Amongst the Poultry

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17246, 12 January 1924, Page 24

Amongst the Poultry

NOTES BY

“GAMECOCK.”

The next meetings of the feathered clubs will take place as follow: Lyttelton Fanciers—January 12. New Zealand Utility Poultry Club, January 10. Christchurch Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Club—January 21. United Pigeon Fanciers’ Club—January 23. Canterbury Bantam Club—January tS. North Canterbury Poultry Club— February 5. “ Purchaser,” Wellington.—l cannot make any recommendation, but I can assure you that the breeders advertising in the columns of the “ Star ” will give you satisfaction. You need not consider Australia, the “ N.Z. Whites” are equal to anything over there. And if you must have different strains, they are procurable from some of the local specialists, who make a point of substance andstamina. I am afraid that you contemplate starting on a rather pretentious scale. You have mv best wishes for your success. A small advertisement in the ‘‘Star ”

will bring all that you require. M. Me., Redcliffs.—From the symptoms you describe 1 think your birds are suffering from cholera. Probably i aided by the intense heat, the microbe has superseded a disorganised liver, due in the first instance to your wrong I diet. 1 am not a believer in potatoes for fowls at any time. Cut out the potatoes, parsley and maize. The latter is rather heating for a midsummer diet. A suitable diet for your brids m their present state would be boiled ice dried off with pollard, boiled in milk for preference, or mix a little Huttermilk with the rice and pollard. Moiled wheat is always better than hard wheat, particularly when the oirds are off-colour, and it is more •’-•onomical ; charcoal is necessary in he diet of all fowls. I>awn clippings, ettuce, cabbage and lucerne make the best green foods, but for a few days they will be better without them. Alum water is useful in such cases, but the following mixture should produce an mmediate improvement:—Tincture of ■odine 20 minims, oil of cinnamon minims, oil of tyme 5 ipinims. glycerne one teaspoonful. rectified spirits oz. Any chemist will rnixe this. If 1 och bird is given a dose of two or three drops, either neat cr with four i :or five drops of warm milk, and twenty j i drops of the mixture are r«dat.<i to u-ac.i < pint of drinking water for the next j few days, the disease should be check i ml. 1 shall be pleaded to anow tbt result. F.H., Kaikoura.—The fullest parti j culars available will be forwarded to j you in the course of a few days. Sorno j are due here next week, and the parti culars attaching to these should lur nish quite up-to-date details of what vou require. T am pleased the notes are appreciated in Kaikoura Mrs W. White, of Ashburton, has commenced business at the coiner of North Parade ar-rl Ghry stall Street, Christchurch, where she has a large dock of whitecrested black Polish, bred from the pen so highly prised by th© iate Mr Shaw. The New Zealand Utility Poultry Club has secured the Cashel Garage in Durham Street- in which to Void its *oarrg bird ahow, which takes place on the last Friday and Saturday in March. A card match will l>e played at Lyttelton on January 19 between the members of the Lyttelton Fanciers’ Cluo wd.the of the Christchurch Poultry- Club. .esv »*‘i the culture of canaries is ■\ery keen at present. Several of the old breeders have recently joind the active brigade, and from reports of .satisfactory hatchings one may look orward to a fine display at the next how. Mr J. Johnson, president of the Canary Club, and Mr G. -Watson, the former president, have some very promising ypung birds to represent them in the early classes. Bantam breeders will be pleased to learn that the enthusiast Mr J Orabbe has bad n good hatching of Silver Sebright and Buff Pekin bantarns. A meeting of the management corn mittee of the Utility Clulvs young bird snow will be held in the club room this evening at eight o'clock. Mr and Mrs R Pearce leave this evening for the North Island and in tend visiting M ellington, Palmerston North and Wanganui. Those interested in the breeding of cats should note that the Otago Persian Cat Club has affiliated with the Souh Island Poultrv Pigeon and Can ary Association. Persons who desire to exhibit at any show held under the jurisdiction of the association caunot exhibit at a show held by a club which is not affiliated with the association. The White Leghorn breeder, Mr T. D Holder, of Lyttelton, has a. flock young birds which may do him credit m both the show pen and the laying test. They are of splendid type and or© bred from trap nested hens with good records. Mr H. Roderick and Mr T Mathews. °f Lyttelton, has each a goodly nunibei of Black Minorcas, from which they hope to select strong teams for the coming shows. Mr - FT. Williams, of Soiperfiel.l Street. Spreydon. the maker of the well known Kapai incubator, has ef fected further improvements to the al ready popular machine, which should bo appreciated by al! poultrymen. One of the new appliances is an egg-turning tray, which is a most ingenious device and yet so simple that a tray of eggs may be turned in two seconds. This end other improvements will be at the disposal of breeders next season. “Chanticleer” in the “Austral asian ” says it may cause surprise I among those who look forward to the ; betterment of Australian production to j find that a small, place like New Zea I land can successfully export the num I her of eggs stated, while Australian ! poultry farmers, wet-nursed for years | are almost hopeless in the export trade. ; “Chanticleer” continues: “We may | not look for help to the poultry farmer I whose aim goes no further than his own place, but to the general farmer who, if well organised, will create a sound industry.” “Chanticleer” is right. The poultrv farmer is not to be found in num - bers. the general farmer is. and it is to him we must look for the large sup , plies necessary to hold the London I market. And to get the best results i the farmer would do well to keep more lof the general purnose fowls. The*j are, the most suitable for the farmer j who wants fresh engs and fowls for ! his own table, and they lav the brown which is esteemed more than, the » white egg in England. In addition j the general purpose breeds will suppG j the right- sort of tah’e chirVen* am 3 i r-v-oort trade wdl he all the better if table poulhrv and eggs go hard ir hand. I T notice hv the rshlejs that Mr .T. V> McrrcH is both hustling and nntimis 1 tic. T do uot think myself that it i:

likely the Dominions will be able to supply Britain with all the eggs she requires, but New Zealand, Australia and South Africa could supply a lot, and even a slice of the loaf is better than no bread. Mr Merrett is a born hustler, and if the export trade is to succeed it will need men with “go” in them to do the work. That noble animal man has found the heat and the wind very trying. His garden, too, has suffered, and that has annoyed him exceedingly. But what of the birds? They also have suf fered and want special care, shade in plenty and the bath. Cage birds and pigeons need shallow tins of water to bathe in and cool, friable, moist earth are required for the dust bath in the poultry pens. The farmers sav it does not pay to crow wheat. Probably what they mean is that there are things which pay better than wheat. Anyhow, file poultrykeeper finds it is not a payable pro position to feed wheat which costs 7s 6d per bushel. The big man gets his wheat a bit cheaper, but 7s 6d is store price and the majority of poultry keepers go fo the store. Cats are about as dear as wheat and barley is a bit cheaper. Though bi?ds prefer wheat they will eat both barTey an 3 oats when used to them. But if grain is dear why feed it? There are times when hand gram is the best feed to give, but ; layers do well on green food and mash. One part bran and two parts pollard is a simple and a much cheaper feel than wheat and even a better egg cotter. There is a good deal of fad about feeding. N.Z. UTILITY POULTRY CLUB. I mentioned about three weeks ago having received a copy of the prize schedule for the New Zealand Utility Club’s 1024-25 laying tests, entries or which close on February 19. Class 1 is or single pens, light or heavy breeds; class 2 for three birds. | light breeds ; and class 3 for three ! birds, heavy breeds. Class 4 is a new • class. It is for three birds of any breed other than White Leghorns, ; j Brown Leghorns, Minorcas. Black Orpi ingtons and Silver Wvandottes. Class [ o is for a flock team of six birds, any ; breed : and class 6 is for three ducks j -ity breed. The special prize list is an attractive one, and copies of the sekr- ; dule may be had from the secretary, , G. J. Wilkins. 25. Alexander Street. Christchurch. I cannot understand why the club did not allow Brown Leghorns, and especially Minorcas. to compete in the new class. They won’t have a chance • gainst the White Leghorns Every member of the club knows that it a “tote” were opened on the contest : here would not be a. ticket on the Minorcas. This is not because the ! Minorca is a poor layer, but because so ! far the breed has failed to ccmo near | ’Le M bite Leghorn. I don't think the breed could win in the new class, but the objects of competition is to make < onditions that will give a chance to BREED BRIEFS. (Continued.) POLISH. Polish are often called Polands, Tiio names convey til© impression that the i -reed bads from ” the fair land of j Poland.” That is not so. The name is j derived from the poll or crest, and j the crest and tko crescent-like marlii mgs in somo varieties and their lik<v- ; ness to Sultans leads me- to think the land of their origin was tbs same a>j that of the pigeons known as Oriental brills. Ona good authority says the white-crested varieties are a different breed from the others, and that they come from Holland. Anyhow. botn muffer and non muffed and whatever the colour of the crests or topknot, are classed as one breed and called Polish. The hens are non sit ten-, and good lay ers of white eggs which are rathe* small for market The cocks should weigh Gib and the hens 53b. The flesn is of the best and the breed bas played a big part in the making of a num bc-r of European breeds. The standard varieties are Gold. Silver and Buff ineed. White-crested Blacks, White crested Blues and. pure whites. There are other colours and it is worthy of note that the laced feathering of the Polish was the first lacing mentioned in poultry history. REDCAPS. This breed takes its name from its very large comb. It seems to havo originated in the north of England, where it has been known for very many vears, and is regarded as one of Eng land’s oldest breeds. No one knows of how it was created, but'one can guess the breed is n mixture of Old English Game and Hamburg. The hens arc non-otters and lav a good-sized whitvs or tinted egg. The flesh of the Red can is and the weights are 61b for cocks and olb for liens. The older stan dardF demanded a much bigger bird. RHODE TSI AND REDS. This much Doomed breed has found a deal of favour in Britain and the dominions as well, as in its own country —America. About the middle or last century red lowls caught the popu lar taste of the farmers around Khoile Island. \\ hat these old red fowls were is not known; probably they wero Dorkings or Malays or Game, or <» mixture of all three. That the dark buff Cochin came into the composition later and the Brown Leghorn blood later still is made certain. The result was a fine dual-purpose fowl with similar characteristics to the other Yankee breeds, but possessing a colour found in none of the other Americans, and so tar as the American breeds are con earned the Rhode Islander will have the monopoly of the colour, for a red Bock or Wyandotte would be so mum like the Rhodes that it is questionable if they would ever be popular. There wre also Rhode Island Whites, but thev have made no beadwav owing to their * resemblance to the other white Amen- , ] cans. The British standard weight, > ; nr#! Cocks 8!b. hens 6!b. The hens are ■ fine sitters and layers of nice brown ROUEN DUCKS. This breed has been called bv several i names, but the right one is the same j os that of the town where Joan of Arc was burned. Of all tho breeds oi ducks the Rouen is the most beauti--1 fill, but though the flesh is good it r dees not make such a good table cluck i ns the Avlesburv or the Pekin. Noi does it. lav so well as the Pekin. Tin eggs arc generally ereew jn colour. Th? clucks will sit. and hould wei"h 911 3 and the drakes 101 b.

RUM.PLES3 FOW LS. The. old Eastern fanciers pave the world some wonderful creations in poultry and pigeons amonj others the extremes in tails, such as the Fantail pigeon and tho Japanese breed of fowls called the Yokohama, which has often a tail 3ft. and a record of 12ft, 1 while the breed under notice has no tail at all- Indeed, sometimes that tit-bit called the ‘ parson’s nose” is absent. The Christchurch pioneers in i poultry culture imported most of the known varieties, and among them the rumpless fowl, which was scon at one or two early Christchurch shows. The last I heard of it was early in the Great War, when the late Mr E. Hoben told me that some were on a Canterburv farm where he had spent a week-end. RUNNER DUCKS. There is a 6tory to the effect that runner ducks were taken to England eighty years aco by a sea captain, and that they were called Indian because they came from India, and runner because of their smartness in getting over the ground. Penguin ducks is another of the names given to our subject, because the real runner when

at attention stands like a penguin. Though there may have been a number of the breed imported from India.. it is certain that other countries obtained the breed from other places besides India. Be that as it may, the Runner for a quarter cf a century has been the most popular duck. Some writers say the Khaki-Campbell wjll beat it as a layer, but so far it has not don© so. The eggs of the Runner ducks are generally white and much like a big Minorca egg. The flavour is not so strong as the eggs of other ducks, but much depends on how they are fed. Tho flesh of Runners i s not so good as that of most breeds, and the size is small. Drakes weigh from 3£lb to olb. ducks 31b to 4£lb. The varieties are fawn, fawn and white, white and blacks Runner ducks hold a number of world’s records for any fowl. At the Papanui test a duck laid 365 eggs in the veax. the next best being 300 at Bentley, England At Subiaeo. Western Australia, a. team of six laid 18o« eggs in tbo 1922-23 test. This beats .11 fowls. They also put up a world’s j three rears’ record At Papanui bv lay* ; ing 3SIO eggs. : EGG-LAYING COMPETITIONS PAPANUI. The following are the scores r.f the leadlap birds in each of the varans tests for | th»Y thirty-ninth ended January 5:- i LIGHT BIiEED. SINGH'S HEN CHAM- ! PIONSEIP.

Weight. Total. No. Eggs. oz dr Tl. L. Boer . . - 5 10 7 223 W. Newall . . . G 12 '2 22S G. IJ. Mitchell . .6 11 2 220 | Mrs M'Naughton . . .*> u » *>'» P. W. Shacklock .5 9 14 201 HEAVY BREED SINGLE HEN CHAMPIONSHIP. I, A. Yvaclham . .6 11 2 203 I?.. M. Cockeon . . 6 12 6 lift J. Lyness . . .8 7 14 332 L. S. McDonald . .5 11 13 131 LIGHT BREED SINGLES. (Competitors to enter three pure-bred pullets.) No. 'Weight. Eggs, Tl: R. W. Coombes, No. 2 6 32 2 236 W Ledgerwood, No. 2 7 12 15 229 J. Lyness. No. 3 - 4 9 13 222 J. P. Firth, No. 1 . 5 11 2 224 ,T. H. Duf field', No. 2 7 14 7 222 W. J. Richards, No. 2 7 13 10 221 C. J. Norton, No. 2 5 lO 7 220 Tracey King. No. 1.7 12 13 216 W. Barrell. No. 2 ■ ft 12 14 215 Green Bros. No 1 6 12 7 213 F. E. Osburo, .No. 3.6 11 13 214 G. H. Mitchell, No. 3.7 15 3 212 F Ellis. No. 3. 6 12 9 212 HEAVY BREED SlNOUtc. (Competitors to enter three pure-bred pullets). W. Rodsrere. No. 2.5 10 13 203 J. P. Drewitt-. No. 2 6 13 2 161 F. II. Lovoll, No. 1 5 11 2 172 IV. R. Sprossn, No 1.5 11 5 172 J. Gunn, No. 3.4 S 6 163 FLOCK TEAMS CONTEST. (Six Birds.) No. Weight. Eggs, oz ur Tl. J. Ligginsi . . 31 63 7 1179 M. C. Craig . .39 Cl 0 1125 F. IT. Gardiner . 31 61 1 1039 H. Williams 24 46 14 997 W. E. Ward . 27 55 10 990 SINGLE DTTCK CONTEST. (Each competitor to enter three ducks.) R. W. Hawke. No. 2.7 17 S 270 R. W. Hawke, No. 3 . 6 14 0 246 J. C. Musgrave. 3 3 7 12 214 T. Bond. No. 1 . .7 IS 6 226 THE WOOLSTON TANNERIES CLUB. The following are the results of the Woolston Tanneries’ Utility Poultry Club single bird egg-iaymg competition for the fortieth week, eudetl January S. 1924:— W eight. Total. No. Eggs, oz or G. Russell ... 4 S 0 197 E. Irvine . . .6 la o *16 G. Hall , -6 13 4 129 H. Tait - - .5 9 10 aos H. Greenland , .6 11 5 145 C. Briggs , .5 10 4 192 J. Campbell » -4 S 2 168 J. Edmonds , .4 S 6 166 G. Swa nsten . .4 8 10 190 B. Smith . » » 3 6 0 143 P. Mauger . . .5 9 10 153 G. Black . 6 1*2 1 192 H. Taylor - .6 11 S 190 A. M’Cullough . 5 9 15 162 S. Loader , .5 10 2 183 H. Harper . .4 7 15 146 It. Baker . - . 5 9 0 197 A. MConchie . . 3 6 4 131 S6 163 3 2-950