POULTRY JOTTINGS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10613, 11 June 1920, Page 7

POULTRY JOTTINGS

, UTILITY TYPE. Though the New Zealand poultry expert, Mr P. C. Brown, has led the way in this as well as in other countries in fighting for breed type in utility stock, it is gratifying to see that the New Sbuth Wales poultry expert, .Mr J. Hadlington, is doing splendid work in this connection. He is in a good posi- ; tion to do so, better, in fact, than Mr Brown, seeing that the big laying competition at Hawkesbury College is under Government control and the New Zealand competitions are run independent of any official supervision. Recently Mr Hadlington gave a series of demonstrations to utility poultrynlen on the use 1 of a utility score card. As he Observed the standards for utility birds have not occupied the attention of poultry termers to the extent they should have done. This was often' observed in regard to the breeding stock on some farms and in the pullets sent to some competitions. At the recent Royal Show, of Sydney, declared Mr Hadlington,. more than onethird of the White Leghorns penned were found to bo under the utility standard weight. This being the case there was only one thing to do, and that was to pass thejn no matter how good the birds might otherwise be. The New South Wales standard is evidently a fairly good one. In one demonstration by Mr Hadlington a bird was at once pointed to —a bird he had not seen or handled before —with the remark:—"Now there is your typical crack layer.' Yet this bird scored points, and was easily the most typical bird from a breed standard point of view. It subsequently transpired that the actual tally of this hen was 281 eggs and she was etill layftr Hadlington, at the demonstration in question, made it clear that ha was not an advocate of the scoring of birds at a show'. It was too slow and cumbersome. The chief value of the score card was to educate the student in poultry culture as to the value of each point of tho bird. Now that the New Zealand utility poultry standards, for which principal Credit is due to the poultry instructors of the Government, Messrs Brown and Cassen, the former in particular, are being published, it is to bo hoped a much greater interest will be taken in breed quality of our great laying strains. The plates illustrating tho standards are highly creditable. When shown to delegates at the recent Poultry Conference at Dunedin leading experts of tho various breeds expressed their entire approval of them. It is to be hoped these will bo widely disseminated so that poultry keepers in general may train their eye to the ideal form. CHICKENS. July, August, and September axe recognised. as the .principal months for raising chickens. It is quite true that good results may ho obtained later in the year, provided the condition* of the season are suitable. In the early autumn. too, chickens may be hatched out advantageously. But taking the. subject "full and bye," the three months named are universally used for Witching out the bulk of chickens and rearing them, whether their destination is for use as food later in the season, or whether the pullets are required for egg-production, or tho cockerels as adult table birds. The advantage to tho spring-raised chicken is beyond dispute. In its career towards maturity it t has the advantage of natural green food, insect food that abounds in springtime, and as a rule a gonial temperature. With such conditions chickens tho product of sturdy parents cannot fail to grow and prosper. What have to bo considered at this particular season are

the sudden and severe changes of temperature ■ which are apt 'to take one unawares, strong and violent winds, and sleety rains. Those conditions must be provided for and it well considered the chickens will endure much rough handling from ordinary and seasonable changes, without ill effects followingLAYING THROUGH THE MOULT. A correspondent writes that most of his hens are laying all through the moult. This is by no means rare In the best-managed yards, and is one of the surest signs that the hens are as physically lit as It is possible to get them. In such cases tho bodies of the birds contain every tiling necessary to grow tho... new - feathers. - - Within reason, the birds that have the most animal food tho year round have the easiest moult. In any ease, moulting in a severe drain upon the system. Before wo had such excellent animal foods as we have to-day 1 found tho,best preparation for moulting was to turn al.

the young brooding hens' into large field houses, in flocks of fifty or so, and allow them to range on tho pastures witr only one limited feed of, grain, daily chiefly oats. ’ ' POINTERS. Hatch early. Use fresh eggs. Long, pointed, short, round, thin, 01 too thick shelled eggs should not be used for hatching, purposes. Chilled chicks are apt to have diarrhea. A good incubator ensures early hatches. Most people either raise twice as many chicks as they should or provide half enough brooding equipment. Plan, your equipment for the worst weather that can be' expected. Imitate nature in hcn-hatching. Hither make the nest in a bottomless box on the ground or put on overturned sod in the bottom of the nest. This assists the . hen in controlling evaporation from .the ogg. •- .