THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10293, 30 May 1919, Page 8

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

N.Z. UTILITY CLUB

FIFTEIINTH EGG-LAYING COMPE- ' \ TITION. . RESULT.OP SEVENTH WEIEK. Special to fhe "Time 3." ■ CHEISTCHURCH. May 29. The seventh week of the New Zealand Utility Poultry. Club's fifteenth egglaying. competition ended May 2oth. ttesuits are as follow: LIGHT BREEDS SINGLE BIRDS CONTEST. • Weekly Total. White Leghorns— W. A. Gee and Son 0 Green Bros. (No. 1) 6 E. E. Marsden 5 J. B. Merrett 6 T. Fazackerlv • 5 Beck and Oakley (No. 1) 6 W. Newell 3 Geo. Gee « 5 W. O. Sail :.......: • G Calder Bros. (No. 2) 6 Beck and Oakley (No. 2) 5 Green Bros. (No. 2) ■• 5 H. Williams (No. 1) ■—• 6 Miss Jessie James ; 6 Waitoitoi Strid Farm 5 Calder Bros. (No. 3) ...... 6 R. Hunter- - 0 Calder Bros. (No. 1) ' 6 S. L. Beer :...'..... - ~- 6 J. Liggins • • ■■ 5 G. H. Bradford 6 Mrs E. D. Hunter -.. » * Blnck Minoreas— Mrs Roach '3 H. Williams -.. ...- 0 ~m iTWO YEARS' TEST. Tracey King 0 W. A. Gee and Son.. 0 E.E. Marsden 0 HEAVY BREEDS SINGLE BIRDS CONTEST! American. Barred Rock— Gieen Bros, a • <S Black Orpington— J.'Donald 7 Rhode Island Rett— H. Hnter 4 17 EXPERIMENTAL TEST. For Light and Heavy Breeds, to' be housed continuously C. Renn (Black Orpingtons) 7 H. Meadows and U. Rose I White Rock) 6 C. H. Bull (Rhode Island Red) ... 0 Beck and Oukley (Silver Wyandotte) 0 Progress P. Farm (American Barred Hock) - 0 »E. B. Vercoe (White Orpington)... 0 13 White Leghorns— T. J.-Richards 5 Calder Bros .(No. 1) 4 Geo. Gee 0 Mrs S. Dick • 5 S.'Dick 5 Calder Bros. (No. 2) * E. Marsden 6 Beck and Oakley (No. 1) 4 Waitoitoi Stud Farm 6 Tracey King 1 T. Fazacksrly S J. Liggins 7 W. and A,'Gee and Son ...........,.... ; .. 5 T. Wilkinson 7 Atkinson Bros. 4 T. B. Comvay , 5; Green Bros. (No. 1) 6 Calder Bros. (No. 3) 5 Green Bros. (No. 2) 7 Waitoitoi Stud Farm . 4 Progress Poultry Farm 5 J. J. Rowberry 0 Progress Poultry Farm 5 Webb Bros 5

'■' LIGHT BREEDS CONTEST. Black Minorcas — H. Williams 32 White Leghorns— ' ■ ? Green Bros. (No. 2) 31 S. L. Beer 27 Traeey King -33 Beck and Oakley £8 M. I'. Blackman 3 B. Campbell 16 J. Liggins 31 N. Stark and Son 17 C. J. Norton 21 G. H. Bradford '. 13 H. Ball 31 Heretauhga Poultry Farm 27 J. S. Stevens 31 G. Borinett .-. 26 E. G. Terry 33 B. L. Ozanne 20' C. H. Izard 33 T. J. McHarg - ; 19 W. J. Chambers' 21 E. E. Marsden 39 G. R-enn 28 Mrs E. D. Hunter 28 A. CIeRR 26 J. NancaTrow, senr 16 K. W. Bawke ....; 3D Dalmuir Poultry Yards 25 CaWer Bros. 29 Green Bros. (No. 1) 27 W. J. Richards 24 L. Couch .—. 25 Master A. Haley 24 W. A. Gee and Son ll> I). F. McDougall 3fl Beck and Oakleyt ,T. T. Wright 20 P. Freeman 20 Mrs Gorinski 33 Waitoitoi Stud Farm : 30 W. Davev 28 B. E. Toinkies 26 Oxford Poultrv Farm 27 B. W. Coombes 17 Verrall Bros n Raneuiru Egg Eanch 19 G. Gee 29 Inder and Phillips 32 A. H. Skilton 1.1 J. Robertson 29 A. M. Love 23 D. Graham 27 C. Thomson '. 34 J. Webb 9 T. Richards 25 Brown Leghorns— TT Hunter* 5 Verrall Bros.J 3

1545 LIGHT BREEDS (TWO YEARS' TEST). White Leghorns— H. W.Beck 5 Mrs Gorinski 8 J. I/.ggins 0 (Slack Minorca*— H. William*' 11 ■■•.■'.:" ZL \ HEAVY .BREEDS CONTEST. •' Sliver Wyandottes— T. Kennedy 0 A. W. Adams 5 T. Douthwoite - 11 White Rocks— L. D. Adams 9 American Barred Rocks— D. Allingham ~••• 5 Black Orpingtons--C. H. Izard (No. 2) 26 T. E. Ccrawav 17 W. Bloinfield 2G C. J. Norton , 6 O. H. Izard (No. 1) 17 J. Nancarrow, senr 7 Rhode Islaiid Reds— P. E. Knyvett 8 137 DOCK CONTEST. Indian Runners—--33. M. Copland .., 28 G. Bonnett -....- 23 T. Douthwaite 30 W. T. Green (No. 1) 'B7 Mrs C. H. McDougall -S ■J. Donald* Si Horotaunga Poultry .Farm ......,i. _ 3

W. T. Green (No. 2) 2G , Mrs E. D. Hunter . 4 IS3 TWO YEARS' DUCK CONTEST. W T. Green (Indian Runners) ... 33 SINGLE DUCK. CONTEST. Indian' Runners— H. Meadows • •■•••• 2 W. T. Green 7, L. Wadharn ••• 7 T. Meadows • - 7 J. Donald 7 30 *ono bird dead. - tTwo biids dead. MATING. It is too often the 'case that poultrymen make up. their breeding pens too late in the season. The birds should be together for a full before hatching is undertaken. From n6w on the work of selecting breeders should 1-e keenly studied. ■ Much of the success in poultry-keeping depends on' the character of the breeding stock, and therefore the . very . greatest care.', should . be, exercised in choosing the birds. Many poultrvmen are too diffident- They like to get'the other fellow to pick out Hie breeders. As a matter ■ of fact many poultrynien, the enthusiastic .sort, have a. good enough eye for form, and only want to train their observation by constant study—comparing different birds and noting the points' of difference. In selecting ■ the male breeder one will naturally try and have ; one "with some ef.g record behind him, but, however," good the record he should, not' be .used unless he is a masculine, .vigorous, and .*eiibuilt type.. His. expression, and .carriage, will'largely-indicate this, and he must also, have .a. good. fulUohest.v a...broad loin, and stand with, legs . wall ap.v.'t. Ty,>o is. important. If a bird is not a good specimen of the breed\it represents it-suggests a possible infusion of alien blood, and-if this be so it will hot. be-s-o liable to throw birds up to its standard, as the really purebred specimen.'lt is really better to breed from the- poor specimen of a guaranteed pure and sood strain than from the good 'speimen' of a poor or doubtful strain. Further, lbo stronger type of birdi generally a. vigorous animal, is to be preferred to the finer specimen. The. females should also be en the large rather: than .the small-side. A good eye, clean face, ,and alert expression are necessary indications, and l.ke the male bird, they * should be broad across the loin. The narrow birds should never be placed in .a breeding pen. The breeders should have as much range as possible, and everything' should be lone to keep them in the pink of condition. Green' food in abundance, grit, a plentiful supply of fresh water and. the best descriptions of' foodstuffs should be provided. In these clays of inferior pollard it is better to use crushed grain * for mashes. Depend mainly .on grain ar.d scatter this in litter, to keep the breeders active and in good health. If male birds have to be purchased it is poor economy to haggle over the price. Buy the very best birds available. And don't buy from a man who boasts of the number of strains he has in his flock. Go to the leading breeders and ask for the lest they'can supply. Nothing worth having is built upon a week foundation. MANAGEMENT OF . INCUBATORS.

- In the management of . incubators, one of the main things to remember is to under, rather than over, fill the machine. Never put the full hundreds eggs in an incubator advertised to take ;that number, and in like manlier underfill the. foster-mothers with chicks. Test each, thermometer to ■ see that it is giving a correct reading, and see that fertile eugs are directly under it. Fill the lamp arid trim the wick daily, and rub rather than cut the wick in order to ensure an; even, flame. At hatching time the mode of procedure will depend upon the type of machine. -In the hotwater or 'tank" incubator the chicks can be removed and placed, in the drying box above.. In the, hot-air applia-nce, the drying chamber is' underneath. The chicks come to the front, being attracted by the. glass .window, and fall down .into the drying section below. .If the eggs are, packed, too closely; that will interfere with' the activities of many chioks which may be loft by way of dead-in-shell "because of the eggs getting wedged.. While ono should not be continually opening, the egg-drawer, it is well to space out the eggs' a little, when removing the empty egg-shells. ' ■ " ' CARE OF INCUBATORS. -

Before stafting : an incubator at tho beginning of the season, the - machine should bo carefully'overhauled. • If the operator blows down the filling • tube, the bottom of the tank will be inflated if there is no leakage. .Thermometers should'always be tested' for faulty readings, and spare' capsules and thermometers, should be kept in' reserve in case of emorgency."' Between'the batches the interior of "the , machine • should he oldamed, ohi disinfeolted, and btirners should be scalded and lamp's well cleaned At the close of the'.'season each, incubator should' again be overhauled, cleaned, gently dried down, and disinfected. If a little borax is added _to the. water when the tank is being dried down, that will clean the interior . BROODIES UNRELIABLE.

Where one' relies : for", early work, upon broody hens, it is.a question-of fighting against odda. If the season is bitcer and against the hen, then broodies are scarce. AKain. broodmess -usually follows a long spell of laying, and if birds have started to lay late they may . go broody late. If one has not a broorty hen, the neighbours ere generally similarly placed. In most seasons early broodies will fetch any price, so that experienced men prefer to rely upon incubators for the early broods. ihe professional breeder would be quite * at sea" if he relied upon broody hens, and even the small poultrykeeper can take a leaf out of his book. There is no need to buy a large machine, as. a. small one will answer the purpose quite well ,in most cases. A foster-mother . will be needed in which to" rear the chicks, un-less-the latter are transferred to broodies (if any are then available) or placed, in a home-made indoor or fireless brooder. POINTERS. '. . A hen that goes into moult with worn and ragged plumage is a better layer than the bird with no, such marks that bespeak hard work during "the preceding yeat , . . \ constitutionally. strong bird, qn.c thoT*passes through, the moult quickly ami easily, is ' a better layer. than one thai develops, all'kinds of ailments during this period. , ~ ■ . . Individual hens with pale coloured shanks in such breeds ..as the. Rock, V\*vandottes and .Leghorns,, are considered better layers than those, with bright and. yellow., shanks- ...This indication is truo only, when ..applied in the ontumn of. the year, and among, breeds witti yellow shanks.. , ~,,.'■■' . A bird first off the rpost m the morntne and the. last .to .return at, night is considered . a better layer , than .the one that spends .the major portion of her time on the. roost, or stands. around with a "humped up" appearance in a corner of the pen, or basks all day.in the sun.