POULTRY KEEPING FOR PROFIT

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22518, 28 September 1938, Page 17

POULTRY KEEPING FOR PROFIT

CROSS-BREEDS AND EGG PRODUCTION

ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT •■Oakdale."—Rape ■ seed Is definitely unsuitable for chicken feed. Its use will be harmful. Rape seed has also been blamed for causing e ®£ s , “ coarse, rank flavour, and for that rea son it Is not recommended for adult birds. (By "LEGHORN.”) While the breeding of cross-breed poultry is not advocated in the development of the industry, it cannot be denied that the judicious crossing of certain good laying strains of different breeds will frequently give very profitable egg returns. I know of several poultrykeepers In or close to Christchurch who have found the first mating of certain strains to be highly profitable winter producers. The advantages from the point of view of eggs, and after all eggs are the principal objective of most poultrykeepers, have been given a great deal of prominence in England, America, and Canada. The following remarks give the opinion of Mr A. T. Monck-Mason, one of the largest commercial poultry farmers In EngIn expressing his views this breeder says those who keep poultry are of two types—the enthusiasts, who usually remain faithful to one or two breeds and for whom commercial considerations come last, and those who keep birds strictly as a commercial undertaking. The great majority are a blend of these two types, with the latter predominating. For such, the crossbred pullet is the bird par excellence. The choice of matings is wide and can be either light-heavy or heavylight. I do not like the crossing of two heavy breeds, particularly such crosses as will produce an offspring in which colour is linked with sex. Any variety of Leghorn cockerel can be mated to Rhode Island Red or Wyandotte, or vice versa, giving a wide field for experiment. It is likely that in the end a cross that either suits particular methods or environment as well as personal inclination, will be chosen. Profitable In Third Season It is not easy to forecast the type of bird that a mating will produce. Some years ago a flock of averagesized Rhode pullets were mated _to Leghorn cockerels that were.by design small birds, compared with the Leghorn standard. Ninety per cent, of the progeny were a good deal larger than the mothers. These crossbred pullets were magnificent layers and were profitable in the third season. Large-boned and rakish Black Leghorns have been mated this year to Rhodes and Wyandottes rather on the coarse side, and the progeny throw to the Leghorn type. This Leghorn-Wy-andotte cross, by the way, gives the prettiest bird I have seen. Ninety per cent, of the chicks are jet black, 9 per cent, white, and 1 per cent, barred. The barred are invariably cockerels, Ihe rather small. Jet black pullets with neat coral rosecombs are a pleasure to look upon The greatest advantage of the cross over any pure breed known to me is seen in the ease with which second and third year birds can be managed. It is no doubt possible to manage second and third year heavies, for instance, so that a high proportion does not get over-fat, hang long in moult, and so that they will lay when commercial requirements demand that they should. But such results will only be obtained in exceptional circumstances, as when the unremitting attention of the owner is available, or when highly skilled labour is employed. Crossbred hens require no treatment other than that meted out to pullets, and fat over-year hens are rare enough to please anyone. Leys Weeks Earlier The. crossbred always comes into lay weeks earlier. She will put up a higher flock average under any reasonable conditions, that is to say, where the venture is a commercial undertaking.. Frequently she may be a small bird when she lays her first egg. That egg, too, will be small. She will grow as she lays and the small egg soon gives place to a sound commercial standard. It Is quite certain that she eats less food and on the average she requires less perch room. On some farms a difficulty may be experienced In getting pullets to perch when first moved Into laying quarters. I always have had trouble in this respect with heavy breeds; never with the cross, and, as we say. “when pullets will perch one’s troubles are over,” this small advantage is an obvious one. The cross always partakes of the docility of the heavy breeds. Broodiness is much abated in the crossbred. Many folks have a short way with broodies, and it is seldom one sees any plan for their treatment and welfare. Yet the proper treatment of broodies is a matter that requires and merits very careful organisation. Where such exists, the advantage of the crossbred birds is noticeable, and one is conscious that much time and labour are saved. And saved, as far as one can see. without any offsetting loss. Higher Fertility In incubation, fertility is higher than with any pure breed, and hatching results are better. To give the figures of my own experience would perhaps mislead, but I believe the generalisation to be truthful. It remains to set down the other side after this panegyric upon the crossbred. I suppose something may be said upon the score of the meat value of cockerels and hens. I belong to the school of thought which holds that the perfect dual purpose bird cannot exist. One may not expect the highest price for crossbred stock—the crossbred is an egg machine. As for cockerels, if the remains as it is. seasonally, there is a profit in the young cockerel a pound and a quarter to a pound and threequarters. and this weight should be reached between seven and eight and a half weeks. Given a profit, the commercial egg farmer should ask no more. He should not expect the best of both worlds. Disposal of Cockerels This disposal of cockerels is a debatable point and must be settled according to circumstances, which differ widely. My point is that once the crossbred cockerel passes the plump poussin-griller stage he will never regain it. He will proceed to eat his