POULTRY INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2582, 2 October 1915, Page 15

POULTRY INDUSTRY

.(By Chantecler.)

THE EGG-LAYING TEST. During tho last few weeks tlio returns from the egg-laying competitions, Papanui, givo, hopeful signs that good records will bq produced through tho year. .Owing to the change' of caretakers a few weeks ago, tho birds evidently received a check, but this has now been overcome, as ; during the past- week not one of the pens laid less than 21 eggs for the week in the light breed section. The club has been unfortunate in the duck test. Owing to the , birds passing through a severe moult for several weeks, they laid a few eggs, but they have now gono right back into full profit. The Wainoni Poultry Farm, at Auckland, is making a poor show'ing, but this is owing to thero being only threo birds in tho pen, the remainder of them having died. Mr.' Knight's pen of ducks aio leading in tho competition in'tho highest total of eggs, with tho exception of. Mr. Willis's Black Orpingtons, which, aro putting up a splendid return. Next year tho club purpose introducing several new features into the test. They have limited the pens of ducks to .an entry of 12, and unless this number is forthcoming the duck test will not be held. Tho number of birds will bo kept on. the single ]ien system, so that the. exact returns of individual pens maybe obtained. This should prove an interesting test, and tho club is to bo congratulated on taking up this improved system for records.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. Quite, a number of correspondents have written respecting their failures in incubation. Every year these questions come forward. . Wo are giving a few notes on the subject that .will bo useful to inquirers. • .

Cooling Incubator. Eggs... Thd average incubator <roan doesn't leave the eggs out long enough. Ho takes out the tray,, turns tho eggs quickly, and. puts them, back too'soon, becauso ho ''doesn't want to chill them." The "dead-in-shell" trouble'is more acute wliero the. airing of the eggs, ia not long enough. It is my experience "that the successful incujbator operator is a man possessed of a -very keen observing faculty, and ho is successful only because lie notices things. Ho sees the hen stay off tho nest for 20 minutes on a cold day and still ■" bring off a good hatch. He notices that .the hen will bring the eggs under her into a round heap, and he does tho same thing in tho incubator, and keeps the-eggs aivay from the cornersas much as possible. Why? To allow of t'he passage of air and free ventilation. lie notices the hen .Return to the nest, 'and ,twist and turn the eggs with her feet and body. Why? To givo them all a turn in tho centre, where there ia more warmth. He does the samo thing in the incubator; he moves the eggs, giving them turn about in the ccntro of the tray, where. it ia warmer as a rule. But v getting back' to the airing proposition. It takes a lot of. exposure to kill'a strong chick. I once left the tray out for four hours on a cold day. •

The Chicks Must Have- Air. I had-.a spare morning, and took things easily. Got the tray out, left it to do something else whilo the eggs cooled, and forgot all about them until four hours later. (When you have plenty of time is the time you • make mistakes—the man who lives closest to the .office, is frequently the last to arrive, because he . dawdles about, thinking he has heaps of time and he potters around too long.) The eggs were 14 days gone, and the hatch turned out all right. As' a matter of fact, the strongly growing chick inside the shell demands plenty of fresh air, and ought to ..get 'it. Twice a day the eggs ought out of the machine—away, from ths. gases 'thrown off in,thb process of incubation—and left for 1 some) minutes in the; cold,- pure air. The chick should take 21 days to hatch. If it breaks through the shell on the nineteenth day-it-comes too- soon, : and lacks-two days of the-growth and development it ought to have iiad. Usually the early hatch is dua to insufficient cooling and a rather high temperature,, plashing it on too quickly. When you consider that it takes'only 21 days to'produce a chicken,-it'is reasonable to suppose that when it comes two days too soon it is a'good lump ftnocked off the time-allowed for prowth and.development. When the chicks come a, day or two late, it generally means that the temperature lias been ; too low, and tho airing too long.

Tho Right Way of It. My experience is that for the first two days tho machine should not bo opened; the hen sits tight for tho first two days if you have noticed. On the third and fourth day the eggs should .he taken out, turned, and put back morning and evening.. From tho fifth to the eighth','day five minutes, or so, morning and evening; from the ninth to the fourteenth . day, from five to ten minutes twice, a day; and from the fifteenth to the nineteenth day, ten minutes twice a day.' Draring tho last two days, keep the door closed; the hen sits tight at this time;, yon do the same. These times of exposure are right for the cold weather, and may, be increased when it is warmer. ■

Keep Your Eyes Open. When you go to a man's yard for.eggs —and doubt his word—look to tho grit tins. If all the big shell is picked out you are pretty right, because.good layers aro 1 always eating shell. Also, look at the water vessels. If. there are good layers in the yard the pot will .be low, because good layers demand a, lot ofvwater to keep going and nut into the eggs. Likewise, look at the yards. If there are holes in the ground the hens'are'scratcliers, which means that they aro of strong constitution. Then watch out for the chickens about the 1 place. If they look well and strong you will be all right, because there will be more where they 'came from. On your side give tho seller a fair deal. If you put the eggs under a hen malce tho nest on the .ground, and line it with soft straw. The moisture in tho ground helps 'to tlie. making of a good hatch. Don't put the eggs in an incubator, neglect to give proper attention, make, a mess of it, and than, blame tho seller of the eggsi 1 ' Also, don't expect 13 chicks from 12 eggs. Be fair;..tali the breeder what youi want, pay. his . price, give the eg" 3 proper treatment, and - you will do well. Tho good'brewlers are honourable men, with a reputation to maintain, and they will go to no end of trouble to give you satisfaction, for. a satisfied customer is a good advertisement for them.

N.Z. UTILITY POULTRY CLUB'S COMPETITIONS. . . . Tho official results o£ tlie twenty-fifth September 21, aro as follow:— week oftho New Zealand Utility Poultry Club's eleventh egg-laying competition for fowls for the week end«l Tuesday, Scntember• 28. are as follow:— .

FOR DTJCKS. The New Zealand Utility Poultry Club's sixth egg-laying test for ducks. Returns for the twenty-fifth week aro as follow ■ Total Total for to week. dato. J. B. Merrett, I.R 35 409 T. R, Hall, I.R ! 36 '479 Gloncoa Poultry Ranch, 1.R.... 38 561 ,W. Davidson, I.R 35 4U Thomas Dowthwaite, I.R 33 359 W. Knight, I.R 38 605 W. Knight, I.R 32 «0 Wainoui P. Farm, I.R 10 315 Totals 257 3,385 Tho letters after each entry denote the breed, .-under.:—B.L., .Brown Leghorn; S.C.W.L., Single Comb White Leghorn; R.C.W.L., Rose Comb . White Leghorn; S.W., Silver Wyandotte; R. 1.5., Rhode Island Red; W.W;,. .White Wyandotte; 3.0., Black Orpington, 1.E., Indiaa Runner.

oeptem )er • 20, ate ho iuhuh;— . . . . Total Total for to wcek.date. Verrall Bros, B;L. 31 563 H. Leger, S.C.W.L . 33 533 Waikato Egg Farm, S.C.W.L.- 30 57G Calder Bros., S.C.W.L. 33 559 Herotaunga P. C., No. -1, • S.C.W.L. '28. 515 N.. Solmon, S.C.W.L 27 4-1S J. Wordsworth, S.C.W.L. 21 494 Dominion P Plant, S.C.W.L. 30 388 J!.' P. Cliapmaii, S.C.W.L. ... 37 473 Mrs. J. Mills, S.C.W.L 3G , 519 A. I?-. Browno, S.C.W.L 2!) 529 Heretaunga P.C., No. 2, - ' S.C.W.L. — St 527 T. M'Uwraith, S.C.W.L. • 27 4-12 C. Warburton, S:C.W.L i 20 3!)2 A. 6. Brailey, S.C.W.L ■ 32 5G8 Wainoni P. Farm, SiC;W.L..>; 33 472 Glcncoc P. Ranch, S.C.W.L. ... 32 . 501 A. W. Irvine, S.C.W.L. , 32 451 Ashburton P. Farm, S.C.W.L. 2G 307 C!co.' Cattornl, S.C.W.L.- 25 451 L. T. Wright, S.C.W.L. 31 550 L. Macdonahl, S.C.W.L 34 303 Atkinson Bros., S.C.W.L.' 3D 410 A. E. Phillips, S.C.W.L 31 455 Dalmuir P. Yards, S.C.W.L. ... 33 573 B. P. L. Clayson, S.C.W.L. ... 25 478 Green Bros., S.C.W.L 32 524 Jack Green, S.C.WL 20 503 A. E. Wilson, S.C.W.L. 32 53G W. A. Nixon, S.C.AV.L 31 4fi2 H. S. Wooduorth, S.C.W.L. ... 20 5G0 R. Roxburgh, S.C.W.L 28 433 R. A. Lazarus, S.C.W.L.' 20 450 A. W. Adams, S.C.AV.L 35 497 T. Eazackeriey and Sons, S.C.W.L : as w . W. Davev. S.C.W.L, 33 109

W. A. Nixon, S.C'.W.L 3,1 403 ; R. IT. James, S.C'.W.L.' 28 507 E. Mills, S.C.W.L Ill 510 S. L. Lcggctt, S.C'.W.L 32 385 It. Willis iiiul Son, S.C.W.L.... .11 510 Georgo Geo, S.C.W.L 30 d6l Green Bros., S.C.W.L 28 423 Raiigiurn Egg Ranch, S.C.W.L. 28 38G Thos. Kennedy, S.C.W.L 20 '176 Calder Bros., No..], S.C.W.L. 35 550 R. W. ITiiwlio, S.C.W.L 2S dot Mts. M'Kiunon, S.C.W.L 28 lot Grooa Bros., R.C.W.L, 35 515 Totals 1,437 23,959 - HEAVY BREEDS. Total Total for to week. date. A. W. Adams, S.W- 33 375 Green Bros, ,S.W 31 437 E. Oakos, B.I.B / 30 411 Cooper and Wainscott, R.I.R. 20 567 W. A. Nixon, R.I.R 12- 179 A. B. Wilson, W.W. '.. 27 3H T. Kennedy, W.W 30 481 W. A. Nixon, B.O. 31 502 W. L. Walker, B.O 31 511 E. Willis, B.O 31. 650 W. Bloomfield, B.O 29 535 Totals 311 . 5,025