CANTERBURY BIRD HEADS POULTRY TRIAL

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31001, 5 March 1966, Page 25

CANTERBURY BIRD HEADS POULTRY TRIAL

The New Zealand Utility Poultry Club has completed another 48 weeks’ laying trial at Paparua Prison. Birds taking part in the trial are assessed for type and egg quality as well as production, and top over-all bird of the trial was a Barred Rock from R. I. Vallance, of Rangiora, which also had the distinction of laying the most eggs of any bird in the trial —303 in the 336 days.

The trial secretary, Mrs E. Johns, of Christchurch, said this week that results of the latest trial had compared favourably with other years, with the laying performance of individual birds ranging to more than 300. Production, she said, had been steady during the winter months. The average production per bird for the trial had been 214.4 eggs, with the heavy breeds averaging 218.1, the light breeds 196.6, and crosses 217.6.

The trial had begun on March 1 with 280 birds from Auckland to Invercargill competing. Of these 174 had been entered in the six-bird teams’ competition. 80 in the 20-bird teams, and 26 individual birds were housed in cages. The six and 20-bird teams were run in pens on the floor. The main placings were: Best birds: R. I. Vallance (Rangiora) with a Barred Rock, 219 points, 1; C. L. Pritchard (Ashburton), with an Australorp, 213 points, 2; S. W. and D. Ballantvne (Invercargill), with a White Leghorn, 205.5 points, 3. Birds laying most eggs: R. I. Vallance, Barred Rock. 303, 1; C. L. Pritchard, Australorp, 298, 2: J. R. Campbell (Oamaru), Rhode Island Red, 296.3, 3; B. H. Button (Christ, church), Australorp, 291, 4; S. W. and D. Ballantvne, White Leghorn, 290, 5: W. L. Tonks (Gisborne), White Australorp, 289, 6. Crossbreds laying most eggs: M. L. Watson (Darfield), 298 and 296, 1 and 2; Bromley Park, Ltd. (Taukau), 290 3. Six-bird Teams Australorps: Mrs R. C. Beale (Oamaru), 931 points, 1; C. J. Murray (Kaiapoi), 923 points, 2; B. H. Button, 917 points, 3. White Leghorns: S. W. and D. Ballantyne, 963.5 points, 1: Bromley Park, Ltd., 686 points, 2: D. J. Bullock (Barfield), 633 points 3. Any other breed: J. R. Campbell, Rhode Island Red, 1030 points, 1; W. L. Tonks, Blue Australorp, 822, 2; E. R. Tilley (Ashburton), Rhode Island Red, 763.5 points, 3. Twenty-bird Teams

Australorps: W. A. McClatchy (Wellington), 2794.5

points. 1; G. W. Graham (Ashburton), 2037 points, 2. White Leghorns: H. G. Sugden (Christchurch), 1977.5 points, 1. Top plaeings in the crossbred section were (here it must be noted that the birds are not judged for breed type and so the possible points are lower): —Six-bird teams: H. G. Sugden, 730 points 1; K. Millars (Invercargill), 709 pts. 2; Bromley Park, Ltd., 683 pts. 3. Twenty-bird teams: S. W. and D. Ballantyne, 1260 pts., 1. Teams laying most eggs in the trial were:—

Six-bird Teams: J. R. Campbell, Rhode Island Red, 1547 eggs; I. S. W. and D. Ballantyne, White Leghorn, 1489 eggs, 2. B. H. Button, Australorp, 1471 eggs 3. Twenty-bird Teams: W. A. McClatchy, Austral orp, 4726 eggs, 1; H. G. Sugden, White Leghorn, 3978 eggs, 2.

An innovation in the last year has been the holding of a trial for autumn-hatched birds. A small number of teams have been entered in this trial, which is also of 48 weeks’ duration. The] birds came in in August and at the end of six months, plaeings were as follows: Six-bird teams: S. W. and D. Ballantyne (Invercargill), White Leghorn, 801 eggs. Twentybird teams: H. R. WGotten (Auckland), crossbreds, 2381 eggs.

An interesting comparison is afforded by the fact that at the end of six months in the trial for spring hatched birds the leading performance of a six-bird team was 846 eggs and for a 20-bird team 2574 eggs. The following Is the list of special awards: — Six-bird Teams. Linwood challenge cup for best team: J. R. Campbell (Rhode Island Red). Australorp challenge Cup for best Australorp team: Mrs R. C Beale. Snowball challenge cup for best light breed team: S. W. and D. Ballantyne. Wyminbar challenge cup for best any other breed team: J. R. Campbell. Canterbury Co-oper-ative Producers' shield for greatest number of qualifying eggs in Australorps: C. J. Murray. Liggins challenge shield for greatest number of qualifying eggs in White Leghorns: S. W. and D. Ballantyne. Perfect cup for greatest number of qualifying eggs in any other breed: J. R. Campbell. C.C.D. challenge cup for best quality eggs from team with bird average of 240 eggs or better: J. R. Campbell. Cormack shield for team with

highest type points averaging 12«0 eggs or better: C. L. Jwttcnard.

Twenty-bird Teams.—Peerless challenge cup for best heavy breed team: W. A. McClatchy. Producers Co-operative, Ltd., challenge cup for best light breed team: H. G. Sugden. Kapal cup for greatest number of qualifying eggs: W. A. McClatchy.

Single Birds.—C. J. Cussens memorial rosebowl for best hen in trial: R. I. Vallance. Utility challenge cup tor heavy breed hen with highest type points: C. J. Murray. C. J. Murray shield fqr light breed hen with highest type points with 250 eggs or better: D. J. Bullock. W. G. Waites rosebowl for best Australorp in the trial: C. L. Pritchard. Wyandotte challenge shield for best any other breed hen in trial: R. I. Vallance. New Zealand Poultry Board challenge cup for best light breed hen. S. W. Ballantyne. Evans cup for greatest number of qualifying eggs in Australorps: C. J. Murray. Picot challenge cup for greatest number of qualifying eggs in White Leghorns: S. W. and D. Ballantyne. Oteg challenge cup for greatest number of qualifying eggs in any other breed: J. R. Campbell. Dove challenge cup for greatest number of qualifying eggs for first year competitor: J. R. Campbell. Red Comb challenge cup for greatest number of best qualitv eggs: R. I. Vallance.

Two trophies were awarded for best performances in converting food into egg production. In the six-bird team section the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club’s trophy was won by B. H. Button, and in the 20-blrd team section W. A. McClatchy won the Smith, Clyne, and French challenge cup.