POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3000, 10 February 1917, Page 17

POULTRY NOTES

« (By Chanticleer.)

New Zealand Utility Poultry Club. Tho monthly meeting of the New Zealand Utility Poultry Cflub ivas held on February G. Tho visiting committee gavo a very full report. Tho following is taken from their comments:— Wo noticed' many birds having a tired.. and worn-out appearance, and not at all promising for late summer and autumn laying. No doubt the season has been a trying one for the heavy broods, and one is not so much surprised at the number of broody hens, bu,t in the light breeds that should bo going strong and doing quite as well as in November and December, their general appearance is very disappointing. Not for lack of attention on the part of the. caretaker, but wo venture to suggest through lack of constitution and vitality to stand even a first-year test. One. even an amateur, cannot visit tho competition without being forcibly struck with, the absolute necessity of future competitors giving greater attention to mating and oulling, and another important thing, the proper roaring of the birds, to fit them for a competition. Many things come ■under one's notice, and give food for thought land reflection. Xhero are ■undoubtedly some fino specimens of birds to bo seen approaching the utility standard,' and ideal birds fit for breeders after leaving tho competition, but far too many are poor specimens, giving poor results, and absolutely useless for the breeding pen. This should not bo. Fully. 75 per cent, of the birds sent to the competitions should be v»luablo birds for tho owneTS, either to breed from or to sell . for that purpose, anci should 1 command a fairly good price, but we doubt if 25 per cent, would be selected by, say, two of the jnost competent utility men in Canterbury. One regrets to havo to make these comments, but they are made in the very best interests of the club. This is the twelfth.' egg-laying competition, and although it may compare favourably with any of the past as' regards the quantity of eggs and financial resnlts, still from a stock or standard point of view it leaves much to be desired. Many competitors have much to learn in breeding ajid raising good sound birds, and endeavouring to reaoh a higher stalxlard year by year. Manv birds in tho competition are verj; email, and show a weak constitution. How they would look nt the end of a second year tost oho oould easily imagine. Many would not pay for their food. We : hope that in the next qompotition » much higher breed standard .will hereached, and much better results obtained all round. Very few pens should produce below 1200 to 1250 eggs for the year, and many shonld reaoli from 1300 to 1500. This would be a good paying pronosition for the club, and reflect , credit' on the owners, and especially if bred l>v themsolves. Every member would like to see the clul) continue to be the leading and most progressive one in the Dominion, and if such in to be maintained much will be required to be done. Much has been done- by members, who havo been in tho club for years. Their years of Rtudy and experience in mating,culling, and raising goorl healthy 6tock are invaluable, and they are. willing at all times to give the olub and its .members the beijofft of that experience. There is plenty of scope . and opportunity for young members to further the interest of the club, and especially those who are keenly interested in the competitions. There aro plenty of ken" enthusiastic youiu? .poultry-men in the clnb, and there is • plenty' for them to do. We want to think hard, work. hard. and. be continually exchanging idea? and make more frequent visits to the competitions. Wairarana Enq Laying Test. Schedules aro now obtainable for the Wairarapa egg laying contest, and may be obtained from Mr. H. M. Boddington, Mastorton. The Papanui Competition. Tho egg laying test at Papanu.i ends on March 31. Jt seems a oortain win for Mts. J. Mills. Slho won tho test last year. It is ovidenco of what women can do with poultry, Late-hatched Chickens. It'is'a'common sight to ob,servo chicks, a few days old running around in somo suburban yards at the.present time, Mid it is a matter for regret that old-timo methods are persisted in, in spite of the fact tliat the daily papers havo for years been giving, for Id. per week, a sound poultry education. After October 31, except in well-favoured places, - where tho season is later, hatching is altogether wrong, and no practical man would do it. The arguments against late hatching aro numerous and telling. Tho natural breeding season is in spring (August to October), and this is tho time for hatching chickens. In September all Nature wakes -up, and the natural instinct of reproduction is in 6trong evidence. Tho trees throw out blossoms, tho air is full of perfume, the boes buzz round, the birds build their nests, tho male bird puts on a handsome plumage,- and his crow is more frequent and his general vim much greater.- The air is cri6p, 'the insects begin to move out, and in sq doing provide natural food fpr chickens and birds, tho-sun is nicely warm, and all the indications shoiv. that Nature has wakened up, and of course, after a spell all tho animals are fitter, and stronger, and at their best for reproductive purposes. On top of tins," the. general 1 surroundings and conditions are at their best, and-so it is that spring is. the best time for breeding chickens.-J The life sap runs strongly in every, living thing. The rooster has no chance of putting on a 4in. collar and-pretty blue tie, but his face and comb become redder, his crow more frequent, his step lighter, apd his general gait springy and alert. He is at his top, and this is' the time to run him into the breeding pen. On Moultinj. Once a year the fowls cast their feathers and grow a new coat, and when the winter arrives the birds go into the cold weather with a new coat of feathers. The natural period of moulting is about three months, but it varies according to tho age of, tlie bird and the feeding. A young fowl will get through more quickly than an old one, and all of them will make quicker progress if the. food be carefully selected, and rich, in protein, as that is the element which causes the feathers to grow quiokly and strongly. As a usual thing tho birds which are. well fleshed will go through the. process more easily and quicker than.those which are thin and poor in general condition as the result of heavy and continuous laying. The best foods to use during ■ the moult are those which are rich in ] oil, nnd contain a moderate .amount of protein. Oats and sunflower seeiis sre good, and so-is linseed; they all are rich in oil, and not deficient in protein. Bran, meat-meal, and skim milk are also good foods to-use, mixed with pollard. Good sound wheat, with, plenty of green stuff, just about rounds ofl' the business. Sulphur is a useful addition, mixed in the mash, once a week or so, on fine, warm days, at the rate of a-tablespoouful to a dozen birds. Sulphur, «owever, should only be used in those cases where ftie fowls are-well housed, as they are liable to catch cold owing to its action on.their systems. Where lio green stuff , is available a good substitute may lie found in Epsom salts, given once or twice a.week at tlm rata.of a nacke.t to 20 birds, dissolved and mixed in the masli. The male birdi should-be removed from the hens as. if they remain, they will do a lot of damage to the ' new, growing feathers, and all the birds should -liave shelter from the sun, which has a bad effect on them-when they are'in a bare condition. ECC-LAYINC COMPETITIONS. The official results of the forty-third week of tlie -New Zealand Utility l'oultry Oluh'a twelfth egg-laying competition for fowls for tlie week ended Tuesday, February 6, are as follow:— LIGHT BREEDS. ■ Total Total • for to week, dfltn. Verral Bros., H.lj 14 1058 Urackcnficld Varni, B.L 27 965 W. Dovey, W.L. 31 1189 •1. 11. Wen-ett, W.li. 15 1107 Tl. (!. Shearman.' IV.li. '. 16- 1076 TTeretaiinga Poultry Co., W.L.... 26 1027 IT. Hall. W.I; 30 1i92 >M. A. CiU'rin. .W.lj 29 1178 IJalmuia' Poultry Yards;, W.L. ... 19 1111 Mrs. IT. Oraham, W.L 29 1012 J. Wordsworth, W.L 27 1040 H. 13. Boss, W.li 17 1143

3?, H. James, W.li ; 24 926 0. J. Norton, W:li. 24 1103 Alfred Baton, XIJt . 23 1099 M. H. Walker, W.L. 27 1032 Green Bros. (No. 2), W.li 22 1161 H. Leger, W.lj 22 1110 J. Nnnoarrow, W.lj 27 1241 Oalder Bros., W.li 24 1215 H. Pounsford, W.L IV 1115 A. TV. Adams, W.li 11 1160 A. E. Phillips, W.L 22 • 1100 !P. Kennedy, W.L 18 1002 V. J. Hill, W.L 21 1149 B. P. L. Qlayson, W.li 20 1125 T. B. Conway, W.L. ; 22 1089 •Herotaunga Poultry Co. (No. 1). W.L.: 19 1144 Jtansluru Esg Haneh, W.L. ... 16 1175 9. Diclt, W.L 31 1176 a. Goo. W.L 17 1027 H. C. Yates, W.L '. 22 . 1011 E. P. Amyos, W.L. ' 21' • 1077 A. E. Wilson, W.L. 23 1076 Mrs. J. Mills, W.L. 26 1301 A. Q. Brailey, W.L.; , 20 929 Green Bros. (No. 1); W.L 20 1078 IHltinson Bros.. W.L. 23 1143 A. A. Hoare, W.L. '. ; 19 . 956 L. T. Wright. W.L 30 1163 Te An(iu Utility • Stud, W.L. ... 27 1171 T. M'liwraith, W.L. 22 1068 R. A. Lazarus, W.L 25 1098 H. W. Bower, W.L. 22 1076 H. 6. Woodnorth, W.L. 19 1023 Hokowliii-u Poultrv Co., W.L.... 26 980 Colder Bros, W.L. 31 1240 ,T. B. Morrett (No. 1), W.L. 22 1159 Jack Green, W.L. 21 1230 • Totals 1106 64,016 HEAVT BREED TEST. Total' Total. for ■to wk, dot-fl. T. Kennedy, W.W 20 778 Oreen Bros., W.W 21 925 W. Knfiht, W.P.R. .:.... 14 988 A. S. Cooner, lU.H 12 945. Miss E. Willis, 8.0 18.. 3008 0. ,T. Norton,. 8.0. 25 1028 T. E. Conway, 8.0 ; 15 1144. ■T. Nancarrotr, B.O; 14 1038 Miss J. James, .8.0. 25 991 T. Powthwaite; fi.W 17 .. 996 A. W. Adams, S.W, 8 ' 890 -totals ...X. 189 10,731 ... SINGLE. PEN TEST. . Total-Total ..For to " ■. week: data. A. S. Cooper, R.T.R. 0 164 A. S. Cooper, R.I.R 5 208 .R. H. James, W.L ."5 ' 233. T. It.' Wright, W.L ;... 4 ' 173. Itangiuru Egg Wanoh, W.L. ;....: 0 147 Green Bros., W.L 5 223 Colder Bros,. W.L 6 232 W. Ikwey, W.L. ! 6 221 J. B. Merrett, W.L 3 139 A. E.' Wilson. W.li 0 41 'Mrs. J. Mills, W.L... 6'. 237 Atkinson Bros., W.L 3 198 B. P. L. Olayson. W.L. 5 2C6 J. Wordsworth, W.L; 5 167 Totals 63 2589 FOR DUCKS. '■■The New Zealand Utility Poultry Club's seventh ene-layinr test for duoks. Returns for the forty-third, week are as follow:— Total Total 'for to week. date.. W. Knight, I.E. 6 1050 Horetaunga Poultry Co., I.R. ... 12 1170 H. W. Bower, I.E 0 1244 Totals ............... 18 ' '"3464 The letters after, oaoh entry denoto the breed, as under:—BJi., Brown Leghorn; W.L., .White Leghorn; S.W.', Siher Wyflldotto; R.1.R.; Rhode Island Eedj W.W., White Wyandotte; 8.0., Black Orpington; W.P.R.. Whito Plymouth Hook; 1.E., In.: I dian Eunner.