POULTRY NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 19788, 11 February 1928, Page 22

POULTRY NOTES

[By UTILITY-FANCY.]

“Fancier.”—! do not think there are any Sultans in this dominion, and English papers do not make any reference to them. I understand that they were introduced into England seme seventy or eighty years ago from Turkey. On account of their crest they resemble Polish, particularly the Bearded Polish. J heir shanks and toes are heavily leathered. I hey are reared chiefly lor their peculiar uppcflnuicGS, it is not cluiniccl that are useful in any way. It is said that they thrive in small enclosures, aro gentle, and readily become pets, Mr P. Bailey, of Hamilton, who is competing with Rhode Island at the Papanui contest, is, so “ Fancier, of Christchurch, informs us, talking ot having a try at Hying the Tasman. “ Fancier ” hopes that he may luuo more luck than others. “ UtilityFancy ” hopes he will give up the idea. Good men aro scarce. Will Hooley, F.Z.S., an English poultry authority, vouches tor it that chickens can be raised on boauled floors without getting “ leg weakness, if the light enters through windows ol vitaglass which admit mo t miet rajs of the sun. ~ , ~ Edward Brown, L.L.D., M-S., says: “The purpose of laying trials ami the efforts of breeders wbo enter tbenstock will fail in aceomplisamont until and unless the eggs winch these birds and their progeny produce comply with market requirements in respect to sue and quality.” , The Utility Breeders Problem.—M W. Powell-Owen, in an article beaded ‘Whence Comes Body Size:"’ -says: “Nature is pretty clear on the rule ol pi eduction. The t u zg race by her v\\ n dictation must go to the natty, compact, active, and mobile type ot bird. Nattiness and mobility are not the property of the excessively hea\y and oi"boned type, which, on the contrary, is by Nature’s rules slow and lazy, ami a flesh and internal fat producer. With beavy-egg production going band in band with nattiness and mobility it is the small-bodied, active bird that wins the eerf race by Nature s oi\n tides. In fact? within reason, the smaller the bird and the more eggs she will lav can easily be proved on test and with all breeds and varieties. It is indeed a problem to obtain and - retain size ot body in utility stock when all .Nature’s rules are acting against body size where the highest production _is obtained, blow best can it be done." There are, in the opinion ol “ LtihtyFancy,” two ways (other than loeding) of obtaining maximum size, consistent with good laying; (1) dreed from good-laying, big bens, mated to the sons of high-production bens rather than from good laying little hens however well mated; and (2) do not torce the young pullets on to start bn mg, let them thoroughly mature first. A Hint to Dnckkcepcrs.—Mr H.RCarrington, secretary of the I'tdit,'. Duck Club (England), says: ‘‘Ducks bate changes. They arc absolutely diehard Tories—change, progress, rclorm, arc anathema, to them. Horn conservatives in the narrowest sen-o m the 'world, conservative they will remain Mill their last breath isdnuvn Jl this [act is never lorgoitcn ball tne ddii- . mlties of the dnckkcepci- will be oici. ‘Feed the same food day in, day out, in fibe same way, in the same trough, and at the same hour; cal it lie birds regularly in the morning and put them to bed* regularly at night, and no complaints will ever be board that the diet m dull or that life’s routine is boring. AVhat could be simpler than to carry out these principles:" And yet nothing is more common than to bud duckkeepers for ever frying this, that, 01 fbo other ingredient for the mash; thev will vary the hours at which the meals are given, the grain will be led one week in the morning, with Ibo mash in the evening, while the next week the process is reversed. Ihe niost successful duckkeepcr I know lias fed exactly the same mash for six years. Sho had wonderful results since and during her first season, and she Fas never been able to discover any reason why it should be altered. I can say without the slightest hesila-ti.-n that she is absolutely right.”

At this time of the year many fowls appear somewhat off color. Tins condition may be caused by the season of the year, by the nature of or changes in tho weather, or by some other outside influence quite apart from any illness whatsoever. When such happens the birds are more apt to contract an illness than when they are in an absolutely fit condition. They don’t require medicine, but they will be all the better for a tonic. As good a tonic as any will be iron in the drinking water. It "is given in the form of sulphate of iron, and a dessert spoonful should bo added to the quart of water and given every alternate day. This is a sufficient quantity for twenty birds. A great improvement will bo observed. Young cockerels arc now probably beginning to crow, and are very proud, no doubt, of their new accomplishment. Not so many of your neighbors who arc light sleepers They will be wishing you and year birds somewhere else. Better fix up a board or a piece of wire netting Ift to ISin over the Growers’ perches to keep them quiet at night. Roosters always raise their heads to crow, hut change their minds when they knock their heads against the board, etc., placed there for that purpose. , , . Methylated Spirits lor Diarrhoea Germ.—ln a. lecture to the Northumberland and Durham Utility Poultry Society, Miss N. H. Bell said she attributed'white diarrhoea, principally to uncleaniiiiess, lack of ventilation, and bad feeding. Dropping eggs in methylated spirits did no harm with regard to hatching, and made the eggs infinitely better so far as the carrying of disease germs (o the chicks was concerned. One of tho most remarkable tacts in connection with the poultry industry is how it attracts from tho general population recruits for the great army ol poultry keepers in the country. So says an English authority:—‘‘Each week hundreds, if not thousands, of men and women commence poultry keeping, and a goodly proportion ol these make a success of the business. In all parts of the country, especially in tho manufacturing and mining districts, new poultry allotments are springing up, and thousands ol men and women arc finding health, pleasure, and money in keeping fancy and utility fowls. For poultry is not a closed corporation. like many businesses and trades, for it is open to all who can raise a few shillings to buy a setting ol eggs and a broody hen, nr a. few dayold chickens and a mother hen and somewhere to keep them It oftors to all tho opportunity of expending some of the excess energy they possess and to attempt a new adventure in life, which which may lead to a new and profitable career. For poultry keeping gives a new outlook on life, and points tho way along ivhich men and women can become their own masters.”

How Large a FlockP—Specialising in poii I try, making it the one business ol (he farm to the exclusion of all other live slock, has brought disappointment to many optimistic people. There is no line of agricultural work out of which one can make so much money or paper as with poultry. There seems to he an inherent trouble, however, in that, when the plans are put into practical operation something invariably happens to eliminate the vast profits the figures indicate. As a basis for such figures, the average farm flock is usually considered. It is almost, it not quite impossible to find a loss Jrom poultry on the average farm, No doubt the reason for this is that the average farm with its reasonably sized flock oilers the most ideal conditions lor health, thrift, acl production. When the Hock is raised to largo proportions and other farm efforts eliminated, the chicken is placed upon the same basis as other farm animals, and instead ot growing, developing, and producing on waste products, feed and labor must ho purchased, the overhead expenses consequently are increased, and she tails lo respond with profit in proportion to the earnings she makes whore she is hut one of several factors of diversified fanning. Moreover, when the flock is increased beyond normal proportions, disease and accident arc encouraged and ill results follow.

Feeding Costs Small.—A report_ on tlm Scottish ogg-layiiig couipelitimi. which was concluded early in this year, shows that tiie cost of feeding 600 fowls was only 2.2 d each per week. The total expenditure on food, grit, and litter for (.lie birds was £282, and llic cogs sold realised £1,027. The whole of the food consumed was purchased. The average monetary return from tho 000 birds was 34 s 2d cadi. Finely. broken maize, wheat, and oats in equal parts were supplied for the morning meal, and Ijoz of the mixture was allowed to each bird. Dry mash, grit, and shell wore always before them. At 4.

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

o’clock they were fed with wet mash at the rate of l§oz a bird. Tho mash was on the same lines as the morning meal, except that it was mixed with warm water and allowed to steam for eight to nine hours. The breeds represented in tho tost were White Leghorns, White Wyandottes, Rhone Islands, Black Leghorns, Brown Leghorns, Anconas, Minoroas, Buff Rocks, Light Sussex. Barnvelden, also Khaki Campbell and White Runner ducks. The competition was under the supervision of Miss A. M. Flemming. Commenting on the competition, tho 1 Feathered World ’ (Eng.) says: “The above facts are reproduced because ol the definite light they shed on the abilities of the modern layer in the way of covering its food costs three limes in the value of eggs sold.”

PAPANUI EGG-LAYING COMPETITION.

Leading Pens, 43rd Week, ended January 28 (3UI days). FLOCK TEAMS CONTEST (Six birds). Light and Heavy Breeds. -White Leghorns.— Week’s Weight, Eggs. oz. dr. Tl. A. Woolley 32 70 2 1,331 J. Higgins 21 45 5 1,312 T. U. Wilee ... 31) 67 2- 1,297 F. Hawes 31) 65 2 1,288 J. G. Verrall ... 26 55 3 1,270 Verrall Bros. ... 30 62 7 1,255 SINGLE HEN OREN CHAMPIONSHIP. Light and Heavy Breeds. —Black Orpingtons.— Week’s Weight, Eggs. oz. dr. Tl. H. W. Beck ... 4 10 0 237 Mrs Hcllabv ... 4 S 7 22(1 A. M. Esp'io ... 4 Sl3 213 —While Leghorns.—■ H. 0. West 5 11 14 210 S. E. Davoy ... 5 11 9 23!). J. MMntosh 5 U » 227 W. Spenco 4 9 3 225 W. E'. Ward ... 6 13 M 220 G. H. Chambers ... 5 1111 219 SINGLE DUCK CONTEST. Owner Enters Three Birds. —lndian Runners.— Week’s Eggs. Tl, A. G. F. Ross, No, 2 ... 7 289 G. Voice, No. 3 '< 287 F. 11. Cotton, No. 1 6 285 Mrs Gee, No. 3 7 284 A. Adsett, No. 1 0 281. A, Adsett, No. 3 ... ... 6 274 SINGLE HEN CONTEST. Owner Enters Three Birds. —A.O.V. Heavy Breeds.— Week’s Eggs. Tl. P. Bailor, R.J.R.. No, 1 6 235 P. A. Cornish, L.S., No. 2 6 228 P. A. Cornish, L.S., No. 1 3 201 —Black Orpingtons.— T. 1). Dalziel, No. 1 ... 4 240 G. A. Grainger, No. 1 ... 5 238 T. 1). Dalziel, No. 2 ... 4 236 G. A. Grainger, No. 2 ... 2 229 R, M. Cookson, No. 3 ... 5 227 WHITE LEGHORN SINGLE HEN CONTEST. Owner Enters Three Birds. Week’s Eggs. Tl. 11. Williams, No. 3 6 260 A. C. Goodlct, No. 3 ... 7 259 A. M. Espic, No. 3 ... 6 257 G. H. Mitchell, No. 2 ... 7 257 J. Maxwell, No. 3 6 256 IT. Harris, No. 2 7 255 W. M. West, No. 2 6 253