RECORDS MADE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 732, 8 April 1933, Page 9

RECORDS MADE.

P-.enomenal Scoring at Papanui. UTILITY CLUB TESTS. Nine hundred and eighty-four eggs in 365 days. That is the score established by three Khaki Campbell ducks in the 1932 egg-laying tests conducted by the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club at the club’s farm at Papanui. It is claimed by the club to be a world’s record. The ducks are the property of Mr F. Ashworth, of Clarence Road, Riccarton, and were bred by him. The individual scoring of the three birds was as follows: No. 1 bird 313 eggs No. 2 bird ••■••••. 325 eggs No. 3 bird 346 eggs The total, 984, breaks the previous club record by 55 eggs. Another fine performance was put up by three Indian Runner ducks belonging to Mr A. G. F. Ross. They also broke the previous existing record with 962 eggs, 22 less than the score of Mr Ashworth’s birds. The individual record was established by one of these birds, which laid 350 eggs in the 365 days. The other two laid 322 and 290 eggs respectively. Hens Also do Well. There were some fine performances in the hen section also. The existing record, which is believed to be a world’s record, was put up in Christchurch in 1925-26 by a White Leghorn belonging to Mr H. Williams. This bird laid 345 eggs in 52 weeks. At the competitions just completed, a White Leghorn belonging to Mr J. Maitland, of Orari, laid 343 eggs in the 52 weeks—just two below the record. Another good score by birds that are not well known as utility poultry was put up by three Black Langshans entered by Mr A. Dalziel, of Greymouth. In 51 weeks they laid 688 eggs, a club record for these birds.

Mr S. F. Marshall, secretary of the club, pointed out this morning that the New Zealand producers have a world-wide name for utility birds, and a good many records have been established at the club’s farm at Papanui. There were 27,000 people who kept poultry in Canterbury alone, and the industry was assuming a large importance in the country. All these producers were deserving of the highest praise, for in establishing these records they were maintaining the Dominion’s reputation as a producing country.