POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 287, 30 August 1919, Page 12

POULTRY NOTES

4 (By "Chanticleer.") Fertile Egjis. Where a male bird and hens are penned together for the first time the eggß will bn fertile on the third day after penning. If the hens ho.vo been running v/it-h some other male bird just before being penned with tho now bird, the eggs for a fortnight or so will be fertilised by the first male. It has been found that the intoeiico of a strong male bird lasts for from two to four weeks after, he had been removed. Artificial Incubation. To have pullets that will turn into lay when eggs are at top rates, it is necessary to uss an incubator. With the machine the man hatches chicks when he chooses: with the broody hen he hatches them when she chooseß, and as a general rule she takes up the hatching business too late to allow lier chicks to turn into lay until tho good money for eggs is gone. The lieu will not usually brood until tho warm weather arrives, because . Nature holds 'her back until such time aa the chicks will have genial weather to grow in, with the insect life to feed on. The points in favour of the machine are:—l. Chickens may be hatched at any time. 2. A 60-cs machine will turn out more chicks that live broody hens: it never fails, breaks no eggs, there are bo lice, the chicks learn to scratch for their own living, they become tame, and tame, contented birds always do the best. The combination required to bring aDout this result is rnaao up of good eggs to place in the incubator, a good machine to put, tliem into, and a good man to work the outfit! Given these three things, the machine will beat the hen every time. 3. Tha incubator chicks—if properly hatched—are 1 good enough for anything; for years past tne record-breakers in the egg-laying competitions 'have been artificially hatcno.d. 4. The care of a machine develops the virtues of care, punctuality, and observation, and the carrying of these desirable i,units into a man's daily business is attended with" all-round " benefit to the concern. ; Makes You Think.' - For instance, one hatch will give better results than another with apparently the same care and attention bestowed. This causes tho observant man to think hard, and plenty of deep thinking is good for anyone, and the good man keeps up tho agitation in his brainbox. until he roots out the cause of the'trouble. • Even tlie happy-go-lucky man usually learns to think when he owns a machine. He knows, when he gets 30 chicks from £0 egRS, that ho has fewer than when he gets .40 out of £0 eggs; if he is any good he wantß to know the reason why, and in finding out tho cause his bump of observation is developed. But, getting back to the main virtue of the machine, you may get 1 chicks when you will, you can have them at work to fit in with the time when eggi i are/at their top, you can hatch as many as you like, you can hatch 25 or 1000 is one shot, and, if thi3 is all youi want, you [ may run them through and put the ma- : chine away. In making a fowlyard see that the gate ' is wide enough to allow a wheelbarrow to pass through. When cleaning up it saves . a lot of time to be able to pitch the stuil I into the barrow and wheel it out. . It is a dream of the poultry breeder t< regulate sex, and produce pulletß at will ) but it is only a dream—so far, at anj - rate. Ever since the writer can remem ber, various "sure" methods have come int< prominence, have occupied tho stage for e , little while, and tlien liave been relcgatet 1 to the limbo of the past..

EGG-LAYING UTILITY OLUB'S COMPETITION. The New Zealand Utility Poultry Olub'i fifteenth egR-layine competition opened on April 8, ami will contmuo till Marott 31- 1920. The followins are twentieth week's reaultß LIGHT BREEDS. Sinele Birds Contest. (For purebred pullets between the ages of 51 and 8 monthi.) Total Weekly to total, dati. JVhite LcchornßW. A. Gee and Son 4 60 Green Bros. (No, 1) 5 99 E. E. Marsdeu » ™ J, li. Merrett 5 104 T. Fazackerly ° '4 Beck and Oakley (No. 1) ... 6 107 W. Newell *> Geo. Gee '•••• ® 82 W. 0. Sail 6 72 Calder Bros. (No. 2) 5 101 - ; " Beck and Oakley (No. 2) ... 4 92 Green Bros. (No. 2) 5 103 . H. Williams (No. 1) 6 85 Miss Jessie James 6 104 Waitoitoi Stud Farm 6 98 Oalder Bros. (No. 3) 5 99 H. Hunter 5 49 Calder Bros. (No. 1) 5 95 S. L. Beer 6 114 J. Listing 5 86 G. H. Bradford 5 77 Mrs. E. D. Hunter 6 94 Black Minorcas— Mrs. Hoach - 5 69 . H. Williams * 4 31 Totals 126 9085 "TWO YEAJtS' TEST. - Trocey King 4 3SO W. A. Gee and Son 2 293 E. E. Marßden 0- Mi Totals ............ - 6 834 ' • • HEAVY BRERD3. Single Birds Content. (For purebred pullets between the agu of 6 and 9 months.)

Total ' Weekly to total, data. American Barred Hock— . Green Bros '. 6 98 Black Orpington— §J. Donald. ; 1 123 Eliode Island Bed— H Hunter .". 0 42 Totals 7 263 §Mr. J. Donald's v Black Orpington ha« gone' broody. EXPERIMENTAL SINGLE PENCONTEST. (For purebred fowls: Light breeds between the ago of 5 J and 8 montlii; heavy breeds between the age cf 6 and 9 months.) t Total Weekly to total, dato. Black Orpington— 0. Bonn 2 68 White Itocii— H. Meadows and H. Eoso 5 66 Rhode Island Red— C. H. Bull T. 2 3 Silver Wyandotte— Bcclt aiul Oakley 0 11 American Barred BockProgress' Poultry Farm ... 6 15 White Orpington— ' E. E. Vcrcoe 5 50 White Leghorns— T. J. Richards 0 84 Caldor.Bros. (No. 1) 6. 64 Geo. Gee 5 34 Mrs. S. Diok .\ 6 83 3. Dick 5 93 Oalder Bros. (No. 2) 6 61 E, Marsden 5 116 Beck and Oakley (No. 1)... 4 68 Waitoitoi Stud Farm 6 . 16 Tracey . King 4 36 T. Fawuikerly 5 64 J. Liggina ... 6 107 ' W. A. Geo and Son 4 73 T. Wilkinson 6 88 Atkinson Bros 6 48 •T. E. Conwaj 4 92 Green Bros. (No. 1) 6 98 Oalder Bros. (No. 3) 6 59 Green Bros. (No. 2) 6 99 Waitoitoi Stud Farm 6 86 Progress Poultry Farm ... 5 81 J J. Eowberry 3 4 Progress Poultry Faim ... 3 50 Webb Bros 5 45 A'otals 134 1912 LIGHT BREEDS CONTEST. (For 6 purebred pullets between the ages o£ 5i and 8 months.) Total Weekly to total, dato. Black Minnrca«— H. Williams 27 510 White Let-horni-Green Bros. (No. 2) 31 493 S. L. Beer 34 550 i Tracey King 28 513 - . Beck and Oakloy 30 535 M. F. Blackmail 37 310 E. Campbell 29 250 J. Liggms ... 30 571 N. Stark and Son 31 402 O. J. Norton 31 366 G. 11. Bradford 23 424 11. Ball 27 391 Hcrctaunga Poultry I'arni 31 471 J. S. Stevens 24 387 G. Bonnctt 34 386 E. G. Terry 30 570 ,F L. Omnne 25 360 C. 11. Izard 29 495 J. 'I'. M'Harg 32 441 W. J. Chambers 33 432 H. K Marsden 30 616 0. Renn 24 454 Mrs. E. D. Iluuter 31 473 A. Olcgg ... 30 £07 J. Naucarrow, sen 31 jon J!, W. Hawke 25 430 Dalmuir Poultry Yards ... 25 466 Calder Bros 31 441 Green Bros. (No. 1) 29 493 -~i W. J. Richards 28 389 k Couch 29 553 ,

Master A. Ilaley 53 473 TV. A. Gee and. Bon 31 381 D. J<\ M'DougaU M 514 tUcck and Oakley 21 350 L. 'I'. Wright" » ® P. Freeman 28 ■mo Mrs. Gorinski 32 531 Waitoitoi Stud Farm 31 453 TV. Davey 27 411 . 15. E. Tomkies M 380 Oxford Poultry Farm 32 530 R. TV. Coombes 34 471 Verrall Bros 23 243 llanguiru Egg Ranch ... 31 426 G. Gee .... 31 492 . Inder and Phillips 33 529 A. n. Skilton 32 <00 J. Robertson 28 491 A. M. Love 26 435 D. Graham 34 495 0. Thomson 32 578 J. Webb 32 256 T. Richards 34 46 rown- Leghorns— tH Hunter 15 186 •Verrall Bros 13 152 Totalß 1639 24,391 LIGHT BREEDS. Two Years' Tost. Vhite LechonißH. TV. Beck 23 1871 Mrs. Gorinski 26 1821 • . J. Liggius 21 1593 Hack Miu':rcas— H. Williamß : 23 1648 Totals 90 6933 HEAVY BREEDS CONTEST. (For six purebred pullets between the' ast.a of 6 and 9 months.) T«tal Weekly to total, date. ilvor Wyandotten— T. Kennedy 28 124 A. TV. Adams 37 255 T. Dowthwaite ; 35 398 Thite Hocks— L. D. Adams 27 393 .merican Barred RockßD. AUingham 23 1 108 Hack Orpingtonß— C. H. Izard (No. 2) 32 347 T. E. Conway 21 504 TV. Blomfield 26 364 " C. J. Norton 29 341 0. 11. Izard (No. 1) 31 . 351 J. Nancarrow, sen 26 390 tkodo Island Rcda— P. E. Knyvett 19 204 Totals *324 3679 „ . DUCK I CONTEST. Total Weekly to • total, date. ndiaii Runners--11. M. Copland 38 488 j G. Bonnett 22 480 •T. Dowthwaite 29 479 TV. T. Green' (No. 1) 39 625 Mrs. O. H. M'DougaU 35 260 •J. Donald 34 576 Horetaunga Poultry Farm 35 363 TV. T. Green (No. 2) 38 636 •ICtb. >E. D. Huater 32 388 Totals 302 4195 TWO YEARS DUCK CONTEBT. , niian Runnern— •W. T. Green if 1940 SINGLE DUOK CONTEST. (For purebred ducks, over 6 and under '' 9 morith.B.) Total Weekly to. total, date. ndian Runners— H. Meadows 6 109 +W. T. Green 7 128 ' L. TVadham 1 100 T. Meadows 0 69 J. Donald 7 59 Tottijd 27 483 'One bird dead. I'lVo birds dead. IW. T. Green's single duck has laid 118 eggs in 118 days. TREES, PLANTS, SHRUBS, ETC., FOR SALE. \7"ES', September is tie month to- sow A Nicol's Seeds. R. A. Nicol, Reliance Seed Store, 37 Coui'tenay Place. JUST arrived, new strains of Mower Seeds,' including Godetias, Larkspurs, etc., in separate colours. R. A. Nicol, Reliance Seed Store, 37 Courtenay Place. MAY'S NEW SWEET PEA SEED. THE most desirable varieties all at ONE PENNY per packet:ISOBEL MALCOLM, rick cream, black seed. ILLUMINATOR, a rich salmon Dink. MARGARET ATLEE, pink on cream, suffused with salmon. , MARKS TEY, rosy maroon, violet wings. MARIE CORELLI, brilliant rose red. MAY UN WIN, orange scarlet self. MAUD HOLMS, sunproof crimson MASTERPIECE, rich lavender self. . MELBA, a very fine salmon pink. ' MRS. C. W. BREADMOKE, buff ground, edged "with pink. MRS. CUTHBERTSON, roso pink, "wings nearly white. MRS. E. WRIGHT,, white, flushed mauve. MRS. E. COWDY, rich maroon, extra large flowers, Any Ten Packets, post free, for Is.; if less are ordered add ljd. to covor .uostige. Keep this list for reference; nnjther next week. MAY'S SEED CO., " BOX 993, WELLINGTON.