POULTRY NOTES

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19108, 28 June 1930, Page 30 (Supplement)

POULTRY NOTES

Show Dates For July. North Canterbury (Rangiora) Poultry Club, July 4 and 5. Taieri Poultry Club, July 5. Granity Poultry Club (West Coast), July 4 and 5. Oamaru Poultry Society, July 11 and 12. Tapanui Poultry Club, July 12. Hokitika Poultry Club (West Coast), July 11 and 12. Lyttelton Fanciers Club, July 18 and 19. Gore Poultry Club, July 25 and 26. Greymouth Poultry Club, August 1 . and 2. NOTES. (BY “CROW BLACK”). The newly formed Reefton Club in-; tends to hold a show this season, on a date to be arranged. The Auckland Game Fowl Club will hold its fourth annual show on July 25 and 26. The show will be confined to Game and Game Bantams. Since being formed the club has made great progress and the forthcoming show promises to be the best yet held by the club. The judge for large varieties is Mr E. J. R. McLaren, and for Bantams, Mr W. Wilson. Further particulars can be obtained from the secretary, Mr E. Bust, Pitt Street, Ellerslie Street, Auckland. At the education meeting of the Utility Poultry Club on Tuesday evening a motion of sympathy was passed to Mr A. T. Smith, past president, in the loss of his wife. The Christchurch Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Club will hold a meeting in its rooms, Lichfield Street, on Monday evening. The New Zealand Utility Poultry Club will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday evening in its rooms, Hereford Street. The card e\'ening arranged by the Christchurch Poultry Club will be continued this evening. The North Canterbury (Rangiora) Poultry Club’s annual show, will be held next Friday and Saturday. Exhibitors are reminded to forward their exhibits on Thursday. Fanciers who intend visiting the show can return by the late train, leaving Rangiora about midnight. The Lyttelton Fanciers Club have received a special from “ Enthusiast ” for the best Yellow and Red Tumbler, Junior sections. Fanciers will regret to hear that Mr W. Hall, Hokitika, the well known Game fancier, is an inmate of the Christchurch Hospital. They all wish him a speedy recovery. All branches of the fancy were well represented at the funerals of the late Mrs A. T. Smith and Mr F. Biggs. The Lyttelton Fanciers’ Club are making preparation for their annual exhibition to* be held during the third week in July. The club have received a consignment of timber from the West Coast and intend making their own staging, which will be built in sections so as to be stored for future shows. The club have arranged for a representative to be at the Christchurch Poultry Club rooms on July 5 and 7 to receive entries. For the convenience of Lyttelton exhibitors the club rooms will be open on July 4, 5 and 7. The Oamaru Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Society’s annual show will be held on July 11 and 12. The schedule is very attractive and provides a fine list of cups and specials for all sections. The South Island (New Zealand) Old English Game Fowl Club and the Oamaru Bantam Club wall hold their annual shows in conjunction with this fixture. The following Championships have been allotted by the South Island Poultry Association for competition:—Utility White Wyandotte, Polish Bantam, Modern Game Bantam, Male, Indian Runner (open class), Turbit. Pigeon, and Norwich Canary Self Green or Foul Green. Entries close on July 3. Schedules can be obtained from the secretary, Mr P. L. Brown, 7 Lynn Street, Oamaru. Entries for the Hokitika Poultry Club’s show to be lirld on July 11 and 12 close on July 4. The following West Coast Championships will be competed for:—Silver Wyandotte (open class), Leghorn other White (open class). Brown Leghorn (utility class), and Pekin Bantam, any colour. Two Additional cups have been donated since the schedule was issued, one by Mr W. Hall, value £3 3s, for the best breed in the show to be won outright, and the other, value £5 ss, by Newmans Motors to be won twice in succession or three times at intervals. This cup has yet to be allotted. The following are the results of the American Bantam Association Awards competed for at the recent Christchurch Poultry' Club’s show:—Gold Trophy

Spoon, best display all varieties, 106 points, Messrs Stone Bros; Gold Medal best display Modern and O. E. Game, 106 points, Messrs Stone Bros; Gold Medal, best display Ornamental Bantams, Mrs J. Moffett 53 points; Silver Medal, Champion Modern Game, W. H. Turvey; Silver Medal, Champion O. E. Game, Mrs H. Watkinson; Silver Medal, Champion Feather Legged Bantam! R. J. Oliver; Silver Medal, Champion Clean Legged Bantam, Mrs M. Cummings; Special Ribbon, Modern Game, W. H. Turvey; Special Ribbon, O. E. Game, Messrs Stone Bros; Special Ribbon, open classes, no quorum; Special Certificate, first prize Cockerel in every variety awarded according to catalogue awards. N.Z. UTILITY CLUB, EDUCATIONAL LECTURE. The first of the season’s educational lectures arranged by the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club was held on Tuesday evening in the club rooms, Hereford Street. The speakers were: Messrs T. S. Dove (fowls) and H. A. Dawber (ducks). The president (Mr W. 11. West) presided. Mr Dove stated that to make the best progress in poultry-keeping it was necessary to have a good knowledge of breeding and rearing, and to pay strict attention to all the details that go to make a successful business. In the selection and mating of breeders he thought that the best plan was to visit the yards of successful poultrymen, where a great deal more could be learnt than by reading books, as the years of practical experience was available to the novice. He also suggested visiting the shows as a means of comparing the types of birds, as type was an important factor in breeding for egg-produc-tion. In selecting the male bird he was very particular as to its having a good, big body, fairly long in the back and wide across saddle and deep with plenty of room for the organs to function properly. The head points should be an indication of the quality of the bird. The comb should be of medium size and well made. The eye is an important factor in determining the constitution of the birds. It should be bold and prominent, standing well out. The face should be clean and free from feathers; the neck of medium length, inclined to be arched, showing strengtfi. A good flow of feather on the neck, hackle also the saddle hackle. Another strong point was the width of feather—the wider the better. The speaker stressed the importance of selecting the male bird, as he considered he was more than half the pen, and the season’s hatching was entirely dependent on him. Vitality was very important, as the male bird to stand a full season’s work should excel in this direction, and produce strong, sturdy chicks. Of females to mate he preferred secondyear hens that had put up a good first season’s lay. They should conform to the type of standard layer and have all the qualities found in the male bird allowing for the sexual differences. He preferred. to pick his birds in February, birds that were tight in feather and of sound constitution. Birds hatched at the right time would have nine to ten months’ laying. Birds showing broken tails and bare necks showed that they had been doing good work. They should be firm in flesh, free from fat on abdomen, good width between the pelvic bones and good width from back to centre of breastbone. The feathers should be tight and lying close. There should be plenty of crop development to allow for plenty of food for egg production. He did not favour breeding from birds going through the season without moulting, as they needed a rest for breeding purposes. In feeding the selected breeders he would shorten their rations when starting to moult, cutting out the meat and reducing the mash to induce them to have a clean moult. When the new feathers commenced to grow he would start birds on mash again in addition to grain, not much meat meal, but plenty of green feed, such as green oats, barley, cabbage or carrots. lie favoured carrots, as they gave good colour to the yolk. Mr Dove said that the poultrymen were fortunate in this district in having a good Government expert to assist him in the selection of their breeders. Mr Dawber illustrated his lecture with birds of different types from his stock. “You cannot tell what quality of bird you will get from the eggs,” he said, “but you can with some degree of certainty tell from parents, so start there.” The general tendency in breeding was to degenerate, and therefore the breeder must always seek to improve his stock. Breed only from the

best, aiming at an ideal type,' colour, etc. Even stock from the best breeders sometimes produced sports or freaks. To be successful the breeder must know the type wanted, and what mating produced the nearest to it. They were never all perfect. The Fawn and White Runner was his speciality. It was probably the best-known utility duck. It was most difficult to work on for type, colour and eggs. The greatest need was improvement in type without losing eggs. The White Runners and many other breeds offered no colour problem. There was a general tendency for two types in all breeds—- “ Laying and Fattening”. In laying or utility breeds eliminate the non-laving. For table birds in heavy breeds keep good laying ducks and use large, sleepy-eved drakes if you desired table stock. In such heavy breeds as Pekins there were two distinct types. All breeds of utility type had similarities while conforming to the general type of the breed. They must have bold, bright eyes, generally active look, and be always on the move, tight feathering, together with development for egglaying organs showing behind the legs and giving a well-balanced appearance. In developing utility strains there was a tendency to produce likeness to make heavy breeds lighter and the light breeds heavier, b\it not necessarily in size. The small birds in development of ovary and crop tended to increase size to a certain point. Small birds might have type but not capacity. Ovarv and crop development necessitated shorter breastbone, and as the general tendency was deterioration it followed that as we bred for shorter breastbone with great crop and stern development, poorer specimens without these two would be shorter. At this stage Mr Dawber benched a number of birds to explain, the methods of breeding to get the best results, and what to avoid in making .up a breeding

pen. Mr Dawber gave much useful advice on housing and feeding and general condition under which ducks should be kept to get the best results. Both speakers replied to a large number of questions, and a hearty vote of thanks to them brought a very successful meeting to a close. EGG-LAYING. PAPANUI COMPETITIONS. At the twenty-sixth egg-laving competition conducted by the Xew Zealand Utility Poultry Club nt Papanui, the leading- birds on June 21 were as follows: TEST 1. J. IT. Shaw Memorial Challenge. For Eight and Heavy Creeds, single penned. Heavy breeds—

Wkly. W’grht. TI. to Tl. oz dr date. J. Ivingsland < Blk. O.) 2 3 3 55 T. D. Dal/Jel (Blk. 0 ) 0 0 0 32 Wliito leghorns— Mrs F. .T. Hillis 5 0 163 Tracy King 5 11 7 5$ A. C. Ooodlet ..5 11 3 57 G. E. Moody ..5 12 8 57 T. r». Dalziel .... 6 13 7 56 .1. BobV.itt _ « 13 3 55 Green Bros 5 11 3 f.4 Miss J. Biggins 5 It 52 F. B. Cotton .... 1 2 1 52^ Test 2. White Leghorn Single Pen Test. Eac-h competitor to enter three birds, single penned. Weekly Total to Total. date. 12 3 1 2 3 R.. Ileazlewood, No. 1 C 5 6 Cl CO G3 H. Williams, Xo. 1 5 R 8 57 0,2 63 J. Nanoarrow ..55 6 01 52 63 Green Bros.. Xo.-l. 6 -6-5 69 6 4 IS

T. D. Dalzlel .. 6 4 6 S'* 56 G7 L. Roache .... 5 5 6 54 54 64 W. Turner, No. 1 57 57 55 A. M. Espie, No. 2 6 6 5 64 4 2 63 C. F. Miller 56 50 62 J. Ibbotson .... 5 6 59 54 54 A. C. Goodlet. No. 1 4 5 5. 55 51 67 TEST 3. Black Orpingtons. Each competitor to enter three bird?, single penned. Weekly Total to Total. date. 1 2 3 1 2 3 H. Cot tom . 6 7 63 71 64 B. Cotterell .... 1 5 4 4 8 55 68 T. I). Dalziel .. 5 2 3 GO 34 47 TEST 4. Any Variety Light or Heavy Breed other than Black Orpington single J. K. Griffin (L.S.) 5 6 5 63 46 €1 C. M’Kenzie (B.L.) 6 4 37 52 53 Mrs C. J. Williams < L.S.) 1 6 G 24 52 G3 F. A. Cornish (L.S.) C 6 5 57 22 la TEST 5. Flock Teams Contest. Light and Heavy Breeds, six birds. Weekly Total to Tl. dr date. W. E. Ward ... 69 2 362 L. Roache G4 12 313 J. Ltggins — 28 58 312 J. Bobbitt 29 61 14 311 M. C. Craig 77. 26 £.4 309 Verrall Bros. 2 4 5 7 33 309 TEST 6. Single Duck Test. Each competitor to enter three Ducks, single p» : Weekly Total to Total. date. 1 2 3 1 2 3 White Pekins— H. A. Dawber 0 G 0 1 68 2 Indian Runners— H. A. Dawber G 7 70 61 77 G. A. Heath .. G 4. 7 71 64 GO Mr F. c. Johnson (W.R.) 7 7 G GO 53 57 K.haki Campbells— G. H. Bradford 7 7 4 77 77 61 F. Ashworth 0 7 7 40 72 G*