POULTRY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16668, 25 February 1922, Page 11

POULTRY.

NOTES BY "CROW-BLACK,”

Tho Management Committee of the Utility Poultry Club will meet on Tuesday evening. The Auckland Co-operative Poultry Society has subscribed £49 14s towards the New Zealand Poultry Association’s funds. Tho New Zealand Wyandotte Club and the . North Island Rhode Island Fowl Club will hold their exhibitions at Palmerston North show in Juno next. Green Bros, have received an order for two White Leghorn cockerels from Mr Surfers, of [Durban. This South African poultry man has previously had stock from Green Bros. Mr G. H. Ambler left on Thursday evening to take up his residence in Auckland. On Tuesday night the Utility Poultry Club gave him a send-off. and the president, on behalf of members, presented Mr Ambler with a presentation pen as a slight token of Hi 3 high esteem in .which he was held by members. Mr Jeffreys, president of the Christchurch Poultry Club, also made eulogistic reference to Mr Ambler’s ability as a breeder and judge of fancy poultry, and trusted the sunshine of the north would restore him to good health. Mr Percy Whit-ford, of Tvaiapoi, advertises a number of specially selected White Leghorn breeding hens lor sale at £1 per pair. Mr Wliitford’s strain aro fine specimens of their breed, possessing plenty of substance as well as being great egg producers. In the present competition at Papanui the Kaiapoi poultryman is represented with nine birds, and their average is over 200 eggs per bird for the ten months, though one of the nine died three months ago from inflammation through an egg bursting inwardly. On February 19 the. team of six were in second position with 1300 eggs; and his No. ; 2 bird in the. three-bird single pen test had the second highest individual

score, 262 eggs. Mr Wliitford intends hatching a large number of autumn chickens. Already he has seven hundred hatched, and 2000 eggs in the machines. -Kntries close next Saturday for the Invercargill egg laying competition. Mrs Gorinski’s teams of White Leghorns are showing up prominently now ar Papanui and Southland. They are in second place in both tests. Fast week a ferret visited a poultry yard in Francis Avenue and killed a number of pullets. It is about time the City Council compelled owners of ferrets to register that they keep them and that they are ringed with a particular number supplied by the council. Poultry men would then have some chance of finding out the owners and getting compensated for the great destruction of valuable poultry caused by these, vermin. The New Zealand Leghorn Club’s show is fixed for New Plymouth and the New Zealand Orpington Club’s fixture for Wanganui. Entries were received on Tuesday ■ night for the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club s forthcoming egg-laying competition, commencing on April 9 next. At time of writing the entries had not been tabulated, but the secretary anticipates there will be a few pens available for late entrants. Though all tests have not quite filled, there are more competitors competing than ever. Breeders who competed with several representatives in the past have found it necessary to reduce their entries, owing to the lean year they have experienced from their sales of produce, after paying high prices for fodder. Breeders from the Thames to Riverton are competing. Mr R. Christie, of Melbourne, is sending to. Western Australia contests this year instead of New Zealand. Mr E. L. Feld wick, who is largely represented in the entries for the next competition at Papanui, has reared over 1000 White Leghorn pallets in hi 3 first- attempt, besides selling some 600 chickens—a remarkable achievement for a first year student in poultry culture.

There was an excellent attendance cf poultrymen at Hornby Inst evening when addresses wore given by the provisional directors of the Canterbury Co-operative Poultry Producers, Ltd. It was stated that nearly 3000 shares were applied for and that 500 Q were required by March 14. Negotiations v.ere in progress for the incorporation of the well-known egg and poultry business conducted by Messrs J. J 3. M-errett and Coy., and other societies that market eggs, so that the whole of tho poultry forces would be united, in Canterbury. The Directors of the Canterbury Cooperative Poultry Producers have done a wise thing i n getting an option over Mr J. B. Merrett’s egg. poultry and produce business. This will be absorbed l>y the company on condition that producers subscribe the necessary shares in one month.

The executive of the Utility Poultry Club anticipate that the net results from 'last Saturday’s field day will be £9O.

Entries for the Utility Poultry Club’s annual show will close on March IS. I understand the Schedule Committee propose including a class for most likely layer (White Leghorn hen) and suitable for tho breeding pen. The class is included for educational purposes. Mr Shaw has been appointed to make the- awards.

After the presentation to [Mr Ambler on Tuesday night, Mr Merrett said he had been deputed by the president nud members of the Utility Poultry Club to perform a pleasing little function—to hand to Mr C W. Tritt a presentation pen, a small acknowledgement of the work done on behalf of the club in connection with its field day. He had worked like a Trojan, and was respon pible for about £3O of tho receipts. Mr Merrett also referred in eulogistic terms to the work of Mrs Tritt in the management of the afternoon tea stall at the field day.

Yesterday morning Air F. C. Brown, Chief Government Poultry Instructor, arrived from the north, and left at mid-day for Dunedin. On Thursday a. cablegram was received from Messrs F. Bogan and J. Christie, of Melbourne, to enter two Black Orpingtons and White Leghorns in the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club’s egg-laying competition. Other Australian entries are expected to come by the next mail.