EGG-LAYING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12068, 25 July 1917, Page 7

EGG-LAYING.

FEW ZEALAND UTILITY POULTRY CLUB. THIRTEENTH COMPETITION. The thirteenth egg-laying competition organised by the New Zealand Utility Poultry C;ub commenced at Papanui on April 8. The figures for the fifteenth v;eek, ended July 3-1, are as follow:LIGHT BREEDS. Daily laying. Commencing T!. to Competitor anct Wednesday. Date, breed.

THE YELLOW PERIL. MENAC& OF THE ASIATIC EGG. "A FINISHED PRODUCT OF THE CHINAMAN." Thft case for the poultrymen in regard to the imperilling of the industry by the unrestricted import of the Asiatic egg was clearly and forcibly put before the Hon. Minister of Agriculture recently by 3lr H. W. Childs, of Chipstchurch, deputed by the New Zealand Poultry Association. Wo are indebted to Mr J. B. Morrett for a copy of the official report of the interview. In bringing this Asiatic egg menace to your notice I do so purely from the standpoint of a producer, who has a more or less practical interest in the industry. Ten& of thousands of pounds' worth of Asiatic yolks have and are being used by bakers, pastrycooks and others, in practical contravention to the Pure Foods Act, and to the detriment of, and if not checked, ruination of the poultry industry, and this with the full knowledge and so far consent of thy Government. The poultry industry has repeatedly made representation on the subject, only to be turned down. The whole history or the business has been detailed to official ears on previous occasions. That the Asiatic egg product is a menace and has power to ruin the industry I will endeavour to show. This Asiatic e£g material is produced under conditions and at a price against which we have no hope or competing. I quote from the Department of Agrioulture's Journal. _ "There are no poultry farmers in China. Hens are the sea veneers of the village, and eggs are produced under most unsanitary, conditions." This product arrives here in convenient form, and is always available. The users have found with experimenting that it can. be used to the exclusion of our own eggs. The quality of this article' has a wide range. Waiving here the question of quality, the " Pure Foods " and what not, I put it to you, this articlei is a finished product of the Chinaman. T'ho standard of living ;.n the two countries cannot bo compared, oven whon it comes to feeding poultry. Our eggs are produced as a result of careful breeding, feeding and housing. Our layers consume immense quantities of wholesome grain, and,, the offal from the flourmills, dairy factories and freezing works. Wo have to pay thei current rates for our feeds, for our labour, our appliances, etc., thereby adding to the industry and wealth of cur country. How, then, can we bo expected to compete with the Chinaman and his garbage-fed) hens? How can our Government reconcile the fact that at spends largo sums of money annually onthe poultry industry, provides us with competent instructors, with first-olass facilities to, procure pure-bred, 'stock, etc., and yet permits the conditions I have enumerated ta run concurrent with and so neutralise the whole business. There is another side of the question. It is persistently •itatisd by those who are interested in tMse Asiatic products that thei poiiltrym<?n of the Dominion avo

out to exploit, inasmuch as though they are unable to produce a sufficient quantity of eggs, notwithstanding they are out to bar all importations. Now, such a statement i s as misleading as it is untrue. We realise? in the foregoing circumstances the necessity for importations, and welcome legitimate competition, the product of the white man. However, no white man can hope to compete with this article, and the users of this cheap and nasty article are not open to pay for a white* man's product, and refuse to have their attention directed to such, insinuating that supplies are not available. Is tho use of this product necessary? Will the use of this produce contribute towards reducing the cost of living? I apply a negative answer to both questions. The necessity of this article is an artificial one, created only by its users at the expense of squeezing men out of the poultry industry. The cost of living is not involved in cakes and pastries, [and the extended use of these yolks must ultimately replace cur own production, cripple the industry, and so enhance the price of eggs to bona fide users. If tlr's product once gets a hold in our big biscuit and confectionery houses, our summer surplus will have to be sacrificed, as these houses are the biggest egg buyers during the cheap- season, taking practically the whole of our surplus. I most emphatically state that to allow this product to continue under the impression that it is filling a shortage which we realise cannot be supplied, or that the cost of living is involved in its continuance is to live in a fool's paradise. To attempt to fill a shortage with Asiatic yolks is to intensify a future shortage, and so ultimately make the price of our own eggs prohibitive. The fact that this vast agricultural country with its handful" of population, its splendid climate and facilities for egg production is feeding its people on Chinese eggs proves that something is radically wrong, and that it is the poultryman who is being exploited. The.,people of New Zealand are a business people and will produce eggs immediately the egg production becomes a paying proposition. Such are the possibilities of artificial poultryraising that the industry could quickly double and treble it>elf were th? necessary incentive givou. The Chinaman and New Zealander cannot run together in this business. Therefore we ask you to give a little equare deal, and not only to allow the Pure Foods Act to give us the protection stipulated, but to cut the Chinese out" of the business altogether. In his reply the Hon W. D. S. MacDona Id said that he had been in communication with the Minister of Internal Affairs, and, although" not yet aware of the attitude that Department intended to take up, he was personally prepared to submit the matter to Cabin&t with a view of prohibiting the import of Asiatic eggs from September next.

THE BREEDING STOCK. Do not overfeed your breeding stock, but put all you can into your layers. This advice is given by nearly all experienced breeders, and tho idea apparently i s that overfeeding is not the best method of preserving the constitution, and has detrimental effects ou fertility. Overfeeding the layers—if they are layers—is practically impossible, so tho experts say, unlesa you go to wasteful and ridiculous extremes, because they really require a big intake to make up for the big output. With the breeding stock it is different, for they are not being fed for ©ergs, but foi the maintenance of their own constitution, and any surplus food is turned into fat, and fat fowls lay few fertile eggis. EGGS FOR THE INCUBATOR. Washing eggs meant for the incubator is a practice sometimes condemned. As a matter of fact there is no just cause or reason for condemning the practice. Among the numerous experiments carried out on the Government poultry stations in Victoria many tests pave been made to ascertain the facts. Washing the eggs carefully has no ill effects This wa. s proved to be the case when the egg s tested were gatherd with clean sheik. When the shells are; soiled' witu mud, and perhaps droppings, then common sense suggests washing carefully. Soiled egg s may be invaded by bacteria, and so become rotten. This has often happened. Many of the bacteria found in contaminated toil will multiply and pass through the pores in the egg-shells, and affect the contents Very probably ordinary mud would not cause decay unless in sumcieiit quantity IxTbiock up all the pore* and so suffocate the developing emDryo. Experience show* us that dirtyshelled egg;, do not hatch well It \< unnecessary i*> add that all market S t°l, d i ha rT cIe3G shells - lc Jheie- the shells are stained the application of salt will prove effective v, »P j f °r L the Abator should he handled with care, and great care must be taken when gathering the e-cs No hamnienng should be indulged m ilea? the incubator room. Expert! state that the besc hatching results are obtained m cellars or m a store or brick buiid-

fresh as possible, should be well shappossible. If for the incubator, ecus snould not be more than from four d!?s to a week old at most, but if broody hens are ussd the rule 'may be departed from a little, and the stain* e<rr» s being two or three days older may not matter. It is not of course meant that older eggs will not hatch, hut a s a rule til wV he -„ eg , ss the less satisfactory tho hatch will be. It i 8 well to run the incubator for a few days before putting m the eggs. If tt e machine is- not m order,, it can be put right when empty, but if "full of eegs and something goes wrong it is quite another matter. Alt! the same time, provided that your breeding stock is good it is wonderful what can and does happen during incubation, in the way of variation of temperature, or forgetting tto put the eggs back after an airing" etc., and yet the hatch will not b 6 a failure. INCUBATOR CHICKS. The following are the points in favour of the machiu'e:— ( (1) Chickens may be hatched at will. The poultry keeper may get them out, m any number, and at any time. (2) Chickens may be "hatched in time to turn into layers in 'March, April and May, when eggs are at thic-ir best for prices. (3) Incubator chicks have no vermin on them, and become very tame—the latter item being a big point in successful poultry keeping(4) The incubator is always certain. There are no fouled or deserted nests, and no broody hens to feed and water. (5) A 60 egg machine is equal to live or six broody hens. Ten minutes or ] 60 : morning and wening, is all the time required for trimming the lamp and (turning the eggs. (6) The incubator is easy to run. All that is necessary is to get a good machine, and faitMully follow the directions of the maker. (7) Given a careful man, a good machine, and good breeding stock, the incubator will beat the hcu every Itime.— " Manawat'u Standard."

Brown Leghorns— Verrall Bros. White Leghorns— H. F. Boss George Gee Calder Bros., No. 1 . W. Stephenson A.E. Phillips J. M'lnnes - . , L. T. Wright . H. W. Bower Green Bros. Te Anau Utility Stud Atkinson Bros. Hokowhitu Poultry Co. S. Hick Dalmuir Poultry Yards J. M. Alley J. Boh in son Rmfrinmi Ranch Oraeo Poultry Farm . E>retaunga Poultry Co. No. 1 . Master Jack Groan !rmart Bros. W. D?vey T. E. Cor> way Mrs J. Mil's T. W. Wilson R. Mills A. W. Adr.rns Reliable Poultry Farm A. G. Brailoy John Stevens Fazackerly and Son . R. W. Hewke J. Nar.carrow, sen. . Calder Bros., No. 2 . T. Kennedy - • Here'&unga Poultry Co.. No. '2 M. A. Currin H. Ball W. H. West A. E. Wilson . H. Williams Totals • - Silver Wyandottes— Green Bros. . A. W. Adams W. W. Hewiason Mrs F. Howell . T. Ivonnedy T. Dowthwaite « White Wyandottes— G. E. Benjcs Black Orpingt-ons — Mrs Claridgo T. E. Conway, No. 1 . A. S. Cooper J, Nancarrow, 6en. T. E. Conway, No. 2 . Victor Geo • • E. E. Marsdon . F. Staines Hokowhitu Poulti7 Company Miss -J. James . White Rocks— H. J. Gopperfch . Rhode Island Reds — A. S. Cooper , E. F. Oaios . Totals 0221223—12 3325213—22 ■2523542—23 322523'—'22 4321321—10 4534553 —29 42-53254—23 63624S9 -27 4134234-21 3345235—25 4-1-32-51-1—26 3312332—17 233-1143—20 2-324333—20 3142' 23—19 4336131 —'24 0OW1O —1 4343343—24 532:52a —2" 2352344—23 2354254—25 3223333—19 34323'3 —24 54 0 44'" , 5—26 31957 93—15 ini.oini —t 42.2-.??3 —IS 0414432—IS 1102112 —3 2514452—23 43 1 4314—2-0 3314314 —10 5265253—30 1354151 —23 0301001 —2 3132521—23 2231334—20 4345444—23 4 54 54-IB—32 523.3235—25 3323423—20 . 853 2022112—10 2423314—19 1210223—11 5325453—27 ,5423143—22 4234233—21 5333234-23 0111011— 5 4112212 —13 2-323223—17 55346-14 —31 6346.165 —34 3442324—22 -1545344—20 555325&—31 1331331—15 122-1231—12 S234404—20 2324134—19 1122132—12 . 303 210 243 351 3-10 305 250 118 2S-3 233 2-35 211 2C2 173 2.31 267 222 20S 1S1 214 21.91 184 2:0 239 277 105 213 157 I'd 111 186 234 235 1?3 223 297 56 213 223 260 351 225 277 9002 247 215 262 212 224 123 234 S3 167 170 345 242 310 192 3S3 211 177 53 67 125 4047 -228 eggs were gathered from the 124 spare birds. ,. , • On July 21 hen No. 3 died in pen 42. DUCK CONTEST. Indian Ruixnors— , n W. Knight . . 6»44344—30 379 Horctaunga Poultry Company . . 4445554—31 Mrs Gee » . 666.5443—34 436 W. T. Green . . 6466556—38 cm11. W. Bower . . 4545455 —32 618 Totals . . • -165 2378 Forty-eight eggs were gathered from the ten sparo Dirds. SINGLE BIRD COMPETITION. 1 LIGHT BREEDS. White Leghorns— , , „„ Green Bros. «, . 1101101— o 02 W. Davey » • 0000000—' 0 33 Victor Goo » • 0000000— 0 '1 J. Nancarrow . . 1101110 — 5 78 Atkinson Bros. . 1110111— tt 51 , R. Mills • • OOGOOOO— 0 20 ' H. Williams . . 1101101— 5 83 R. II. Taylor . . 1110110— 5 To Anau Utility Stud J101111 —6 31 Mrs Milis . . 0110101— -1 70 R. H. Jam-es . . 1010111— 5 41 A. E. Wilson . . 0000000- 0 31 Green Bros. . . 1111011—6 20 R. W. Ilawko . . 0110110— 4 62 Minorcas— Miss J. James . . 0010101 — 3 S2 Miss J. Jauies . . 0-000000— 0 0 Total .... 54 HEAVY BREEDS. Black Orpingtons— T. E. Conway . , 0111110— 5 Silver Wyandottes— Thos. Wilson . „ 0110110 — 4 Green Bros. , . 000G000 — 0 E. J. Bross . . 1011101— o Rhode Island Reds— J. Nancarrow, sen- . 0000000—0 £56 76 &2 55 33 0 Totals , , . . 14 246