POULTRY NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 24229, 12 September 1940, Page 12

POULTRY NOTES

By

A. PEAT

At the invitation of Mr J. A. Heenan, George street, the members of the Invercargill Canary and Cage Bird Club spent a pleasant afternoon inspecting his recently imported Yorkshire canaries. They consist of two trios, and it gave local breeders the opportunity of comparing some of the prize winners in Great Britain with our local-bred birds. ' Mr S. C. Hodgson, from whom the birds were imported, is one of the largest breeders and most successful exhibitors in England and annually exports birds to America, Australia and the Continent. As the Yorkshire canary has been altered in recent years to a more fuller type, these birds afford New Zealand breeders the opportunity of inspecting the style that is winning in England today. The clear cock is without doubt the pick of the bunch and probably the best canary eyer seen here—a bird of great length and upright carriage, beautiful round back and body, good head, nice beak, full neck and splendid feather. Before leaving England he was first at the National Red Cross Show, first and special best Yorkshire in its section at the City of Glasgow, first and special best Yorkshire in the show at Melton Mowbray and Bolton, and first at Bradford East and Great Horton; holding an unbeaten record for the season. He will be paired with two beautiful hens and there is very little between them. The clear buff excels in head, but the buff variegated has a finer beak and fuller back. These birds are perhaps better described by the breeder, who says the unflighted clear buff hen is a really wonderful hen, an exceptionally big one with a wonderful top end and good quality for her size. Actually she is more of a stock hen than a show hen and she is the nearest approach to the new standard I have seen in unflighted hens. She was shown twice and was first each time. The unflighted buff variegated hen is a real model with wonderful outline and stance. She was first at Bradford East, Bradford West, and Bingley and fourth at the National Red Cross show. The clear buff cock is a big bird of great length and substance. It was first and special best Yorkshire at Cumnock, first at Dairy and Margate, and second at Melton Mowbray. She will be paired with an unfiighted yellow variegated hen which has not been shown and is by the champion yellow variegated cock, which was last year’s Palace champion. This was the second occasion on which he has won this trophy. The other is a clear yellow hen, but is not through the moult yet. If shows promise of being an exceptionally fine bird.

Mr Heenan has some novel ideas that are worthy of consideration. His birds are cleaned out every day during breeding season, but he does not change his sand every time. He has a tin about a foot square and six inches high, open at one end. Three inches from the bottom is a very fine gauze, just sufficient to allow the sand to pass through, yet it retains all seed husks and droppings. The sand is riddled back on to the tray through the open end; this takes only a second to do. Another excellent idea is that the sandtrays project an inch or more out from the cages. This prevents them from spilling seed or sand on the floor. Green feed is supplied ‘ regularly every day throughout the year and this no doubt has a great deal to do with the excellent condition and health of this breeder’s birds.

BREEDING SEASON Some breeders have young budgerigars already, but there is a certain amount of risk in this early hatching, especially for the novice. He is far better to wait until there is a fair amount of warmth in the sun and then there is less risk of egg-binding and other complaints. The birds may be paired any time now and in addition to their ordinary seed a little of it should be soaked in cod liver oil and given at the rate of one teaspoonful a day. This

is an excellent preventative against egg-binding. Husks are better than boxes for nesting. They should be well dusted with insect powder and if the breeder desires to have a look in occasionally to see how the brood is progressing it is advisable to have a catch and hinge put on the husk beforehand, so that it can be easily opened and closed. Plenty of clean water, cuttlefish bone and green food ’ should be supplied regularly. Silver beet is probably one of the best foods, but lettuce, chickweed, carrots and apples are all good and the birds relish a change. If large show birds are desired all the young should be killed except the first two hatched.

Canaries may also be mated now and put in the breeding cage with the slide a little open between them so that they can see each other and the cock can feed the hen. In a week’s time the birds should be mated and the slide can be removed. The porcelain nest pan is the best to use, but owing to war conditions these are now unprocurable. However, a round basin or tin is preferable to a flat-sided box resting against the wall, for it is only a harbour for red mite. A piece of old horse cover, felt or flannel should be glued on to the bottom of the nest pan, otherwise the birds will continually pull it out while trying to make a nest. After the birds have been together for a few days the nesting material should be placed in the cage and when each egg is laid it should be removed with a spoon, and placed in a box. If several pairs are mated it is advisable to number the cages and drawers so that there is no risk of getting the eggs mixed. After the third egg is laid replace all the eggs and shut the cock away. Before and while mating give the birds niger seed; this will prevent egg-bind-ing. A little egg food sprinkled lightly with maw seed will assist to maintain the birds in good breeding condition. Once the hen begins to sit only plain canary seed should be fed. Some breeders use two hens with the one cock and in this case when the first hen sit? the cock should be put in another breeding cage with the second hen and Treated in the same manner as with the first. If you have an extra good cock bird this method will enable you to get more young ones from him.

EGG-LAYING CONTESTS

PAPANUI (22nd week) TEST No. I—WHITE LEGHORN SINGLE HEN TEST (three purebred pullets).

test 4.— light and heavy breeds SINGLE-HEN TEST (seven purebred pullets to be single penned, best six to count).

S. Brumby (A. 0. 130, 99, 5, 125, 17, 101, 125; T. S. Dove, 82, 94. 81, 109, 63, 46, 83 r A. H. Ellis, 115, 134, 124, 87, 101, 114, 47; Mrs M. Garrett, 98, 104, 96. 116, 122, 113, 97; W. H. Mitchell. 79. 72, 64. 7, 107, 112, 53; J. Turner, 109, 132, 96, 66, 105, 108, 94; J. Liggins, 102, 80, 38. 117. 75, 94, 74; F. A. Atkinson. 77, 117, 91. 108, 94, 49, 46; W. Turner, 68, 98. 84, 118, 49, 102, 81; J. B. Lees, 94, 76, 86. 108, 92, 79, 92; G. H. Lintott, 109, 112, 99. 131. 63, 92, 43; A. O. Oakley. 95, 107, 99, 115, 128. 118, 117; J. W. McGlinchy, 108. 87. 58, 94. 64, 109, 96; Mis? M. Robinson. 89, .113. 63, 99, 105, 84. 44; F. L. Giles, 110, 55, 79, 116, 37. 97, 93; G. D. Cameron, 40, 22, 102, 71, 123, 104, 111; D. A. McKie. 98, 70, 109. 89, 85, 108. 78; Mrs L. Donald. 103. 64. 105. 104. 99. 91. 67; J. Cunningham, 94, 104, 78, 50, 100, 116, 100.

A. J. Severn 0 6 6 60 128 120 R. K. Summerfield 6 6 4 120 121 79 Cotswold Poultry Farm 0 4 5 74 103 87 Mrs J. A. Ritchie 5 6 5 114 106 94 J. E. Rainey 6 5 2 80 87 115 T. S. Dove (No. 1) 4 5 4 82 82 63 T. S. Dove (No. 2) 3 3 6 47 61 95 Argyle Poultry Farm — 5 5 — 77 50 Green Brothers 6 0 4 112 93 77 F. Ashworth 0 4 4 103 41 95 Mrs M. Garrett 4 5 5 80 118 104 E. Tilley (No. 1) 6 6 6 41 63 119 C. H. Penrose 5 — 6 92 116 R. T. Thomson 6 5 6 103 97 118 A. J. Lucas 6 6 6 130 70 130 J. Cunningham 6 4 4 104 68 85 J. Wilde 4 5 5 111 84 67 W. Ellis 0 5 3 61 31 108 J. Turner 5 5 6 82 117 119 S. B. Roberts 3 3 4 112 31 24 R. R. Gare 6 4 4 104 101 83 T. Barr (No. 1) 4 5 5 109 125 53 T. Barr (No. 2) 6 4 6 113 63 110 G. H. Dahlenburg (No 1)5 3 7 115 97 66 G. H. Dahlenburg (No. 2) 3 6 6 108 110 112 A. O. Oakley (No. 1) 5 6 6 97 120 130 A. 0. Oakley (No. 2) 7 6 5 101 108 113 W. M. Evans 4 6 5 35 68 62 L. J. McNeill (No. 1) 5 5 99 94 J. W. McGlinchy 6 5 6.123 109 70

R. G. Bell 5 6 3 77 96 61 L. J. McNeill (No. 2) 5 4 6 90 49 112 W. Skelton 3 5 4 67 83 117 J. Liggins 3 4 6 70 99 95 L. Brumby 4 1 D 59 16 — E. Tilley (No. 2) 5 5 4 103 29 107 F. Sugden 5 6 3 112 125 56 W. H. Robinson 4 6 5 68 110 75 W. F. Stent 5 4 5 108 80 73 Mrs F. Wilding 5 6 6 57 92 111 TEST 2—BLACK ORPINGTONS AUSTRAL ORPS. AND Mrs E. Lees 4 6 5 102 103 96 W. Waites 4 0 3 102 29 43 S. Brumby 0 1 6 46 63 139 L. Brumby (No. 1) — 5 0 — 87 44 F. A. Atkinson 5 4 6 81 94 119 E. J. Walker 4 1 0 114 105 81 L. Brumby (No. 2) 7 5 3 135 67 84 J. Gunn 3 0 4 30 25 116 TEST 3—ANY VARIETY LIGHT OR HEAVY BREEDS. Leghorns or Black other than Orpingtons. White J. D. Gobbe (Br. L.) 4 4 6 43 32 74 J. E. Ritchie (R.I.R.) 2 4 3 72 70 43 W. H. Morgan (R.I.R.) 6 5 124 124 W. Baxter (R.I.R.) 5 5 6 47 49 67 A. E. Williams (L.S.) 4 5 6 ‘66 133 107 A. W. Pritchard (L.S.) 0 6 6 18 48 19 Mrs F. Wilding (L.S.) 6 4 5 83 62 61 C. N. Goodman (Min.) 5 6 5 73 67 86 J. R. Griffen (Barn.) 5 6 6 77 80 93 H. J. Anderson (Lan.) 1 6 53 106 —

TEST 5.—SINGLE DUCK TEST. G. H. Bradford (K.C.) — 5 7 — 63 99 F. Ashworth (K.C.) 7 4 6 128 37 51 H. J. Anderson (K.C.) 7 5 7 93 142 134 G. Wright (K.C.) 7 7 — 74 73 — J. W. Thomson (I.R.) 6 7 7 137 141 81 A. I. Horsley (K.C.) 5 7 6 111 130 87 E. J. Walker (K.C.) — 5 7 — 144 133