THE COMPARATIVE VALUE OF FOWLS AS LAYERS.

Western Star, Issue 374, 21 August 1880, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE COMPARATIVE VALUE OF FOWLS AS LAYERS.

A writer in the Adelaide Observer gives his experience as follows upon this subject :—The capacity for, fowls for producing eggs is very varied according to the breed, but experiments and comparisons carefully made pretty well show which are the most reliable egg-producers. Of the heavy breeds light Brahmas and partridge Cochins lay on an average 130 eggs a year, and the eggs of healthy specimens generally run about seven to the pound. Dark Brahma eggs go about eight to the poured, and they total up 120 eggs per annum. Black, white, and buff Cochins lay 115 eggs in the twelve months, and they go eight eggs to the pound. Black Cochins are hardly known here, but white Cochins are getting very popular. Their laying powers are excellent, and they seem less (inclined to sit than the others of the Cochin variety. Plymouth rocks, of which wd have no specimens here, but which are highly popular in America, are credited with 150 eggs per annum—eight to the pouad. Houdans—a breed which has a hold here—go eight eggs to the pound, and 150 per annum. La Fleeche, of which we possess a few, lay seven to the pound, and 150 per year. Creve-coeurs —not commonly seen here—produce 140 a year, and eight to the pound. The handsome and popular black Spanish give seven eggs to the pound, and 140 per annum. Leghorns eight eggs to the pound, and 150 per annum. Polish, a once popular but now little encouraged ornamental breed here, give nine to the pound, and but only 125 eggs per annum. Hamburgs run nine to the pound, and 150 per annum. This handsome breed is not cultivated to the extent it should be—the Cochins and Brahmas are too powerful rivals in public opinion. Dominiques, not. much known here, but popular in America, go nine eggs to the pound, and lay 105 per year. Game fowl, once so highly favored, and so carefully bred, but now almost out of the market, lay nine to the pound, and 130 per annum. Bantnms, useless, but pretty pets, stand last in weight of eggs and producing power —-sixteen to the pound, and ninety eggs per annum. These are American estimates; but there is little or no difference, and, if at all, it would moat likely be on the right side, as fowls have freer range here and a less rigorous climate to contend with. It would

be worth the while of some poultrybreeder to test the accuracy of these estimates and comparisons. ”