POULTRY NOTES

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 365, 5 March 1932, Page 28 (Supplement)

POULTRY NOTES

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. N.p. —To remove the rust on the tail feathers on your White Leghorns (which has got there through the feathers rubbing on rusty iron), soak a rag in a solution of one part hydrochloric acid (spirits of salts) and five parts water, and rub the rust off with this. You may need a slightly stronger solution, but I think the one given should prove effective. Afterwards, make a solution of baking soda, one dessertspoonful in one part of water, and rinse the feathers with this. The hydrochloric acid is perfectly safe to use, if it is kept out of the bird’s eyes and vent. It would be safest to vaseline the vent and eyes in case any of the solution gets on them. Utility.—Full particulars of the final closing of entries for the egg-laying competition can be obtained from Mr S. F. Marshall, secretary of the club, P.O. Box 1008. I think they will be pleased to take them. Novice Fancier.—You must be a member of a club affiliated to the South Island Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Association to enter for any chamfdonship competed for at shows under ts control. Yes. Six exhibitors or no prize money; if only one exhibitor, a certificate will be awarded if, in the opinion of the judge, the exhibit is worthy of it. (By “CROW BLACK.”) Notes. The Canterbury Bantam Club will hold a special meeting in the Christchurch Poultry Club rooms on Monday evening to allot the club cups and special prizes for its annual show, which will be held in conjunction with the Christchurch Poultry Club’s annual fixture. The next meeting of the United Pigeon Fanciers’ Club will be held in the Christchurch Poultry Club rooms on Wednesday. A special meeting of the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club will be held on Wednesday evening. Important business in connection with the new egglaying competition will be dealt with, and committees will be appointed to arrange for the despatching of the birds at the close of the present competition. The closing of nominations for the Christchurch Poultry Club’s Breeders’ Challenge Stakes has been extended until this evening. The cayd and social evenings conducted by the-Christchurch Poultry Club will be continued this evening. or Christchurch Poultry Club s Breeders’ Challenge Stakes show will be elected on March 14. Entries for the New Zealand TJtilitv Poultry Club’s twenty-eighth egg-laying competition will close this evening Entries for the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club’s young bird show will close on March 12. The show will be

held in the Red Comb Poultry Company’s premises on March IS und 19, and the schedules provide classes in poultry, bantams, canaries, pigeons, rabbits, kittens and eggs. The three senior pigeon flying clubs have decided tc* support the Christchurch Poultry Club's flying race, to bt held in conjunction with the annual show. Mr F. C. Kingsford has been appointed secretary in charge of this event, and will supply information to intending competitors. The Christchurch Poultry Club has allotted two specials for the race, which will be flown on April 23, the route chosen being from Blenheim. The junior flying race will be flown from Parnassus. N The United Pigeon Fanciers Club will hold its third table show for young fancy pigeons in the Christchurch Poultry rooms on Wednesday evening, ihe schedule includes Fantails, Carriers Dragoons, Show Homers, Utility ligeons Pouting breeds and Toys, Frills, Jacobins and Nuns. The show promises to be one of the best of the season, and should draw a large entry. A. number of silver spoons have been allotted as special prizes, and points gained count for the W. R. Coles Cup. Mr J. W. Green will judge. A prominent local poultry fancier intends to import at an early date a pen of standard Black Orpingtons from the noted English fancier, Mr Cook, who specialises in this variety. Orpington fanciers will welcome the introduction of some of this valuable blood to help improve the quality of this bleed in the Dominion. Mr A. W. Pritchard, the well-known Buff Orpington and Light Sussex breeder, was elected secretary and treasurer of the .New Zealand Rhode Island Red and Orpington Club at its meeting last Saturday. At this week’s meeting of the Christchurch Poultry Club it was unanimously decided to forward a strong protest to the South Island Poultry Association against the registration of poultrykeepers, as proposed by the New Zealand Poultry Asoociation. Protests of a similar nature were carried by several other clubs during the last week, and the South Island Association has passed these on to the conference being held by the New Zealand Association in Wellington. Mr Karl Scott, a well-known local Sussex exhibitor, left on a holiday trip to Riverton during the week. Mr' Scott intends visiting a number of southern fanciers. The Christchurch Poultry Club will hold another fanciers’ reunion social next Saturday evening, in aid of the club’s special prize fund. Mr G E Jeffreys and an enthusiastic committee have arranged the entertainment and effn r rlnb funds should benefit by their Mr IT. C. Smith, who is well known for liis love of any variety of the feathered fancy, received a pair of wekas

from the Chatham Islands during the week. The weka is much sought after by . native bird enthusiasts, and Mr Smith has already received a number of inquiries for this pair, including one from a local fancier who wishes to send them to a specialist in England, who intends to try and find out by dissection if the birds ever did have wings and fly. Mr Smith lias built a large aviary and intends in the near future to obtain a large collection of all varieties of fancy birds. He is very keen on several varieties of pigeons and Brown Leghorns. The following judges have been appointed for the Christchurch Poultry Club’s annual show, to be held in the King Edward Barracks on June 2, 3 and 4:—Open class poultry: Old English Game and Indian Game, Mr R. W. Brown (Dunedin); all Leghorns, Mr R. Wilson: Minorcas, Mr W. Austin; Anconas, Mr V. Bedwell; all Wyandot tes, Mr G. E. Jeffreys; Rhode Island Reds. Mr C, W. Tritt; all Orpingtons, Mr C. W. Tritt; Sussex, Mr C. P. Bradford; any other variety, Mr J. Sykes. Utility classes: White Leghorns, Mr J. Liggins; oilier Leghorns, Mr A. F. Anderson: Minorcas, Mr W. Austin"; Anconas, Mr V. Bedwell; all Orpingtons, Mr .T. D. Oobbe: RhodS Island Reds, Mr O. W. Tritt; all Wvandottes, Mr G. E. Jeffreys; Sussex. Mr C. P. Bradford; any other variety. Mr J. Sykes. Bantams: Old English Game, Mr R. W. Brown (Dunedin); Modern Game, Mr R. H. Johnstone; Black Rosecomb. Mr J. Wilson; Peklns, Mr A. W. M’Nicoll; all other varieties. Mr R. Pearce. Ducks: Open and utility, Mr A. Gapes. Canaries: All Norwich. Mr R. W. Thompson; all Yorkshires. Mr A. Gapes; all cage birds, Mr IT. Beardsley. Fancy pigeons: Messrs G. U. Bradford, C. P. Bradford. F. W. Chambers, W. Fraser and C. Gallop. Homing pigeons: Old birds, Mr A. Gerard; young birds. Mr Stephenson (Dunedin): coloured classes, Mr L. Wiltshire; junior classes. Mr F. Kingsford. Cats: Mr Radford: kittens, Mrs Talbot. Rabbits: Angoras. Mr F. Martin; Chinchillas. Mr Wright. Cookery: Mr Green. Needlework: Mrs F. R. Bust. Mr J. D. Gobbe presided at a meeting of the New Zealand Rhode Island Red and Orpington Club. Mr F. Hayhurst wrote accepting the office of patron of the club and forwarded donation to the club funds. Mr T. Findlay, of Mt Hutt. accepted office of subpatron and donated two specials for Rhode Islands and Orpingtons. The donors were accorded a vote of thanks. Mr J. Hutt. of Birchfield, Westport, wrote accepting office of sub-patron and gave an outline of the progress of the fancy on the Coast and a list of prospective members. Mr C. H. Bull resigned from the position of secretarv, and Mr A. W. Pritchard was appointed in his stead. It was decided to hold the club show in conjunction with the Christchurch Poultry Club’s annual fixture, and llie same special prize list as last year was agreed to. A vote of thanks was passed to Mr Bull for his services to the club. Mr Bull said that he was still carrying nn with the fancy and would always take an ’’nfc-ecj in the club’«* welfare. The Christchurch Poultry. Pigeon and

Canary Club met on Monday evening, Mr A. E. Hounsell presiding. The leading flying clubs intimated that Mr K. C. Kingsford would act as secretary for the show flying race, which would be flown on April 23 from Blenheim, and also applied for special prizes for this event. It was decided to allot two specials. Mr R. Thomas intimated that the junior race would be flown from

Parnassus. The New Zealand Utility Minorca Clulib wrote asking to be allowed to nominate judges for this section. The secretary was instructed to reply, giving the arrangements made for judges. The Christchurch Gas Company wrote offering a supply of Chenol disinfectant to the club as special prizes. The offer was accepted with thanks.

The Christchurch Premier Pigeon Club commenced its young bird racing season with a race from Culverden to-day. Some idea of the steady progress this club has made since its inception in 1928 will be gained from the fact that twenty-seven owners participated in to-day’s race and over 200 birds were liberated.

Mr George Anderson, one of the foremost fanciers in New Zealand, has joined up with the club and made his debut to-day. Mr George MacDougall, who has been out of the fancy for the past few years, was also a competitor in to-day’s race, and on his performance in last Saturday’s scratch race his team of birds should be hard to beat. The Craig brothers, H. Muschamp and W. Newell are new fanciers, and have good birds in training, and with a little racing experience should do well before the season ends.

The executive of the club entertained Mr J. H. Ford and members of the newly formed Sumner Pigeon Club at the club rooms, Stanley Street, last Tuesday. Mr B. J. Pegley welcomed the visitors and wished Mr Ford and his venture in pigeon racing every success. Mr S. Mallard gave an interesting talk on club work, loft and race management. Arrangements were also made for the Sumner Club to stage a series of young bird shows during the winter months. Supper was provided, and in thanking the members of the club for their hospitality Mr Ford said he was sure that a strong junior club would soon be in evidence at Sumner.

At the last meeting of the Premier Club, Messrs A. W. Jones, L. Rolton and S. Mallard were elected to represent the club at the meeting of delegates to make arrangements for the Poultry Club’s young bird show race. Arrangements were also made for the club to conduct a club championship race for young birds to be flown from Blenheim on April 3. Members will be allowed one b}rd only, and nominations will close on April 1. Hints for Breeders. There can be no doubt that specialising in one particular breed is the best and quickest way to succeed, whether for egg or exhibition. Numerous instances can be quoted where specialists in certain breeds never can rear enough to fill all orders. Eggs, are booked in rotation months before required, and when breeding pens are broken up they are readily saleable to other breeders. Such is the fancier’s routine. First-class fowls in the variety kept, however, niust form the foundation stone, and it is best for novices to leave the selection of their first stock to an experienced breeder. The fancier must keep one object in view—the top rung of the ladder. Customers will come to you, and many of them want the best, even if they have to pay big prices. When I refer to specialising, I mean the keeping of one or two breeds only. Some would-be fanciers usually think it proper to keep an exhibition pen or two each of a number of breeds—they mostly develop into pothunters. Spreading one’s effort and time over several breeds leads to nowhere. There are many breeds that lend themselves to specialising, such as Wyandottes, Rocks, Orpingtons, Leghorns, Langshans, and others. Popular breeds must naturally be selected. Any fancier who established a stud of some of the old-time breeds, such us Houdans, Dorkings or Brahmas, and specialised in them would make a handsome profit. Let us take, say, the whites only in Orpingtons and Wyandottes. Any farm stocking exhibition birds of these two breeds should prove a successful venture. There are many other breeds that a fancier could specialise in. Bantams, too, come under the heading, and of the midgets there are plenty to select from.—G.C.

In an old English book on agriculture the treatment advised for breaking up broody hens was to pull out several of the flight feathers and to take a feather and poke it up the nostrils of the hen. It was thought that if the bird was tormented and made uncomfortable she would change her inclination to sit. This old idea still prevails in many places, and we find poultry raisers ducking broody hens in a tub of water or starving them in confinement. Starving the hen is a bad practice. It tears her body down and makes it difficult for her to get back into shape to go on laying eggs. The safe and sane method of breaking a broody lien is to confine her m a slab-bottomed coop for several days, giving her water and mash. Grain produc?es too much heat, and should be withheld. With this management the broody hen can be broken up in about three days, and she will be ready to So back to laying again without a long delay.—“ Poultry World.”