POULTRY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16750, 3 June 1922, Page 11

POULTRY.

NOTES BY “CROW-BLAC»C M Mr R. Pearce, hon secretary ©f the Christchurch Poultry Club, will be in attendance this evening at the club s rooms to supply pen numbers to exhibitors applying for them. The committee of management will also be present to transact urgent business in connection with the show. Mr U. Meadows, who was in Christchurch for a fortnight with a view yo resettling lie*-©, has returned to YVanganui. The Christchurch Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Club lias every reason to be proud of the excellent response from fanciers for the show which opens at. tho King Edward Barracks on Thursday, .June 8. As anticipated last week, the entries received constitute a record, beating the club’s Jubilee Show record by 246 entries. Most open classes show :t slight increase, the greatest being in Old English Game, there being 100 in the various classes scheduled for this noble breed, which signifies that in the Dominion, as in other parts of the Empire, it 6till has its champions and is worthy of its historic fame. Bantams have also drawn much larger entries than usual, there being 195, which shows how popular these dwarfs are with the young people. In tho Utility section, white Leghorns predominate, there being the grand total of 47 in the oockerel and pullet classes, which is a record. In the open duck class there aro 20 entries, and in the table poultry 27. Sev-enty-nine entries have been received for the pigeon flying race, 167 for canaries, 20 for cats, 150 for dogs, and 114 in the art needle-work sectionMr Dare Peek, who was a prominent member of the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club when the egg-laying competition was held at Lincoln College, is now sheep-farming at Taumarunui. He has been enjoying several weeks’ holiday in Christchurch, and last week returned to tho North, talcing with him half a dozen of Mr R. IV- Hawkes’ noted laying duoks. Mr R. E. Green’s celebrated talking parrot is booked to hold forth at the Christchurch Poultry Club’s show next week. This bird is noted as having the most wonderful vocabulary for a bird. On many previous occasions it has been quite the centre of attraction, being a source of delight to the old as well as the young people. There is a movement afoot to endeavor to arrange a united pigeon show, either at Christchurch or at Wellington. during the visit of the English judge, Mr C. A. House, with a view to securing Ids services in making the awards. , , , , , Tho Whangarei Show was held last week. Tho entries this year easily established a record over any previous exhibition and the competition in most classes indicated that a. definitely higher standard was reached throughout the show. The Hoey Memorial trophy for the best bird in the show was won by Mr A. C. Ye Hand's Rhode Island red cock. The same breeder's oockerel captured tho Rhode Island dub s shield for tho best young bird in the utility section. Mr N. Dickey’ $i white leg* horn cockerel won tho trophy for tho best leghorn in the show and also the North Island Association’s championship. Mr G. IT. Ambler mad© the awards. The championship to bo competed for at the Christchurch Show next week are, Rhode Island Red (open classes), Pekin Bantam, Utility Croad Langslian. Nun Pigeon and Norwick Created Canary. The club offers for competition at Christchurch a long list of valuable specials and cups, which are considerably augmented by those offered by specialist club 9. Mr W. J. Mankes, of Devonport, Auckland, has intimated to Mr F. Dacre his in teuton to visit Christchurch for the show. Mr Mankes is an enthusiastic fancier and last year went to Palmerston North and managed "the show for Mr John Jarvis, who was indisposed. The North Island Wyandotte Club has a cup for competition, which Mr Mankes presented. The Christchurch Show is regarded by fanciers as the “Crystal Palace” of the Dominion. Not only is it the largest exhibition, but the standard of exhibits is usually much better than at most, shows, and a win at Christchurch carries with it a largo share of merit. Entries close for the Mana.watu Poultry Association's Championship Exhibition to be held at Palmerston North on June 21. 22 and 23, with the Secretary, Mr W. Penny, on Monday, June o. The Christchurch Poultry Club’s annual dinner and entertainment to visiting .exhibitors will be held at th Cadena Rooms on Friday evening, June 9. The North Canterbury Poultry Pigeon and Canary Club’s schedule is to hand. The show takes place at Rangiora. on July 7 and 8. Fanciers interested in utility Black Orpingtons, ducks, owl pigeons, or any other variety of frill pigeon, should note that the championships for these classes are catered for at the show. MR. HOUSE’S VISIT. Arrangements have been completed for Mr C. A. House, the English Poultry Judge, to do the judging at Nelson Poultry Show on July 21. lie will also .judge tho Wanganui Show on July 14, and will lecture at Palmerston North under the auspices of tho Railway Poultry Club. Mr House will be in Christchurch about July 16, and will be accorded a civic reception. Arrangements for his entertainment while in Christchurch will be made during tho coming week. it is unfortunate that he cannot judge while in Christchurch, but it is understood that lie will give a lecture and will be accorded tho opportunity of seeing some of the winners at the Christchurch Show. The judges selected to officiate at the Christchurch Show have met with tho approval of tho exhibitors of the respective breeds. This must he pleasing to the gentlemen concerned. Th© New Zealand Utility Poultry Club will meet on Tuesday night, June 6.

SEASONABLE HINTS.

If yon are a breeder of the heavy j variety, or intend going; in for a heavy I breed, yon shonld not lose any time in | obtaining your breeding stock, especialIv your breeding cockerel. Those who have already obtained a light or lieayv breed, if breeding for egg production is the intention, should see that the sire comes from generations of high fecund stock. Tt costs a. little more to get a first-class bird, but it pays in the long run. I>o not keep the birds locked up in n, small coop or pen, ns it is not only detrimental to their health, but it is not natural. In many cases I have seen the conditions not only bad, but often cruel.. From birds kept under those conditions you cannot expect the ! best results. The cock-bird or cockerel, providing | it has reached matured age docs far i better it' allowed to run with the intended breeding hens, for the hens are jii resting, or should be- in the off ?e-a-£Oii

SCIENTIFIC BREE'OINC.

The results of laeb year’s laying competitions, as with practically all similar competitions in various parts of the world., have served to draw 'pointed attention to tho great value of scientific breeding in improving and maintaining the laying qualities of poultry. For many years past most of the successes in tho poultry competitions have been gained by poultry breeders who have spent years of study and experiment in building up a strain of good layers, or else by other poultry keepers who have purchased stock or eggs from the more experienced breeders, and have thus reaped the fruits of the latter’* knowledge and experience. The success of a competitor who buys stock or eggs, is of course, quite fair and legitimate, because he has bought wliat the experienced breeder has sold, i.e., stock which lias been bred up to a certain standard of excellence, and tho prices which successful breeders ask for their eggs or stock, while to some people appearing to be too high, are really low when is taken. into consideration the fact that the breeder is selling some of his own knowledge or experience, along with the eggs or stock. However, unless the buyer himself is possessed of such knowledge as will enable him to make the best use of what he has bought, his success, in laying competitions or the show pen, is likely to b© transitory. There is no royal road to lasting success, either in the poultry or any other industry, except constant care and attention and the ripened knowledge which comes from experiment and experience. Since laying competitions were instituted. in Australia and in the Dominion, the average laying capabilities of domestic poultry have been increased by from twenty-five to thirty-three per cent. Each year, while perhaps not seeing much increase in the tallies of leading teams, seas a steady improvement in the general average, and the whole of the teams coming closer together in their performances. This is the result of scientific breeding on the part of th© leading breeders, and th© dissemination of thoir stock throughout the Dominion, thus enabling the poultry keepers to improve the character of their flocks. There is no doubt that th© cheapest and best way for tho average poultry keepers to maintain a high standard of laying in their flocks, is to buy year after year from some reliable breeders, who are known to possess good strains, and whose knowledge of mating enables them to keep up high laying capacity of their birds. There are many of these breeders scattered throughout the Dominion and competition results show that this province possess some breeders whose stock are as good as can be obtained anywhere. In addition to striving to encourage an increase in the average number of egg* laid by both light and heavy varieties of fowls, th© laying competitions also seek to discourage any reduction of the size of the eggs lnid beloiv a certain fixed standard. This is no doubt a very desirable thing, and the com pe tit ion s authorities are to be commended upon their attitude in this respect. But the means by which the authorities endeavour to prevent the laying of undersized eggs aro not all the same, and it is certainly open to question if some of th© methods employed are not too drastic. At tho Mount Albert competitions, at Auckland, the competing birds, while shown in teams of three pullets (lost year the teams were four, and prior to that six birds) aro all single-tested, and tho prizes aro given for the highest individual scores, and also th© highest team scores put up during the competition of fifty weeks. If any pullet fails to produce eggs averaging 2ozs, she is disqualified from gaining any of the prizes for individual birds, no matter how high her tally may be. But if the other pullets entered in th© team are laying eggs of the size above the standard weight sufficient to bring the standard weight of the whole team to an average of 2ozs per bird for the whole team, then the team qualifies for a team prize. This seems reasonable, for the whole object in having birds as a team, and. not individually, is to get a team performance and not merely one high individual tally. But in all competitions in which numbers take part, the points for all must b© taken together, the high scorers carrying the handicap of the low scorers with them, whether this b© as regards either the number or weight of eggs. It is evident that if a breeder can produce three birds out of four which lay a largo number of eggs above a standard •weight, an<l one bird which lays a large number which are slightly under the weight, it would be unfair- to judge th© breeder’s floolc merely on tho one bird as against the three, and to deny him tho chance of that advertisement to his stock, which the performances of the three good birds would justly entitle him. At tho Papanui competition, however, there are several competitions run independently of each other. One i 9 for individual birds, one for teams of three pullets, and still another for teams of six pullets owned by returned soldiers. In each of these there is one condition which is identically the same, i.e., tho failure of a bird to lay standard weight eggs results in the complete disqualification of that bird irorn any chano© of taking a prize itself, or of being included in a prize winning team, as a team containing such a bird is disqualified from any chance of winning a prize. Not only so, but if a pullet lias not laid an average of standard weight ©gga up to December 31st of the year in which the competition commences, no record of her laying is kept after that- date and she is debarred from any opportunity of laying over-weight eggs in the final three months, and thereby bringing up her average for the whole year. This seems rather too severe a penalty to impose upon any breeder who competes at a la ying competition. Ih© object of laying competitions should b© to stimulate, not merely the laying of large eggs, but the laying of numbers and size as well, and the performances of every* unit of a team should be taken into consideration in judging a team. Jh© team points for all and not merely for some should bo the recognised system of judging tho results. The farce of the present system at Papanui was clearly shown a couple of years ago when Mr team, which finished with the high tally of over 1500 e -£S s was unplaced, while first place went to a team which had laid just over 1000 eggs, not even sufficient to quality for an average certificate, and to make the decision still more ludicrous, at the end of the competition Mr Marsden’s birds were laying ovCr-weight eggfs, while the winning team was laying under-weight- eggs. The sol© basis of argument for th© verv stringent regulation at present existing is that it is undesirable that, birds laying over-weight eggs should be bred from. This might be a reasonable argument if like produced like in every instance, and if ©very bird laying largo eggs twoduced female progeny, which would lav none but large eggs, and the layers of small eggs produced females laving all small eggs. But all poultry breeders of experience know that there is no such invariable rule ns this in nature.. It is necessary to study nob onlv breeds, and flocks, but individual birds, and exoeriments with them, before one can determine with certainty what fho result of br^adina

from any particular bird or mating is likely to be. One of tho foremost breeding establishments in the Dominion, which has twice gained the certificate ior the highest average weight of eggs in the Papanui competitions, in tho last competition had most of its birds put out for laying under adzed ogg**- It will be readily understood that these breeders did not discard the good birds that had laid large numbers of large eggs, and breed from layers of small e^gs. Another breeder, second an the last competition at Papanui with a team averaging over 29oza per dozen, liad another team in the competition which failed to reach the standard weight. This breeder has also a reputation for heavy birds, the majority of which lay large eggs. It must bo understood that the domestic fowl is a product which lays not only many times the number of eggs which its wild progenitors did in their natural state, hut also lays much larger eggs. But there is always a tendency in nature to what is called reversion, that is a reversion to former characteristics. Especially is this so when seeking to make too sudden or too great a departure from these characteristics, the effect of which would be to impose too great a strain on the producing organs. This is tho i rebellion of nature against too much j interference with natural laws, and is shown by the strong efforts which na- s ture puts forth to restore a natural j balance. For the past eight years the writer has conducted a series of experiments with White Plymouth Itocks on this subject of large eggs. Having purchased nine years ago a pen of five White Pock pullets, four of which laid eggs averaging nearly 2Sozs, one laying eggs regularly which went over 31 OTJS, he sought to establish a large egg strain and purchased a fine male bird from a large egg strain and mated him with three pullets, but set eggs only from the one laying the abnormal size > eggs. Result, two cockerels and three pullets from two settings. The following season he got another male bird of a large egg strain, slightly related to the male of the year before to mate with the pullets from the first mating, thus having two pen?. He found the pullets only laid eggs a shade over 25 ozs, as against the 31ozs and over laid by their mother ns a pullet. Very few of the eggs hatched, though nearly all were fertile. Neither did he getmany chicks from the two year old hen which laid the very large eggs, but lie put down one setting from hen No. o, laying the smallest eggs of the lot, just over 24$ozs, t-o the dozen and got eight chicks. For the two following years he bred from pullets and two-year-old hens, descended from the two original pullets which had laid the largest size eggs. The result was unsatisfactory, for the size of the eggs steadily declined until at last not one of the pro gen v from this line laid a 2 oz egg, while the prolificacy of the strain had nil along been very weak. . Two years ago he mated two of the liens defended from the original large-egg pullet, with a cockerel from a mating betwen a deecendent l of this pullet with a descendent of tho small egg pullet. The result was shown the following season in the best batch of pullets he had bred, and only one or two of which laid eggs averaging under 26ozs to the dozen.

EGG-LAY I NC COMPETITIONS.

In the championship class for single birds the following laid seven eggs for the week: —Mrs Gorinski, P. W. Shaoklock, Mrs W. Hewitt and G. H. Bradford. The following are the leading birds for the week ending May 27: LIGHT BREED SINGLE HEN CHAMPION-

DUCKS. J. O. Wilson's laid seven eggs for the ' week, total 31; Alex. Peat’s laid seven, total 21. VICTORIAN COMPETITIONS. The Burnley tests for groups of six birds, trap nested. White Leghorns, wet mash, to Wednesday. April 26—Miss B. Clamp 104 G. Pocknall 102, Mrs G. Wilson 9G, Wauchai Poultry Farm 96. W Cullen 95. DEEP SPRING POULTRY FARM. Four White Leghorns, dry mash—Miss M. T. Kidd 101, A. Enticknap 98, Norman Meyers 88, G. M’Donnell 68, P. N. Tilley 07. Black Orpingtons, wet mash—Wingood ( Poultry Farm* 127, W. Cullen 122. Wauchai Poultry Farm 108, Deep Spring Poultry Farm 106. Herbert Bros. 99. Black Orpingtons, dry mash—W. A. She vill 120, A. Siede and Sons 95, Marviile Potiltry Farm 92. Individual birds, wet maelx—White Leghorns: J. G. Allton 22, W. Pert 22. T. A. Pettegrove 21, W. Cullen 20, K. E. Palmer 20, Wm. Vercoe 20, M. G. Leach 20. W. Pert 20, Deep Spring Poultry Farm 20. White Leghorns, dry mash —Ceres Stud 23, Herbert Bros. 22. J. H. Duncan 21. *T. A. Pettigrove 21, Herbert Bros. 21, W. White 21, Norman Meyers 21. Montuna Poultry Farm 21, J. G. Allton 21, Ceres Stud 21, G. M’Donnell 21. Black Orpingtons, wet mash—G. Andrew 25. M. G. Leach 23, A. Clements 23, R. E. Christie 22. J. Mooney, 22. D. Gibson 22, G. Dwyer 22, W. Cullen 22. NEW SOUTH WALES—HAWKESBURY TEST. The following are the leading birds for the week ending April 25: Open Heavy Breeds.—R. Mallard. 8.0.. 24. total 77; A. R. Sinclair. Langshan, 30, 74; It. C. Lunn. 8.0.. 16, 37; Wenholm and Seddon, Laneshan. 19, 65. Open Light Breeds.—P. R. Barnby. W.L., 26, 84; J. L. Waterß. 23, 68; J. M. Brooke. 19. 65; G. Hopping, 19, 65; Watson and 1 Stepney, 17. 64. The competition commenced on April 1. | WOOESTON TANNERIES.

SHIP. W’kly W’ght. Grand total. oz dr TI. P. W. fehacklock „ 7 13 10 89 Mrs W . Hewitt . . .7 14 5 38 6. L. Beer . . .6 12 9 37 H. Whittle . . .5 S 14 37 Mrs F. Gorinski . . 7 14 0 36 W. J. Richards . . 5 10 2 36 W. Aldous . . . 6 11 0 86 W. E. Ward . 6 11 6 S6 H. C . West . . .5 10 14 35 P. M'Dougall . . .5 9 0 35 W. Spenoe . . .5 9 10 35 HEAVY BREED SINGLE HEN CIIAMPIONSHIP. Drewett and A. J. Wood bird laid seven for the week. J. P. Drewett . .7 14 5 44 L. A . Wadham . 5 8 10 89 Ho gen and Christie . 6 10 12 32 Rogen and Christie . . I 1 9 32 E. V. Arthur's Croad Langshan laid six eggs weighing lloz 12drs. making a total of eighteen. LIGHT BREED SINGLE HEN COMPETE TION. (Competitors to enter three birds.) W. H. West . 5 10 9 44 W. H. West . .6 9 14 40 A. C. Goodlet . . .5 10 7 37 A. Patterson . . . 5 8 10 37 T. S. Dove . . . 4 8 6 37 J. Liggins . . .6 12 15 37 O'. A. Inder . .6 10 12 37' Hon C. H. Izard . „ 5 9 0 37 Hon C. H. Izard . . 6 12 3 37 W. H. West . . 5 10 8 T. S. Dove . .4 6 If 36 W. J. Chambers . . 5 9 11 36 Mrs W. Hewitt . . 6 10 13 36 E. Fuchs .... 5 10 11 36 I). F. Coulter . .4 3 1 S9 Hon C. .H. lazrd . .5 10 0 36 HEAVY BREED SINGLE HEN COMPETE TION. (Competitors to enter three birds.) P. Olorenshaw . 7 12 12 42 A. H. Wheeler . . 6 10 15 43 A. H. Wheeler „ . 6 10 0 41 A. G. F. Ross . . .5 9 7 39 Mrs A. M. Stewart . 5 9 0 37 W. B. Sprosen . 6 9 10 35 J. P. Drewett .6 12 10 32 R. M. Cook son . 4 7 14 32 It. M. Cookson . 4, \ 7 13 32 J. Gunn .... 4 8 0 32 SINGLE DUCK COMPETITION. $ (Competitors to enter three ducks.) R. W. Hawke . .7 17 o 47 A. C. Clements . . 7 19 12 39 T. Bond .... 7 18 1 38 R. A. Hollis . . 7 38 0 37 J. H. Hannah .7 17 0 36 A. C. Clements . 7 17 10 36 In the single duck championship 1. Douthwaito's White Indian Itunner laid seven eggs, weight 16oz Idr, making a total of 33. LIGHT BKEED FLOCK TEAMS CONTEST, (For six purebred pullets.) E. Orchard .30 59 1 204 * T. K. Gardiner . 27 52 5 190 M. C. Craig . . . 24 43 13 176 II. Whittle . 27 40 7 177 J. C. Musgravo „ 13 167 W. E. Ward . . 24 45 8 158 J. Biggins . - . A. H. Adams - 25 140 SOUTHLAND COMPETITION. The following are the leading birds for the sixth week, ending May 24: Wkly Grand 1 Tl. Tl. Master Gush so 8 86 Win. Thomson. . 6 36 John Thomson . 6 85 Andrew Love , 8 35 John Thom sod . 6 34 Chas. Thomson . 8 34 N. Rein .... . 6 33 Mrs A. E. Morris 33 8>. L. Beer . 6 33 Alex. Provan .... . 6 33

Results for the month of May:— Weekly W’ght total, oz dr. Total E. Irvine . . .21 45 11 37 H. Greenland . . .22 3*3 8 37 SS 0 iS LI * * Ji>p j BO r j n. Tait . . . .21 4i 15 30 C. Briggs . . . . 17 35 9 29 G. Russell • . .23 44 8 41 J. Farrar . .22 39 10 30 H. Taylor . . .23 43 11 26 A. Bouudy . . .23 51 1 23 G. Black . . . 15 29 1 24 P. Manger . . . 21 38 15 21