would recommend dubbing him. Mr J. W. Green: Birds with overgrown combs lose their vitality, and he believed it was a kindness to remove the eornb. Several other speakers spoke in favour of 'lubhing the male bird, and Mr Cocker spoke against the practieo.

Question: What is the cause. of dead in shell in tho incubator r" Mr Cocker: Allowing machines to run up; an irregular temperature during hatching. Mr W. T. Green considered it was either too little or too much moisture. Mr Phillips quoted an auiliority which stated it, was turning tho egg?, too much.

Mr Walter Green : He believed it was moisture, and he had experienced tho. so 1110 w it'll eggs set. unrl'-.'r hens. Ho liked to give t.lio eggs a. long cooling if tlio weather was favourable towards tho close of hatching.

• Mr ,T. W. Green said he had experimented by putting the eggs .indor broody hens for seven r.o ten days, and then into the incubator, with rcsu.uwhich were simply marvellous. Mr K. F. Marsden: If the breeding stock wero right, in good hardy eun-.li-tion on plenty of range, he _ found chickens hatched out easily iu incubators.

Question: I would like to know the cause of too-picking. air Yates said it was using sand in tho brooder, ■ and Messrs Smith and James believed that confinement was the.causo.

Question: "Is it desirable to mix shell grit with the mash."' Mr W. T! Green: It was a mistake to feed grit, with the mash, because trie gizzard became blocked. tiirds should bo allowed to please themselves when they partook ol grit. Mr C. Atkinson differed from tbo previous speaker, as he had found tho system a success, and his view was endorsed by Mr J.\ M'Harg. MrHawkedid not.-favour feeding grit in the. mash. He had noticed repeatedly that chickens discarded the grit from prepared chick toods, unci had they been forced to cat thin grit it would havo retarded growth.

Question : " When is a breeder at tho zenith of its lite?" Mr Hawke said he bad strong cockerels in his yard from an eight-Jycar-old cock, but ho believed cockerels could be. used to much greater advantage than they were to-day. J, W. Green : Ho believed the male bird was a scfiind breeder until it lost its activity. _ Messrs C. Atkinson and A. K »* son favoured birds from twelve to fitteen months.

Question : " How to sol eel, the breeders (male') without- keeping say, <5 per cent of the cockerels to mat-urity. Mr A. E. Wilson said Ik*. iotinct it was a somewhat easy matter to eui] out early exhibition stock, but lie believed it was different, with utility, and then it was necessary to keep a large number of cockerels in order to select the best breeders. Mr Cocker endorsed this view, and Mr Hawk© Raid that he selected tha early cockerels with good of back.

Question: " What is the cause of feather eating?'' Members were generally or tho opinion that it was due to close confinement. and want of exercise. Mr Hc.vvinson .said ho had fr/.md charcoal a remedy for feather eating. ('To be concluded next Saturday.) TPLE SOUL OF "WIT. Poilltrvmen are again seeing " STARS" on a Saturday night. The X.Z. Utility Poultry Club is assured of a successful season because its president is up to IMOK. and its c-aro-taker is a straight GRIFFIN. "Why is a White Leghorn lending in tho single bird test at I'npanui? _ 15-> cause it had moro GREEN stuff in jt. before leaving its owner's yard than tho other birds competing.

What song wore all tho fanciers singing on the Sunday nigbt after tho Jubilee Show? " Good del JEF has gone to Rest." The winner of the last, single .pen test at Papanui has NO EGGS-cusc for the perfoi'ioanco of his present entry. Some folk say that the Asiatic question is were CHILD'S play. Why wer-o the rookery classes .it the Jiibiloo Show a- success? Because the steward in charge saw that all were done BROWN. The. Canterbury Egg Farmers' Asso-

eiation is fortunate this year. It has the eyes of a H.A WlvE to watch over its interests. All' problems and difficulties were smoothed out and PEARCED by tho hard-working J-.ihileo Show gecertal.Y* ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. Mrs J., Belfast- (1) For laying pullets of lighter breeds the best time for hatching them out is from September 10 to October 10; for heavier breeds from middle of July to the end of August. (-) Sitting hens should always bo kept apart from the general flock, and have a. roomy, quiet, and well-ventilated location. An unused shed or houso is excellent' for this purpose. J.L.. TVoolston.—(l) : Mni&e, wheat or oats must be f-;d to sitting hens, never mash wet or dry. Pure water should he at hand, and also a dust bath. (2) It is always advisable to dust the hen with some good disinfectant powder before. the eggs arc put under her and again towards the end of the batching period : the nesting material should also be sprinkled with disinfectant powder. J.M., Christ-church. —The nests for broodies should be made with a bottom layer of moist earth or grass sod, hollowed saucer shape, upon which place a thin covering of soft straw. Test- tho hen to see if she is firmly broody, and place the eggs (11 or 13) under her at night. See that the hen comes oif the.nest daily for her grain; half an hour's absence will do no harm to the eggs-, except in very severe weather.