GENERAL NOTES

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 276, 11 February 1928, Page 26

GENERAL NOTES

The latest copy of “Poultry World,” London, which we have just received, contains some valuable information to our fanciers in New Zealand, viz., a full list of specialist breed clubs of Great Britain, with names and full address of club’s secretaries.

We have frequently been asked for the names of English breeders by those desirous of importing birds. No. one, however, is better able to put fanciers into touch with reliable breeders than the secretary of a specialist club. We have filed the list for reference and shall be pleased to furnish the name and address of any particular specialist club’s secretary to any fanciers requiring it. Although we have been pleased to note that the any fanciers requiring it. Although we have been pleased to note that the importations of poultry to New Zealand from America are now practically nil, and those from England have increased considerably since the war, we have been surprised to find so many of our fanciers who take an American poultry journal in prefererence to an English publication. Why this is so we have always been at a loss to understand. “The Poultry World” is edited by England’s leading authority, Mr. C. A. House, who is personally known to hundreds of New Zealand fanciers, and since his visit to the Dominion both he and his paper have been publicity agents for New Zealand and its poultrymen. Most papers in the Dominion publish articles of sound practical knowledge to the poultry-keeper, but The Sun is one of the few papers in- New Zealand that devote a weekly column to out-

side topics. It is, however, impossible to give show and club reports, otc., which can only be obtained by a publication such as the “Poultry World.” DON'T USE CASTOR OIL Several poultrymen, during the past few weeks, have written to tell me that their birds were off their feed; they were recommended by friends to use castor oil. They did so, and as a result the birds not infrequently died. I do not suggest that castor oil will always kill a hen or pullet if it is given to her, but I do say that this is altogether too powerful an aperient for poultry, and rarely is it attended with good results. Poultry-keepers should never use it while a more gentle laxative is to be had. The best undoubtedly is a dessertspoonful of olive oil, repeated the second day if necessary. When the liver seems to be the seat of the trouble, however, I recommend the use of Glauber’s salts. Dissolve a quarter-pound in one pint of warm water, and keep this by you as a stock solution. When birds are off colour (as they sometimes are this hot weather), add one tablespoonful of the solution to each pint of the drinking water, for several days in succession. You will soon see a marked improvement in vitality. However, in the usual way keep your castor oil for stronger constitutions than that of the average hen. CHIEF POINTS ABOUT PEKINS A- correspondent asks for a few points about Pekins. The Pekin is easily distinguished from the other breeds of ducks by reason of its upright carriage and lovely canary colour. The following is the Poultry Club’s standard of the breed in brief: Head, large and round, with heavy eyebrows; bill, short, broad and thick, bright orange in colour; body, broad and of good length, without any keel, except just between the legs; carriage, almost upright; plumage, very abundant, and of a rich buff canary colour, as even as possible; legs and feet, bright orange colour; weight, drake about 91b, duck about 81b. The breed is fostered by the British, also New Zealand Waterfowl Club. It is also a very useful breed for the farmer, as it is an excellent forager and quite a decent layer; the Pekin-Aylesbury cross is regarded by many as the ideal for producing early table ducklings in large quantities, the Pekin duck being a much better Tayer than the Aylesbury, while the Aylesbury improves the weight and colour of flesh. DUCK'S EGG RECORD >A Khaki Campbell duck which took part in the recent laying test at Harper Adams College, Newport, Shropshire, England, has achieved the remarkable record of 357 eggs in 365 days As far as can be traced this is a record for the breed. The test lasted 48 weeks, in which time the bird laid 331 eggs On account of this phenomenal score she was kept on, and recorded for the remaining four weeks of a full year, when the total already mention ’ was reached. All the eggs were of the first grade, and at one period she laid a sequence of 202 eggs in as many days. The weight of her ■''•ear’s output of eggs was half a hundredw' ,s -ht. THE VAGARIES OF FASHION Albert Park was at its best in the sunshine last week-end, most of the seats being occupied by peonle in smart clothes, many of whom sat there for hours absorbed in the moving picture. The queerest thing at the parade was a sweet-faced lady, whose small black hat was trimmed with rows of little dead, white chickens, their eyes and yellow beaks staring up, and their little feet sticking out on either side. It would seem there is another source of revenue open to the seller of day-old chicks. PIGEON IMPORTS The secretary of the United Pigeon Club has received word that the club’s importation of pigeons from England is arriving on the Arawa, due this week. The consignment is one of the mosts valuable shipments of pigeons to reach New Zealand, and consists of 23 birds for various fanciers. The same boat is also bringing a pair of Yorkshire canaries for Mr. Geo. Bradford, and a trio of Brown Leghorns for Mr. Aubrey Higgs. UNUSUAL EXPERIENCE During the week the writer witnessed a most unusual occurrence, viz., that of hens attacking and killing a rat. The rat, evidently in search of water, went into the house occupied

by some English White Leghorns, when one of the hens immediately flew at it, the others following suit, with the result that the rat was soon exhausted, and an easy prey to the birds. This is the second rat these birds have killed during the past couple of weeks. GUARANTEES AGE AND WEIGHT Lord Bledisloe, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, speaking at a Welsh Council of Agriculture meeting at Shrewsbury, said he had not the slightest difficulty in selling by contract the whole of the produce of his poultry farm, because he bound himself by guarantee to supply eggs that were not more than three days old, absolutely clean, and not less than two ounces in weight. Lord Bledisloe’s practice is one which many of our poultrykeepers in New Zealand would do well to follow. We have seen eggs for sale in shops which were absolutely unfit for human consumption. In fact, on one occasion jve saw eggs at one of the railway stations that were actually pipping. There is nothing worse than to opsn an egg on the breakfast table and find it putrid. As we have previously pointed out, there are thousands of eggs sent into Auckland that should have been condemned. Those who dispute my word need only pay a visit to one or two of our leading egg merchants who take the precaution of testing practically every egg that is sent in to them, and they would obtain convincing proof of the slipshod methods by which many eggs are sent in. Fortunately we have a good many producers who do grade their eggs, and thus get top price. £IOO FOR A HEN. The extraordinarily high price of 500 dollars (£100) for a hen has been paid by a Greenwich (Conn.) poultry breeder, to the University of British Columbia. It is by no means an ordi nary birl, however, but a champion egg-laying Leghorn, which has performed the remarkable feat of laying 335 eggs in 365 days, under the supervision of the Dominion Department of Agriculture.