POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2884, 23 September 1916, Page 15

POULTRY NOTES

(Bv Ohahtecleb.)

SELECTING THE LAYERS On September IB Mr. L. Cooker, at the weekly meeting of tho New Zealand Utility Poultry Club, read a very educative paper (contributed by L. E. Keyear to the "Poultry Eeview") on : "Selection and Hating." In. commenting on the • paper, Mr. Cocker said the writer had hit the nail on tlie head when he referred to most peoplo 'keeping all the pullets they reared just because they were pullets, no matter liow bad the bird's constitution. With res?f to the practice of discarding hens aiter two or three- laying seasons and renewing; the ilock with, pullets, tho writer was again very much, to tho point when he said it was not a safe plan to determine- by its age a bird'* usefulness as a layer or a breeder. Pen export poultryinen to-day readily discaru. the late monitor even in her third year said Mr. Cocker, and ho consider. SLV IV ?V ? r^ t » [t - T ltat tho Depart, ment of Agriculture did not help poultrymen on questions of this kind by experiments at the State farms. Mr. L. E. Keysar, the author of the paper read by Mr. L. Cocker, says: . une of the principal causes for breeding so many poor laying pullets lies in tiie selection of the breeding stock: This is usually done in the fall, either before or after the- moult, and tho handsomest and sleekest hens are selected regardless of their marks as good layers of possible breeding qualities. If tills selection is made before the moult, •which; is the best time, these sleekest nens are almost sure to lie tbose which are the least productive. The beavy layers are ragged, dirty, and worn, while their less produotire sisters, which Have devoted their feed to tho caro of the body, look spank and clean. Nearly every poultry-keeper knows how to tell laying hens by the position of the pelvic bones, and in making a selection tor breeders he should choose those : which are laying late'in the fall, that nave large abdomens and straight, thin pelvic bones, which, if laying, are wide apart. The abdomen should be pliable. A hard abdomen indicates a bird of tho meat type, but such we are not apt to find laying late in the fall nor with thin pelvic bones. It requires study to become an expert at selecting hens, and it is a good timo now to commence this study. Observe the hens in tho. yards and on tlio nest. Handle them often, so you will become familiar with their formation, and changes it will go through from now on until they "quit, laying. You will learn a good deal by doing this, and will so bo able to pick out the good lawyers. Do not.be deceived into believing that a hen is .an especially good layer because she is wide between the pelvic bones. This merely indicates that shois laying, but a considerable distance from the pelvic bones to tho end of the breast bones indicates that the hen has capacity in proportion to that distance. | This, distance varies in the same hen according to her condition, a-nd is greatest during heavy laying. If j-ou are using trapnests, observe the body formation, of the best layers, but in this case breeders and next season's layers will doubtless be ■ chossn by their Tecords, providing they are vigorous and healthy. By tho use of the trap-nest for soveral seasons a close observer may learn to detect the good or poor layers. It is something wo must learn from observation. Printed directions are of little use even when well illustrated. They do not show thoso characters in a hen which .wo consider go to make good layers, - and which an export is looking for when choosing .breeders. In congratulating Mr. Cocker on the way ho had handled his paper. Mr. Wilson said it would start members thinking, and good would be bound to follow. He quoted from breeding authorities,- and said, like Mr. Cocker, he regretted that tho Government poultry farms were not conducted on experimental instead of commercial lines.- Tho Government poultry.. instructors were, doing good work, but the State farms .appeared to bo content to supply stock, and to that end were not likely to conduct experiments which would interfere with their profits. Ho hoped the Egg Farmers' Association would mako an effort, to induco tho Department to systematically carry out breeding and culling experiments on an .extensive scale, as such experiments would be invaluablo to tlio Dominion. Mr. J. •W. Green said the paper read by Mr. Cocker appealed to nini as an eminently practical one. It wns unquestionably bard to cull on an even flock, but his mothod was to cast out all birds that fell far short of his ideal. Every -breeder had an-ideal, and tlio nearer ono can keep to the ideal the better. He did not favour continually breeding from pullets, chiefly because, in his opinion, thoy would not give stock strou" enough for the breeding-pen. He claimed that breeders should test the male bird, and if'this were dono there would not be so many disappointments. Mr. Hawko said he often hesitated to express an opinion on poultry breeding because it was verv hard to lay down a hard and fast mle. He agreed with Mr. Green that it was not wise to breed from puluits if continuous layvnjr stock wns Tnnuired.bntihe also agreed with Mr. Wilson that the fertility of pullets wns burlier than the fertility of-two-Year-old hens. He said that a pertinent question in reference to the paper thev were disenssimr was: "How can you pick the cull?" -He noticed that t'lw writer did not give this information. . He held that it was almost impossible to cull v-ouii» stock, and lie hod proved by experience that a reiocted pullet had proved one of his best layers. In his'opinion tho best guide in selecting- breeders and layer? was the eye. • If the birds eye stood out bold and bright von would not co far wrong. Mr. Hawkeconrinde'd by savins; Hint lie had enjoyed both the'paper and the discussion. NZ UTILITY POULTRY CLUB'S NEW N,Z ' COMPETITIONS. The official results of the twenty-third week or the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club's twelfth ogg-layini; competition for fowls for tho week ended Tuesday, September 19, are as follow:-

LIGHT BREEDS. •■ ■ Total Total for to ' . y&ok. date. Terral Bros., B.L. 53 585 Braokonlield Farm, BX a Jjl •W. Dawsy, W.L. • f gg .1. B. Merrett, . W.L 30 53? It. G. Shearman,' W. .••■■•• 34 568 Heretaunga Poultry Co., W.L. ... M 499 K. Ball, W.L , « 526 M. A. Currin. WX 36 oBl Dalmuir Poultry !'<"*>, W - L - - ?* *» Mrs.. II. Graham, W.L. 33 «0 J. Wordsworth, W.L 06 ■ «S II. B. Bose, Wi 32 585 B. H. James, W.L 53 W C. J. Norton, W.L 30 . 524 Alfred Eaton. WX 34 457 IT. H. Walker, W.L. ....,...; 33 453 Green Bros (No. 2). W.L 32 577 II. Leger, W.L : • 2a 519 J. Nancnrrow, W.L 32 626 Caldcr Bros., WX ■■■■■ 29 636 B. Poumsford, W.L 32 . 567 A. W. Adams, .W.L 37 . 601 A. E. Phillips. WX .'. 26 6j2 V. Kennedy, W.L 34 431 V. J. Hill. WX « 518 B. V. L. Clayson. W.L 34 552 T. E. Conway, W.L *> 501 Hcretaunga Poultry Co. (Bto. 1), WX. 32 -598 Bangturu Egg Itancli, W.L. ... 33 602 S. Dick, W.L. • 33 531 G. Gee, WX 31 518 II .0. Yates. W.L 28 490 E. P. Amyes, W.L 28 • 564 A. E. Wilson, W.L jj 522 Mrs. J. Mills, W.L f 649 A. G. Brailcy, WX Jl 371 Green Bros. (No. 1), WX 29 530 Atkinson Bros., W.L. 29 567 A. A. Hoare, W.L 26 502 L. T. Wright. WX 34 534 To Anau VtiUty Stud, W.L. ... 32 536 T. M'llwraith. W.L 31 474 ,B. A. Lazarus, W.L 30 514 II. W. Bower, WX 32 462 H. S. Woodnorth, W.L 29 394 Hokowhitu Poultry Co., W.L. ... 29 4(3 Calder Bros., W.L 34 588 ,T. ]). Morrott (No. 1), W.L ' 34 546 Jack (Ircon, W.L 38 636 Totals 1570 '26,043 HEAVY BREED TEST. Total Total for to vreok. date. T. Kennedy, W:\V 30 292 Orcon Bros., \\\\V 27 426 W. Knight. W.P.K 34 505 A. S. Cooper. B.I.JI 29 484 Miss E. Willis, B.0 28 540 0. J. Norton, B.0 35 516 T. K. Oonivoy. B.0 31 655 . J. Nancnrrow, B.O. 30 581 ' Miss J. Jautce, B.O 24 583