EGG-LAYING COMPETITION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1085, 25 March 1911, Page 10

EGG-LAYING COMPETITION.

(By Telegraph.—Special Correspondents Chrlstchurch, March 24. ■The contest grows keener, and the closing week shows an exciting finish. Week's totals: Rangiuru, 2G: Kennedy, 26; Steele, 24. i ■ Sail, 1444; Rangiuru, 143, fa; Knight. 1398. Hens' total for the week, 732; aggregate to date, 03,400. Ducks:Xixon, 13; Knight, 9: total for the week, 30.

Answers to Correspondents. H.A., Petono.—You will find "Utility Poultry Farming" (obtainable from Whitcombo and Tombs, Ltd.) a useful book for your requirements. A.R.W., Karori. —As a beginner, go slowly. Get experience before you think of going in for poultry keeping lor a living. Learn how to feed ; and care for fowls so as to get good results in eggs, Master tho hatching ; and rearing ot chickens, as on this depends the poultryman's success. :. Th? .reason ,of so many failures in i poultry keeping is tho "fact that be- : ginners take up the work for a living before having gono through an apprenticeship. A.M., Greytown.—l am glad to note your interest in this column. Lino ! breeding is a system adopted by poultrymen. of retaining original blood. The great exponent and pioneer is I. K. Fclch. As one or two other breeders seem interested in tho 'subject, , Tin: Dominion may publish at an ' early date Folch's Chart, with a fuller explanation. I have experi- ' mented in line breeding, and find ! that' it works admirably. You must ; not confuse line breeding with in breeding. This is destructive—leadj ing, to weak • constitutions, lessened 1 egg; production and variance from •. type. - , Noviije, Greytown.—Most' breeders ruin ; their pullets .by feeding too forcing rations before tho birds mature. A striking illustration is given in tho .New Zealand egg-laying competition, . whero 0110 breeder sends in two pens of birds of tho same strain, but ono pen two months younger than tho other. His aim was to win summer prizes, but what was the result P Before tho younger pen could mature they were fed on forced rations, and the result was that tho sensitive egg- . producing functions were checked, and have not regained 'their forco of production. Do not food too much animal food to growing pullets. Give them ample free range, and when properly matured* they may be fed for egg production. A.S., Otaki.—Bumblefoot is tho result of hard floors and runs, or high perches. Care should be taken to 1 avoid these difficulties. Once a bird is affccted it soon undermines the . constitiilion. A euro can be given i "hy.'PPhningftlid bird up, in a pen bed- ... ded Iwitli chaff and tlio foot lanced. But seek to avoid the causo of disease rather than experiment with ' cures.

A.G., Masterton. —Tho trouble with the • bird is limberneck. It is caused through tho bird-eating somo dccay- ; iccl ■ moot. 'During .'the summer tho' prevalent whore moat is r up, and treat with a little olivo oil. Usually tho com-: ' • lasts . a few days. If tho at"jtaokfis virulent, advise, and further instructions will bo given. Further .. adyico is given on this matter in this ■ ' week's notes. Inquirer, Wellington—Tho world's rc- , cord in ; a public test waa obtained by -A. 11. Pr.dman at tho Gatton competition with 1538 eggs. Yes, thcro is' a probability that the record will bo beaten in.New Zealand this year, but tho birds in tho running havo tho ..dreaded moult to face, and even yet i them. ,D.K.E., r i3a!msVrcrra c o,..\Yoiliiigton.— : CI), .lie. .proportion of , dried blood is not sufficient for laying liens. You could increaso it to ten per cent. . Meat meal is now •' obtainable that would suit your purposo better, and which obviates the necessity of cooked meat. (2) No! Green-feed fed at any time is always beneficial, with the wheat fed as you prescribe' the birds will do well, though this food is preferably fed at evening, as it sustains the birds bettor through tho night than tho dry mash would. (3) lou aro going along on right linesget experienco first. Applv tho advi:o given to A.R.W. above. Thanks for your appreciative remarks. Tell the other four renders that our advice is p.t their command. Is ote.—Correspondents aro requested to send in their inquiries early in the week to ensure replies being published oil the following Saturday.

Poultry Diseases. Tho beginner is usually troubled with some disease or other that manifests itself among his birds. Tho most important Josson'to learn is not how to cure disease, but liow to avoid them. To successfully combat the many complaints to which poultry are subject ono must make liimself familiar with- tho surroundings that mako for health. Environment is everything to a fowl. Treat her with caro and attention, and sho will give you little trouble; neglect her, and sho immediately becomes unprofitable. Tho writer of poultry notes is always besieged with requests for cures of some complaint from which fowls are suffering. Doubtless the advice is valuable, and every poultryman should promptly discern tho symptoms, and bo able to diagnose every caso that comes before him. The writer well remembers his first experience with the complaint referred to by a correspondent—a complaint known as limberueck. A Minorca pullet seemed depressed and off her food. Next day her head was turned almost-right round as if sho were trying to look over her back. Every effort which she made to straighten her neck was fruitless, and her attempts at eating food a failure. Sho was promptly removed to tho hospital pen and after a day or so showed signs of recovery. Since then tho writer has seen many cases of limberneck. Tho most frequent cause is access to decayed food. The body of a fowl, or somo animal left to decompose in the presence of fowls, invites danger. They will greedily devour maggots. These impair tho digestive organs. Tho bird loses all control of tho neck muscles, and squats about in listless fashion with its head and neck arched. A small doso of turpentine, mixed with sweet oil, will result in good. Turpentine in warm milk, to which is added a littlo ginger, is also a good cure. In time the poison works through the system, and the bird will promptly recover.

Prevention Better Than Curs. One cannot'-emphasise ton strongly tlio need for care in keeping tho poultry yards clean. Tho removal of all deacl carcasses, the rejection of putrid meat, or any indigestible food, will largely prevent limberiicck. In the case of cliolera and kindred troubles, lioiv easily could it bo obviated if caro were used with the drinking vessels ,-uid pure fresh water constantly before the birds. In tlie case of parasites, bow easily the birds' health might bo obtained \vero cleanliness the order of tho day. Nothing is more unpleasant to a iovor of birds than to see dirt accumulating 'in

a poultry yard. Those who permit sucl: a state of tilings never suececd witi; poultry. Above all things the poultrykeeper's success depends on cleanliness,

The Competition Returns. Tlio returns of tho New Zealand Utility Poultry Club's competition at Papanui arc being closely watched by poultry men all over Australasia. Already tho poultry writers on the other side arc beginning to feel a little alarmed at tho steady approach of Sail and Rangiuru to 1500 eggs for tlio year. The world's record, by public test, is held by Mr. A. H. Padman, who, at the Gatton competition of 1909, attained 1538 eggs, Poultrymen are sceptical in accepting the records of private owners, so that a record.from a public test is, a matter of importance. . Right along Sail's pen maintained a terrific paeo, laying on ail avorqgo of five eggs . a day with good full weight. Last week, they slackened off. just after reaching' 1400 in..ten aiid.a half months. .They have only one week moro to go, aiul then tho club will keep tho. leading pens to complete the year with a view to breaking Padman's record. In Australia this year the best total is Roseworthy, with 1419 in eleven months. R.anciuru is tho favonrito pen for tho world's record, and should they' withstand an early moult, they will have little to fear. Tlio test is 'by far the best that has over been held in New Zealand, as all previous records have been broken. In view of the egg-laying test being completed on Friday next, a special report will appear in next Saturday's issue on the finish of the test. . A telegraph report has been arranged for the final totals.

Alms and Objocts of Egg circles. Wo are often asked what are tho aims of tho egg circle. The following will meet, tlio need, 1. To encourage consumption .of eggs by grading for quality,. Lo.,'new ; laids,fresh, ordinaries; by grading for size and weight-. 2. A more uniform price through the year And in the various towns. 3. To encourago producers to market infertiles in preference to fertiles. 4. To obtain legislation in favour of poultrymon, such as increased or prohibitive duty on eggs, reduction on railway freight. 5. To enable poultrymen by co-opera-tion to purchase feed at lowest market rates. 6. To develop tlio export trade in eggs._ Eggs are likely to still further fall in price next spring, and it behoves poultrymen to co-operate in ' export trade so as far as possible to provent this. 7. To bring about in all respects bettor markotiug facilities.