Egg-laying Contest

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 308, 30 December 1939, Page 2

Egg-laying Contest

COMDUCTED AT MASSEY COLLEGE 38th WEEK’S RESULTS Single Pens. Section A—II. S. Saunders, W.L (6) 210 H as! able Bros., W.L. .... (6) 200 A. Thomson, W.L . (0) 203 A. A. Hoarc, W.L (5) 201 B. E. Wilkinson, W.L. .. 2 (6) 201 W. F. Stent, W.L 1 (0) 200 W. F. Stent, W.L. 3 (6) 199 3. A. Annan, W.L. .. .. .. (6) 19(3 A. G. Mumby, W.L 1 (8) 190 A. 3. Shailer, W.L. .... (3) 193 Capt. Middleton, W.L. .. 2 (5) 193 A. G. Mumby, W.L 4 (6) 192 B. E. Wilkinson, W.L. 1 (0) ISO H. A. Lucas, WX (0) 179 A. Q. Mumby, W-L 3 (5) 170 E. O. Collier, W.L, ...... (5) 174 Capt. Middleton, W.L, .. 3 (0) 174 Capt. Middleton, W.L. .. i (0) 123 d A. G. Mumby, W.L 2 (0) 95 P. Mummery, Min. .. .. (5) 72 W. F. Stent, W.L (0) GOd Section B

Huxtable Bros., A.O (5) 192 Sunny River, P.F., R.I.R. . 2 (5) 170 A. A. Hoare, R.I.R (3) 164 Mrs. R. Willers, A.O (0) 162 P. Mummery, R.I.R (4) 160 K. Mujlins, R.I.R. (2) 159 B. Pimm, A.O 1 (4) 153 Sunny River P.F., R.I.R. . 1 (7) >153 x W. A. Larsen, A.O. .... (0) 147 d B. Pimm, A.O 2 (2) 141 S. Wilkinson, R.I.R (0) 97 Teams Results. Section C (All W.L.)— J. Wilsom—

19.1 198 201 199 x 205 202 (32) 1196 H. A. Lucas — 197 200 218 160 170 221 (32) 1166 S. D. Morris^163 181 x 173 211 128 x 200 x (25) 1053 F. S. Allen--199 161 d 177 238 x 144 r 126 (27) 1045 Cots wold I’.F.— 64d 180 196 195 197 74d (23) 906 Sunny River P.F. — 172 169 118 IS3 165 181 (26) 888 J. T. Hazelwood—--734 152 158 130rx 17U 173 r (29) SGS J. Mold--175 147 150 146 118 88 (23) 824 W. F. Stent—--160 135 d lOd 73d 153 171 (17) 702 Section D (All A.O.)— E. W. Stephenson—--194x184 179 220 157 186 (28) 1120 W. A. Larsen—--118 238 69dU0 179 193 (14) 907 J. D. Wealleans—--160 173x124r118d137r163 (32) 865 ”r,” replace bird; “d,” bird dead; “x, ” disqualified egg weight clause. BREEDING LIGHT SUSSEX DEFECTS TO AVOID Discussing the breeding oil Light Sussex in Feathered World, Mr. Ros-sali-Sandford writes: Personally, I am not too fond of very high records. I favour the sire from a large-bodied hen with a record of from 200*230, and to this male I should mate hens with records of 180-200, and I think if more fowls of this stamp were used we should hear a great deal less of the high mortality bogey. The first contribution must bo the same in all breeds—a bold eye, a clean fr.ee, a broad back, with plenty of room oetween the legs; unfortunately in light Sussex these points are not all that are required, for I think Sussex are tho most difficult of all breeds in which to find your ideal. The fowl we are all looking for is the one with the exhibi-tion-utility exterior, but with a real utility interior. Unfortunately this combination is not easy to find. There are plenty of good specimens to be picked j up, but, in view of the numerous small faults that the breed is heir to, the first-class Sussex will always command a good prico.

To enumerate a few of the “snags” Sussex breeders are up against: Sprig combs, white lobes, smut in undercolour, ticking on wings, white tail feathers, pale eyes, crooked toes, crooked breasts. All these things should be guarded against. Many otherwise good specimens are afflicted with one or more of these faults, and a great deal depends upon the hens you are going to use whether you can afford to ignore certain of these faults. Personally, I should not turn down a real tip-top one for most of these faults, but I should be vefy careful how I mated such a fowl, for it must always be remembered that | in breeding poultry there is a distinct 1 tendency for the quality to deteriorate, and so these faults become more prominent. Some breeders object to using any with “smutty undercolour.” This is a mistake, as if hens are on the light side it is wise to mate a cockerel which is not pure white in black colour, but I do not like Sussex with “smut” anywhere except on the back. If “smut” is present on both sides one will soon raise what appear to be a flock of mongrels, so that you will see that light Sussex require careful breeding. AUSTRALORP DEFECTS When breeding Australorps (utility black Orringtons) it is necessary to discard specimens with white flights, purple sheen, very light coloured eyes, excessive fluff and any tendency to greying in the tail. Pullets or hens with these defects can still be retained as layers, but should not be included in the breeding pen. Soybeans for Meatmeal. | Ground soybeans were used to replace part or all of the meatmeal and dried milk in pullets’ and hens’ rations at Delaware (U.S.A.) Station. Tho results showed that laying was less when the meatmeal and dried milk was entirely replaced, or when more than 6.8 per cent was fed. The reduced laying was not due to the extra fat content of the ground soybeans. The use of the soybeans gave better results with liens than pullets, the laying was not so con--4 sistantly lowered, and hatchability was not affected. How Yolks are Coloured. The colour of the yolk of an egg is derived directly from tho feed eaten by the fowl. Such pigments in the feed as aro readily soluble in fat appear in the yolk. The most prominent of these is carotin, which is also the colouring matter of the carrot. A normal yolk is yellow, but by putting red or orange pigments in hens’ feed it is possible to

produce yolks of corresponding colour. • The colour is laid on in layers daily. j Sawdust and Cement Floors : What mixture of bawdust and cement will make a floor covering like good brown linoleum? I do not know if there is anything else in it, but it is popular for bathrooms and passages in South Africa and Englanud, and looks and wears well (writes a correspondent of an Australian journal). A number of formulae for making imitation cement are available, but the majority are either too expensive or do not give satisfactory results. Tt would be more advisable to use an ordinary cement mix-1” ture tinted to the desired colour (they reply). This would have the advantage I of being both permanent and relatively inexpensive. Brown cement may be secured by mixing 3 to 81bs. of roasted iron oxide or brown ochre with 94lbs. cement, while the cement is dry and before any sand or water is added. Too dry a mix will give o dull, life-less tone and, too wet, irregularly-coloured surfaces. A steel floating trowel gives a darker colour than the wooden float. A concrete cured in the sunlight will give a lighter colour than one cured in th shade. “Fowls purchased from a faneie. who may bo called upon to act as judge, cannot be shown under him during the year they were purchased.” That is a show rule very .rigidly adhered to by several English clubs.