Poultry Notes.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, 24 November 1904, Page 4

Poultry Notes.

' " Ttatjor;" fjie Otago; Witness con-' tributor, writes as follows: :* Mr Ef-Reilly,'whilst travelling in the Alexandra district last wer<k, visited several of the leading fanciers there, and favours my readers with the following notes:— "My first call was on Mr Angus Kennedy, who has elected as his faricy white rocks and white Wyandottes. His birds are of first class quality, and his methods of feeding and housing quite up-to-date. I fully expect him to compete with success at the next season's shows. His young st'. ck\ some 40 chicks of each variety, look first-class, <

"Mr A. Ashworth has gone in ex- J tensively for the poultry business, and 1 intends in future to devote to it the JI most of his time He has brown Leghorns, silver Wyandottes (the latter from Warren's celebrated laying strain), and' white Leghorns from Wycroft. He favoursthe siiver Wyandottes, and considers they will beat the white Leghorns as layers. Mr Ashworth intends to build his new houses of sun-dried brick, and I consider- no better house can be contrived if properly built and whitewashed or oiled. There are some very fine silver Wyandotte chicks on the farm, and I noticed a fine clutch from Howell's eggs. " Mr Jos. Smith has a splendid forward lot of white Wyandotte chicks, and in my opinion our Dunedin breeders, so far as I have seen, cannot show, any so far forward. , All look well, and have every care. v a " Mr O. Richards, has a fine pen of black Orpingtons, and though he has not a large number of chicks out, should have some very decent birds the coming season. i "Mr H. P. Pocock fancies black Orpingtons, and, like Mr Smith, his chicks are well forward—not a sick or sorry chick amongst the flock, and they show signs of upholding this breeder's reputation. " Mr Gunion has a fine pen of Aylesbury ducks, and gives them every attention, and has some very nice; young ones. Mr Gunion intends to go in more for the buff Orpington, and has some very nice chickens. This breeder's houses and runs—and, in fact, his homestead —are object lessons of what can be done by a person having energy, taste, and a fixed determination to succeed., By converting a barren paddock into a splendid homestead and veritable garden of Eden, he has simply worked wonders. His poultry houses would serve as models for some of our noted breeders. " The Alexandra Poultry farm is the largest in this district. So far they have over 400 splendid chicks full of life- and vim.,_ Mr knows his business, and, what is more to the purpose, does it morning, noon, and night, and his work in every way is a credit to him. I expect to see Alexandra noted for its poultry in a few years, and though I have seen fully 1000 chicks to-day, I have not seen a sick or sorry bird." ■ »''•'■ :o " .. .

it will be seen by the foregoing that

Mr Reilly has reason for maintaining *the opinion he expressed to me upon the occasion of a former trip to Alexandra—namely, that the district is peculiarly adapted to poultry-raising. At show time, as now, he reported M Never saw such a healthy lot of birds in my life."