Poultry Notes.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 444, 20 October 1904, Page 4

Poultry Notes.

It is pleasing to barn that the Alexandra Poultry Company, although only comparatively in irs infancy, has alreidy succeeded in establishing a colonial reputation for the excellence of its stock. Orders have been received for sittings of the Company's famous Whit© Plymouth Rocks not only from different parts of New Zealand, but also> from Victoria and Queensland. At its" inception the company spared no expense to obtain the best strains procurable, and so far their efforts have exemplified the truth of the poultrykeeper's maxim. «It pays to keep the best." ' e

Apropos of the A.P.C's White flocks -we heard a rather good story the otherday, the authenticity of which we can. vouch for. Shorcly after the recent: poultry show was held, a local fancierwas fired by the laudable ambition to procure a strain of Rocks that would make the Company's birds turn green with envy. Accordingly he wrote to a prominent poultry dealer in the city to procure for him the best trio of White Rocks to be obtained in New Zealand, regardless of expense J buthis hopes of scoring first prize at the next show were momentarily paralysed! when he read the dealer's.reply, which was short and to the point. It said s "Go to the Alexandra Company's! poultry farm." When he had re-* covered from the shock, the fancier decided to take the dealer's advice, and,. after taking his pick of the flock, he reckons he has a trio of Rocks thai? will take some beating. The idea generally prevalent in the district, that it does not pay to keep poultry owing to the cost of feed, has been exploded by the results obtained l at the Alexandra Poultry Go's farm. During a period of thirteen weeks, ft record of the amount of feed used and the cost thereof was carefully kept, and it was found that the cost oi feed* ing a flock of 250 birds during the> period stated, was exactly £l2 Is„ This is less than one penny per head! per week, and there is surely ample* margin left for a fair profit. It maybe mentioned that the Company/ bought all the feed used ; so that to breeders who have facilities for gtVj Wing their own feed, the cost ol "keep would be considerably less.

In Alexandra and th© surrounding districts, the ranks of are gradually being reinforced, and birds of aristocratic, lineige are becoming as numerous as the proverbial blackberry.

Mr P. Gardiner, of Karnsclengh, is making a specialty of Brown Leghorns and Black and his .pens present a sight well worth seeing, Those* having a partiality for these strain* could not do better than patronise Mr Gardiner, whose advt appears in this issue. Mr Jas. H. Rivers, for some yep*rs past, has made a specialty of raising Black Minorcas, and although not operating on a large scale, he has. found that poultry-keeping pays. Me Rivers secured two firsts and one second at the late Alexandra Show, and first at Naseby. His birds are of a first-class laying strain, and should command the attention of breeders. MrD. Bringtms has lately entered the arena, his particular fancy being White Leghorns, the birds bein« very fino specimens of the braeSY A cockerel from Mr Briugans'e:¥'■ pen scored an easy first at the recent show, and would be hard to beat anywhere' Mrßringans notifios that ings of eggs for sale.