The Feathered World.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VIII, Issue 381, 11 November 1897, Page 14

The Feathered World.

In some of the Southern papers there has been discussion as to whether the expectation of caponised fowls would be profitable. Capons and poulardes reach a very high state of perfection in France, and in the dear season thirty francs is not at all an uncommon price asked and obtained in the Paris markets. In London, Surrey capons can be bought from four to twelve shillings, according to the time of year. Both French and English birds are the best that long years of practice can produce in the way of table poultry, and while the French bird is incomparable for delicacy of flavour and tenderness of flesh, the robuster English appetite favours the flavour of the “good old’’Surrey fowl.

Some few months back, I believe, our expert believed in the possibility of caponised birds paying for exportation from New Zealand to London. I was sceptical then, and am of the same way of thinking now. The first thing one has to consider is the age of the birds when fit for caponising. It cannot be done, except between the ages of ten and fourteen weeks old, a time, when properly fed, chickens should be ready for cooking. After the operation, the capon requires quite ten days rest in a darkened coop, before the flesh and fat-forming process can be commenced. One month, at least, must elapse before the bird is fit for killing, and another before it can be pronounced a .fit and proper capon. The Maori capon then would be, at the earliest, six months old before being despatched and refrigerated. His cost to the producer for food alone, at the lowest estimate, would be two shillings and sixpence. 1 do not think that I need add any further expenditure; but I will take the question of time. Chickens are hatched in the largest numbers from July to October in this country, and if we caponised, our exportations could not reach London or Manchester, taking all things into account, until March or April. That is a time when all poultry-buyers are eager for Spring chickens, big heavy fowls will not go down at all at that season, and I am afraid the price returned, would only be that obtained for ‘ boilers,” a top-price for which is half-a-crown. Better prices might probably be obtained later on in the year, but I afraid that there will never be much profit attached to the exportation of capons. I should well like to see a better class of tablepoultry offered for sale at retail centres throughout the colony. There is ample room for improvement in this department of the poultry world, and while the poultry expert is maturing his little plans for a big export trade in chickens and eggs, I think he might remember that charity begins at home; and lam sure it would be a charity to the consumer if an improvement could be effected in the ordinary “couple of chickens ” the housekeeper so often relys upon. No doubt this “ long felt want ” will eventuate presently, but I do not want the whole of our best stuff to go Home. For a better article there would be a better demand, and a good many people would make a nice little profit if they could get to know the ways and means. In a few words, 1 would say what I think is necessary. A good stock of table birds, good feeding which means early maturity and careful killing, pluck and dressing. Very great inducement is offered to breeders of table poultry at Home by the Smithfield Club. For the annual show, held in the Agricultural Hall, Islington, four prizes of £2, £l, 10s, and 5s are given to Dorkings, Langshans, Wyandottes, Plymouth Rocks, Orpingtons, and other pure breeds. The same prizes are provided for classes of various crosses of the above and other breeds. Foreign breeds have a dozen classes. These prizes are for pairs, while for a group of six birds a first prize of £8 is awarded. The Poultry Club aids in the good work by donating ten £1 prizes. In addition to the value of the prizes the high price realized at the sale of the exhibits offers further inducement to breeders, for at the club’s first dead poultry show over' £l5O was obtained, and at last year’s show the result of the auction was considerably over £3OO. In this way a marked improvement in the poultry of the Home markets has come about. In Victoria the Government has offered very good prizes at various show’s for the same sort of exhibits, but hitherto the classes have met with very little support from breeders. It appears to me that some such scheme for the improvement of New Zealand table poultry might suggest itself to the poultry expert. Writing about poultry is all very well in its way, but a practical demonstration of how to do it is much more likely to effect the muchneeded “raising-up” of the New Zealand table fowl. Mr G. W. S. Patterson, who has recently gone in heavily for fancy poultry, is meeting with best of success this breeding season. He keeps very nearly every known breed of fowls, and three or four varieties of ducks. He already has some three hundred and fitty chickens running about, and a fine healthy lot of youngsters they are. One of the “lions” of the Raikohe Poultry Farm is the Langshan cockerel which won the cup for the best bird in the Championship Show held here in July last. I hear that his progeny is very promising, and as the hens mated with the Champion, come from the best yards, the youngters ought to be good. At the Kaikohe Farm the poultry houses and runs cover a space of one acre and a half. Each house has an ample run of its own leading to an unlimited range. Each breed has its “ day out ”in the big run, so there can be no question that the chickens should be healthy. Considering the lateness of the sia-on, Mr Patterson is to be congratulated upon already having so many as three hundred and fifty chickens. He is keen an winning some of the prizes at next year’s Show’s, and I have no doubt that his name will appear constantly in the prize list, if things go well with the promising young “ bloods.”

I see that Mr Mclntosh, who judged at the Auckland Championship Show, has been in common with other Australian judges, putting his foot down on “faking.” Judging at Mossvale recently, he disqualified a White Leghorn hen, because her face was coloured with cochineal. More pow er to his foot! Apropos of the laying power of hens and pullets, the Stockeeper says that an experiment was commenced in October, 1896, with half a dozen Leghorn hens, one year old, the same number of Leghorn pullets, and six Buff Cochin-Indian game pullets. Dp to July last the Leghorn hens had laid 474 eggs, the pullets of the same breed produced 793 eggs, and the cross-bred pullets were responsible for 588 eggs. The experiment was carried out by the Callington Technical Instruction Committee, and the birds were separately penned and properly looked after, so that all the numbers can be absolutely vouched for. The number laid by the Leghorn pullets is a proof of the value of the breed. I wondei' whether we shall ever see the Australian Show Game on this side. In New South Wales and Queenslandjfanciers swear by this cross between the Malay and English Modern Game fowl. The Australian Game fowl is bred in all the well-known colours, Black-Red, as in the old style, taking precedence over Duckwings and Piles. The two latter colours are being largely taken up, however. This, the newest type of Game fowl, grows to a big size, the weight in cocks running from nine to twelve pounds, while the hens are said to weigh from eight to ten pounds. The Thirds are very handsome in appearance, and very hard feathered, with a high metallic lustre. They are hardy, and in that respect do not try the patience of fanciers so much as the long-legged English bird. As table birds they rank very high in favour, and it can easily be understood that a bird bred as the Australian is must be a very useful fowl for crossing for table purposes. The breed is said to be extremely suitable for a hot climate, so perhaps it might be worth the while of some fancier to import. At the same time I am all in favour of sticking to the old breeds, and getting as near perfection as possible with them, instead of rushing after every newly-fashioned cross-bred “ pure-breed.”