POULTRY NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 19658, 10 September 1927, Page 22

POULTRY NOTES

[By UTILITY-FANCY.]

“L.S.H.”—Certainly, you should uso any clucking hous you have now, that is if you desire to hatch out more chickens. If you do not put them down on eggs yourself you might advertise them for sale or.hire. I’leasc do not send mo the lump which you say fell : off • the fowl’s log, and which you say looks like a piece of hone. 1. think it may ho, merely ono of tho hardened lumps which form under the scales in . cases of scaly-lcg. .1 am pleased to learn that tho remedy i suggested for scaly-legS has served your purpose. “Kowhai.”—Do not start your testing for fertility till the fifth day at earliest. Tho anfertiles will bo quite clear.

the stability of a cardboard house. It is rotten to its very roots.” “ Every experienced breeder of blue' fowls knows well enough that Mendel’s hypothesis would, if put into'practice, prove utterly ruinous.” In speaking of faking for show ho says;'“ Faking noil est, forsooth! Tell it to tho marines!” He presents a plan for keeping faking at a' low ebb: “ Let feather-pulling, bleaching, oiling, ,bo recognised as legitimate_ forms or show preparation. Let dyeing, combsurgery, feather-inserting, when detected, bo disqualified, and not passed.” It is his conviction that faking cannot be stopped. Ho says: “To talk of honesty is to talk rot. _ I’d say that everyone. is against taking is to talk still more ret. Poultry-faking will live ‘and llourish just so long as poultry showing lives' and nourishes.” The author of ‘The Truth About Poultry’ hag also some very scathing things to say about judges and judging, and be is equally severe on other writers on poultry, Ou these, as on many other* matters, it is evident, ho is strongly of tho opinion that ‘ The Truth About Poultry ’ is to be found only in the person of George Scott. Hogan and bis disciples aro .very severely handled by Mr Scott. He scalps'the Mehdelians, but he absolutely skins the Hoganitcs from head to feet. Of Hogan as n writer wo read: “Hogan lias failed tq grasp oven the journalese required for a tenth-rate country sheet. Ho staggers, ho blunders, Jio wilts through jingo after page of tortured emasculated prose. Ho repeats himself a dozen limes in as many pages. At last lie leaves—this monkey-shining Hogan—his fractional) bon© indices and gets down to scientific breeding. Here be touches tbo limits of doddering imbecility.” Ho further speaks of this cx-woollen manufacturer as “a halfbaked thinker, a sweating, straining, wallowing, blundering high priest of mysticism!’’ Further, lie describes Hogan’s writings as “ tbo sort of antic nonsense and esoteric hokum that itinerant quacks hawking their .cure-alls hand out to gaping clods and illiterate servant girls.” Mr Scott’s book may bo very amusing and in some respects instructive, but whether it is worth anyone’s while to buy it as a guide to the ‘Truth About Poultry ’ is quite another .matter.

Effects of Sunlight on Growing Chicks.—Nino Jots of chicks were selected for studying tho effects of exposure to sunlight and supplementing tho ration with crude and refined cod liver oil at the Canada experiment farms. Tho birds not being exposed to sunlight wero in pons having the windows covered with heavy brown paper, and light was supplied by electricity. Tho results showed that the highest mortality occuncd in the pens having no sunlight, while the mortality was lowest in thosq having direct access to sunlight. Tho former group, however, made tho greatest percentage .gains in weight. Economics in heeding.—Most people aro aware that insect food is of particular value topoultry, because it contains the protein elements that arc so necessary for egg-production or for growth, and which wo'have io-supply in tho shape of meat or fish meal if it is not available in some more economical form. It is obvious, then, that there is a, big saving when fowls are able to pick up sufficient worms and insects to meet all their requirements in ibis respect; but one must remember that there are times when such food is very scarce—viz., in severe wintry weather and in a drought when the ground is baked hard; At such times the fowls miss the customary protein elements, and this absence affects eggproduction and growth, so that understanding of this fact is essential to successful feeding in order that one can provide what is necessary in another form when tho ordinary sources ol supply happen to fail. These ordinary sources are, of course, entirely lacking where birds aro kept in constant conliueuicnt; consequently, at all seasons, moat or meat meal must_always be provided, otherwise there will be few eggs. “Variety is tho spice of life,” but a variety of breeds is tbo bamf of the poultry-keeper. It is not a bad idea to keep two distinct breeds if they are boused and fed quite separately. It is a plan adopted by some in order to ensure getting eggs winter and siimtions: a light breed for summer eggs and a heavy breed for winter production. Both breeds may, if properly managed, lay, all the year round, but the heavier production in tbo winter months is expected from tbo heavy breeds. Keeping many breeds of poultry may be likened to attempting to running many lines of business at tbo same time. How often docs it happen that a man would have, been better off financially at tho end of a given period bad lie concentrated on one line only, putting into it his undivided attention and energy. Similarly with the poultry-keeper. One breed or, at most, two, when managed well and progressively improved. wilL give greater returns and entail less risk than several breeds which, owing to lack of proper supervision, arc allowed to “exist anyhow.” A Canadian poultry scribe/speaking on the question, says: “ Tbo number of breeds found on a farm is usually a fair index.to the quality of both the poultry-keeper and the poultry,’’ and 1 think that be is right. It is far better to specialise in ono breed and to earn ,a just reputation for quality of stock of that breed than to “keep” birds of many breeds on which little value can be, or is, placed. Mr George Scott, . whose “vitrolic pungency,” to quote a Home criticism, .1 have previously referred to, has published a book entitled the ‘ Truth About Poultry.’ In it lie denounces many convictions held by experienced breeders as myths. In reference to mcndelism bo says _ (I. quote the following excerpts published by the ‘ Poultry World’): “A fantastic, elaborate, and rococo system of heredity.’' “ Founding their ideas on the gulpeddown and half-understood paralogical assumption of Bateson, Pumictt, Morgan, Darbishiro, and others who claimed to Lav© reduced the breeding of poultry to mathematical accuracy. Mathematical accuracy, forsooth! There is nothing even remotely resembling mathematical in breeding. No two individuals arc ever exactly alike. ’They are neither born alike, nor do they develop alike. Hie so-called unit characters of Mendel ism arc largclv myths. Characters arc not transmitted as units for tho simple reason that they do not exist ns units.” “Mcndelism is a myth.” “It is useless to the practical breeder. For every time the Mendolian theory holds good there aro nine times when it fails dismally and completely.” “The whole of this exhaustive 'and beautiful structure is of

Eggs for hatching should bo covered over or kept in a box. Why? Because there-is less ovajioration that way. If they arc exposed to the air the contents quickly evaporate, and that is why chickens from stale eggs aro not so 'strong ns those from fresh eggs. Evaporation takes from the eggs certain elements that aro required for the formation and growth of a strong chick. The comb is one of the best characteristics indicating non-production in bens. The increased circulation of blood accompanying tbo devedopmont and functioning of the egg organs, also develops the comb, • wattles, and cat lobes. The comb of the laying hen is large, glossy, and bright red in color. The wattles and car lobes arc somewhat enlarged. The comb of tho non-producer is small, dry, contracted, and usually pale, with a claiidruff-like appearance. The wattles and car lobes are also small and dry. The difference in tbo flow of blood of the producer and noii-producer makes a difference in the temperature of the comb; with tbo layer the comb is quite warm, while with tho loafer the comb is cold. Scratching exercise means health and eggs. It ensures proper circulation of the blood, and keeps the layer in condition. It takes about a handful of whole grain to fill the crop of a, hen. In giving grain at night it is therefore a good rule to allow a handful to each fowl in the pen, and an extra handful for the crowd if it is willing. Tho Dorking.--The Dorking is gradually disappearing from tho ordinary poultry yard. It is never bred pure n’t any of the up-to-date commercial poultry farms, yet it was the Dorking that handed down tho economic qualities that are so highly sought alter to-day. The first recognised good winter layers wore Dorkings, and they aro still so down to the present time. The old-time Dorking breeders selectee birds that would lay in May and June, and quite unconsciously did a lot of spado work for the commercial egg farmer. It was necessary that Dorking produced eggs in Ma.y and June for hatching operations started in those months if exhibition birds were to be reared. Nearly fifty years ago the Dorking was tho leader in egg production, and was, of course, tbo best table fowl that could bo procured. It was immensely popular in tlio.se days, and was largely kept for its purely utility qualities. The First Drawing of a Fowl.—A black ink or crayon drawing more than M.OOO years old may bo seen at the Natural History Museum, South Kensington. The subject is a domestic jungle fowl. The drawing is on a limestone flake, and was chipped from the interior of Tutankhamen’s tomb. Although. it dates back to about 1422 n.c., there is no trace of fading. Scientists who have studied the preparation and'ornamentation of tbo tomb consider that it is the first drawing known of the domestic fowl.

Burned at tho Stake.—-One of the stewards at Groat Harwood Show said that ho had got an egg from a pen wherein the inmate was a male bird. Not-only so, but bo vowed that fi.o saw “the cock lay it.” In this connection it is worthy of note that in the journal ‘Success,’ under the heading ‘Strange Trials,’ there is record of a cock being charged with the crime of laying an egg. The case was argued at great length bv counsel for tho prosecution and for tho defence, and ultimately the cock was burned at tho stake.

I’AEANUI EGG-LAYING COMPETITION. Leading pens, twenty-first week ended August 27 (147 days). . FLOCK TEAMS CONTEST. Light and Heavy Breeds. —White Leghorns.—

SINGLE HEN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP. Light and Heavy Breeds. —Black Orpingtons.— , Week’s Weight,

Contributions nod questions for answering should be addressed to “Utility-Fancy, Poultry Editor, ‘ Star ’ Office, and received not later than Tuesday of each week. “ Utility-Fancy " will only answer communications through this column. Advertisements for this column must bo handed in to tho office before 2 p.m. on Friday.

! SINGLE DUCK CONTEST. Owner Enters Three Birds, —lndian Runners.— •

. SINGLE HEN CONTEST. Owner Enters Three Birds, —A.O.V Heavy Breeds.— v Week’s

Week’s Weight, Eggs. oz. dr. Tl. ,T. G. Verrall 64 r, 638 J. Biggins ... A. Woolley ... H. C. West. ... ao 70 13 65 S 621 615 ... 2ft ■65 6 611 Green Bros. ... 34. 73 3 601 T. IT. Wileo ... 33 73 15 5S3 F. Hawes ... ... 31 66 5 584

Mrs Hcllaby Eggs. (j oz. dr. 12 0 Tl. 119 H, W. Beck ... 5 n 13 119 A. M. Espio ... G 13 1 107 H. J. Ballin ... 4 8 1 101 —While Leghorns,—' F. Hawes ... ... 5 10 15 120 W.'E. Ward ... G 13 7 113 H. C. West ... ■G 13 7 110 S. E. Davey G 13. 9 109 A. C. Goodlet ... 5 , 10 14 106 G. H. Chambers 6 10 7 102 J. M'lntosh 5' ii y 101

Week’s . .Eggs,' Tl. F. E. Cotton, No. • 1 ,. .. '5 144 A. 0. F, Boss, No'. 2 v .. 0 , 143 G. Voice, No. 3 ... . G ■ 138 J, W. TJiomson, No. 2 . .... 7 137 A. Ads'ett, -No. 1 ... . .. 7 134 134 F. E. Cotton, No. 2 . .. ■ , (i Mrs Geo, No. 1 ... . .. 5 134

Eggs. Tl. P, Bailev, R.I.B., No 1 7 129 P. A. Cornish, L.S.. No. 1 7 11C P. Bailey, R.I.R., No 2 7 113 —Black Orpingtons.— Cl. A. Grainger, No. 1 ... 6 123 T. I). Dalziel, No. 2 ... 6 123 R. Nt. Cookson, No. 3 ... 5 120 T. D. Dalziel, No 1 ... 7 114 ,T. Ivingsland, No. 2 ... 5 11.4 J. Ivingsland, No, 1 ... 5 113 WHITE LEGHORN SINGLE HEN CONTEST. Owner Enters 3 Birds. Week's TI. H. 'Williams, No. 1, ... 6 128 A. R. Brown, No. 1 ... 0 127 W. H. West, No. 1 ... 0 125 H. W. West, No. 2 ... 5 121 Hi Williams, No. 3 ... 0 120 0. H. Mitchell, No. 1 7 120