POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 193, 4 May 1918, Page 13

POULTRY NOTES

(Hγ 'Chanticleer. ,, ! r t, Thn World's Reoord-335. f A few weeks ago thorn was a possibility • of tho Gatu.ii record ~f Ma eccs in ono i J ear bmiip eclipsed by a lllack Orpington ,at liurnlc.v It is singular that both the ■ Queens and bird and the Victorian bird lnislicd •.villi the same total of 3J5. lloih birds nro Mack Orpingtons, and this now - stands us tho world's record for one bird's f laying for the year. They are wonder- ' fnl records, and go to show tiio advance- • ment that careful selection has made in poultry breeding. In the ease of tho Gatton bird, tho eggs did not come up to ■ standard weight, which is 2m. each. Tho • average weight was ljoa. In fiawkesbury another fine record was put up by a Black Orpington of 312. Thoiish not fo illgh in numbers sho actually produced much creator weight of eggs in the year. The Hawkesbury bird laid «lb. in tho ; year for 312 eggs, whilo the Qatton bird ,' produced 36.11b. for 335 eggs. Tho great- ' cut sequence of laying was 86 egpß in 66 : days produced by the Gallon bird. This ' is remarkable, and gooß to show how near to the 365-egg a year bird is being ap--1 proached., ' Tho Farmers' Fowls. ! A few years ago the country was overI run with White Leghorns. Attracted by I the high snoring of the light breeds farmers were tempted to discard their heavy breeds and cross-breeds. The result was egg-production went down enormously, I while the table poultry markets were deI pleted of quality chickene. The Leghorns could not endnro'the strenuous life on the farms when shelter was not provided. I They intermixed, and instead of the virility and constitution shown by crossbreeds, the Leghorn degenerated into ] weeds, and were useless either for laying lor table purposes. . The Government i promptly recognised this weakneEß, and immediately advertised tho settinga of heavy breeds at a cheaper rate. Farmers wero pereuaded to try tho heavy breeds, with, the result that matters havo again righted themselves, and a larger proportion of heavy breeds is being kept, and the table poultry market in better supplied., To those farmers who aro in doubt, the records put up by Black Orpingtons go to show that the b.eavy breeds can out-class the light breeds in laying. The birds_.are hardier, are less eubject to disease, bring a much better price in the market, and are moro easily confined on tho farms than tho light breede. ' The young birds take longer to mature, hut if hatched early in the Eeaaou they are splendid winter layers. Farmers cannot do better than give preference- to heavy breeds. The Black Orpington. Silver Wyandotte, and White Eock offer a good choice. Tho farmer depende on broody hens for hatching, and tho heavy breeds meet their requirements, while the light breeds are non-Betting and less reproductive. Standard for Pollard. A great deal of thought has been given to tho standardisation of pollard. In Australia they have been endeavouring to do something practicable, but os yet nothing satisfactory has beon achieved. The latest effort is from Victoria,, where millers and poultrymon have agreed on the following:— Uran is defined ae flic pure outer skin of tho wheat grain or berry, without a mixture of any kiud." Pollard is not defined so clearly, but has been agreed that "it shall consist of the product of milling wheat (other than flour or bran), from which there should be removod all impurities." Then comes a technical prescription of what class of sieves, etc.,. the pollard muet pass through. A third grade of offal iB produced, called "brown middlings," which contains no. pollard or large bran. If these standard requirements were in force in New Zealand the samples tltat havo . come on to the markot could all be classed OB "brown middlings," as good ea-raplea of pollard aro very hard to scoiirc.

EGG-LAYING N.Z. UTILITY POULTRY CLUB'S COMPETITION. Tlie third week of the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club's fourteenth egg-lay-ing competition ended on April 30. BUlts:LIGHT BREEDS. Weekly Total to total, dak. Brovfo LeghornsVerrall Bros 21 51 H. lluniev i 0 o ' Mra..T. Morcton ;.. « 40 While Legliorus— W. Newall :. 2?. • 52 0. J. Hadley '. 36 -45 K. Coombee 20 . 61 Galilcr 13r05., No. S iB 78 N. Stark 28 85 E. W. Jones Vis 61 Atkinson Bros il 96 Calder Bros 26 73 J. Nancarrow, sou. 17 60 J. Stevens 13 . 'B Oxford Poultry Farm £5 ■ 70 11. Hall 10 27 W. A. Gee and Sons. No. 2 2 1 \ A. lv. Phillips : 35 67 .Mrs. ll.■]). I'ullar SO 29 Mrs. E. A. Moriuski fti 70 . Trig: Poultry Farm 30 95 Mrs. C. Atkinson IS 44 ,1. Nancarrow, jun .'... 18 34 W. 11. West 3S 64 J. Ligguiß 30 89 i\ W. Wilson 6 14 A. K. Wilson 15 £9 Dalmuir I'oultry Yards ... 9 £9 H. W. Deck :.'... 24 62 ft. W.Huwko .......; :. 25 69 ■'Ornco Poultry Farm 8 16 •■II. ¥. Mack-man- ...13 • 22 JL Williams 29 S3 Heretauuga- P. 00., No. R..-. tt. 34 ■8. L. Dew ....'. : 36 .90 A. K, Powlcy .' 36 « Mrs'. J. Jfills ........v. 14 ■ 32 Mrs.W. lUia/Bh 19 66 Itangdiiru Kgg Kanuh ...... D 1 ' Smart 'Bros ■-: 26 76 . ••'Tracey King ; J , . -86 '•It. A.. Ourrin .: 32 96 Ohas. 11. Vmri 11 20 Green Bros., Np. 1 ..'. '.'. V> " 73 :-W. Davcy 11 30 L. T. Wright Vi ' 76 W. Stephcnsoii '...... 24 ' 77 O. Thomson- ..'.: :.'.....:.: 25 55 "8. Dick : .......:.;... 5 18 ' A-.-W. Adams ...;.;...'...;.;....-.. .5 .12 ■ Jas.. Ilobortson .'. 0 ■ D ■T.'L; Denfell 25 . 76 .W. Haloy 23 ' 62 P. Mulder :... 26 69 ; I);.. Graham :: :• 27 85 ■ . Hdiablft Stun Poultry Farm, No. 2 14 43 W. A. Gee mid Sons,' No. 1 27 47 Reliable Stud Poultry Farm, No. .1 .-....-. -26 &3 Waimca P. 0., No- 1 20 65 HeretamiKa P. Co.. No. 1... 23 67 Green Broe., No. 2 21 4(1 Minorcae- . ■ 'Mies Jessie Junes 19 io H. Williams ........................ 28 76 Totals 1232 3296 ' ' - HEAVY I)P.EM)S ■ Weokly Total to total, date. Black Orpingtons— Ohae. 11. l7.Jrd 24 60 T. I , ;.- Coinviiy No. 1 28 87 Norton and nove 24 84 ,1. Nanco.nwv, son,. 22 (9 W. Bloomlicld ....'. 22 M T, B. Conway : ■• 20 68 Whito Plymouth Itocke— W. Knight 8 26 Rhode Inlund E«li>~ Norton and ))ovo 16 47 I',. K Jliirsden 0 0 Silver Wj-andottcs-W. W. Howineon 0 9 Thou. Wilaon 15 27 'liios. Dowthwaito 0 0 T. K. Conway 0 0 A. W. Adiime ;... (1 0 Thos. Kennedy C 13 Mrs. V. Howcll 0 0 ■Total? 183 5M . BUCK CONTEST. Weekly Total',o totai. data Indian Runners— Thos. Dowl.hwaitc 6 9 I). A. Wiidbnm 55 5& Mre. Wl A. Gee : 12 « W. T. Oroon 4 < .1!. Sf. Copland M 35 . .Hercunnpa. Poultry Co ... 36 84 W. T. Green 31 M Totals 1« ®<> ' SINGIiK niKD CONTEST. HEAVY BREEDS. Weokly Total to total, date. Silver Wyandottcß— E. J. Rons 0 « Thos. Wilson 5 , 17 Rhode Island llcdsT. E. Conwny 4 4 Norton and Dove : 0 3 Barred Plymouth ftock— A. B. Wilson 0 6 Totals 9 ' 3° LIGHT BREEDS. Weekly Total to . total, date. White i.pghornsGrcen Bros., No. I 6 19 flrecn liro.-).. No. 2 6 U R. W. HiMvke 0 4 H. Weadowe 6 19 Traw.v King o 1 4 S. L. Boor 7 19 Thos. Wllkinaon 5 8 Mrs. 3 Mills, No. 1 4 « S. Dick 6 «

Alkinhon Uros., No. 1 (i 18 tT. Stevens 0 0 Jfrs. J. Miila, Xo. 2 5 16 Jlaßter K. Oi'o 7 20 Iteliahle StiKl I'oullrv . farm r, o 11. W. tlwl; q 4 V'". A. (let* and I'Diis 5 16 (I'M"?," 1 " ros - No - 2 5 '3 II- Williams 5 15 I'ntTl-s 84 BB