THE POULTRY YARD

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 352, 12 May 1928, Page 26

THE POULTRY YARD

(By

GEO. H. AMBLER.)

MATING AND HEREDITY GENERALLY speaking-, the men who are engaged in the production of exhibition poultry, are remarkably clever in mating their stock birds, and correspondingly successful year after year in procuring the quality of chickens that they aim for. They do the correct thing, because many years of experience have taught them how to act in almost every contingency.

They have noticed that from certain causes certain results ensue; they take note, act upon their observations, and profit accordingly. The why and wherefore concerns them very little. But there are many who, while ruling their conduct on exactly these lines, would yet very much like to know why things happen as they do. At this time of the year, when our breeding pens are about to be put together, and we wonder whether this or that mating will succeed best, we are, in reality, making some sort of a study of the principles of heredity, and according as we understand them aright or fail to do so, we have, in the power of inheritance, either a powerful friend or an unrelentingenemy; so that it is not easy to overrate the importance of asking ourselves a good many questions before deciding on our course of action. Even then, when we follow well-known rules, it is not always that results are what we expect, for every rule has its exceptions. The following example will serve as an illustration of this, and at the same time of the wisdom of asking ourselves why things happen. FAULTS TO NOTICE It is a rule that, failing perfect specimens wherewith to fill our breeding pens, the birds put together must not have the same faults on both sides, but that shortcomings on one sex must be counterbalanced by excellence in these particulars in the opposite gender. Generally, this works well in practice. Here follows, however, an exception. I remember having a Black Orpington cock short on leg, but rather too long in back and tail. In order to correct this fault in the chickens he was mated to shortbacked, neat-tailed hens; not, perhaps, so low on leg as they might have been, hut in view of the male’s excellence in this particular, just the birds for him, according to all rule and precedent. Instead of getting the happy blend in the offspring I expected, all the youngsters from this mating, cockerels and pullets, were, in vulgar language, the “very spit” of the cock. All resembled him exactly. So wonderfully potent was he that he had obliterated all distinction of the different mothers, and the chickens were all like peas in a pod.

Seeking in the text-books on heredity for an answer why this should have happened, I found there were three distinct kinds of inheritance recognised—the blended, the prepotent, and the exclusive. Clearly, my experience mentioned comes under the heading prepotent, the definition of which is: In prepotent inheritance one parent is supposed to be more effective than the other in stamping its likeness on the offspring. No explanation is offered as to why this occurs, but one can only suppose that one bird by a long pedigree in a selected strain, has obtained fixity of type, and therefore dominates in the breeding pen. On reflection this is understandable. I have heard it said, doubtless with some truth, that some ancient races of men such as the Chinese and the Jews, which for many centuries have never, or comparatively seldom, mixed in marriage with other peoples, are to-day, if crossed with any white Xtce, extremely prepotent. EXCLUSIVE HEREDITY

Returning to the other two ’rinds of heredity, the first —the blended—needs no mention: it is familiar to all. The last—the “exclusive” —is, I think, when the young resemble neither of their parents. Example: Blue Andalusians, which always produce some white and black chicks. Then there is what is called regressive heredity, as instanced by the marked tendency of highly-cultivated things to hark back to the original. Fancy pigeons unselected by man soon revert to the plain slaty blue of the common ancestor. Double mating, so much misunderstood by the uninitiated, demonstrates another phase of inheritance, what one may call the latent. Folks outside poutry circles do not seem to be able to grasp the fact that either sex may transmit characteristics which in themselves are necessarily latent, as, for instance, a selected cocke'rel will transmit a good laying strain, or the correct pullet plumage. So in cattle, a bull may transmit a good milking strain, or what not. Among ourselves there is the classical illustration of colour-blindness, almost entirely a male defect. The woman escapes it, but marrying, passes it on to her sons. This leads quite naturally to the subject of inherited diseases. INHERITANCE OF DISEASE Never breed from a bird that is not sound in health, is a rule no one can afford to depart from. It is cheaper to wring the neck of an unsound bird rather than use it in the breeding pen. By unsoundness I mean such things as middle toe not being straight, a tail carried a trifle to one side, or a hump-back. Are these things hereditary at all? To answer that, one has to ask another question, what is the cause of these defects? If the answer is that they arise from weakness of constitution, consequent upon too close in-breeding, then I suppose such defective birds would transmit not the actual defect, but the inherent delicate constitution that caused it. In the case of hump-back, at least, I have met those who deny the foregoing assumption that it is inherited weakness. (One owner of a large poultry-farm assured me this week that it only occurs among henbroded chickens, and is caused by the hen’s weight on them when the bones are soft.) On the other hand, a medical friend was positive it was the hatching in incubators that made the chickens weak, and the baking in the brooders that completed the mischief. A hunch-back man does not have children similarly deformed nor a blind man blind children. There I leave the question undecided. A brief mention of one more phase of heredity, and I will close my few notes on this interesting subject. TELEGONY There is supposed to be a kind of inheritance quite distinct from any other, and to which the name of telegony has been given. Some breeders

believe that chickens may inherit characteristics from a sire with which the mother has been previously mated, not their father. It is said that if by accident the eggs of a pure-bred pullet are fertilised by a mongrel male, that months after, when the pullet is mated with a male of her own species, she will very likely throw some chickens bearing evidence of that mongrel cross. Dog breeders allege the truth of this phenomenon in these animals, though I have never heard of any certain facts to support the theory, either in the case of birds or dogs. To explain the possibility of such a thing happening it is suggested that spermatozoa or portions of it may occasionally survive within the mother for an abnormally long period. The ready retort to this is that a second fertilisation is always necessary. PERSONAL NOTES During the week Mrs. Senior, Matamata, who is an enthusiastic poultry breeder, paid a visit to Auckland, calling on several of the prominent fanciers. She has "also joined the growing number of Khaki Campbell enthusiasts and purchased a valuable pen (consisting of six ducks and a drake) of this breed from Mr. Geo. H. Ambler, Glen Eden, all bred from his laying competition and exhibition winners. Mrs. Senior has also invested in an extra good pen of Rhode Island Reds from the yards of Mr. J. H. Kissling. We congratulate this lady enthusiast and feel sure she will be more than satisfied with the resulting progeny from her investments. * * * Poultry fanciers, and particularly the members of the Auckland Poultry Club, will be interested to hear that Mr. and Mrs. Crossley and their daughter (Grey Lynn), left per R.M.S. Niagara on a trip to England to visit their relatives. Mr. Crossley has, for some time, been an active member of the executive of the Auckland Club, and also a most successful exhibitor in runner ducks. At the last meeting of the club, Mr. Crossley had the honour of being elected a life-member. During his stay in England he intends visiting some of the leading poultry farms, also summer shows. Mr. and Mrs. Crossley intend leaving England in November and all fanciers will join us in wishing them a most enjoyable trip and a safe return. * * * Mr. Will Hall, Lepperton, has been appointed judge of all classes of poultry and Mr, Brookes, Frankton Junction, judge of bantams and pigeons at the Waikato Winter Show. Mr. Runciman, a former member of the Auckland Club, is in charge of the poultry section. * * * There are all kinds of poultry farms —farms for commercial eggs, farms for pedigree layers, farms for exhibition poultry and ducks. Sometimes two or three of these sections are combined, but it is unusual to find all three rolled into one. This makes Mr. T. Dowthwaite’s farm so interesting for all three branches are in operation. For many years Mr. Dowthwaite has been one of the most successful exI hibtors of fawn and white Indian Runner ducks, and his successes in both North and South Island laying tests have been so consistent that one could safely name his strain as “The Many Egg Ducks.” He has a few selected drakes, bred from his 331 egg duck, which he is advertising for sale in this week’s Sun. It is seldom the opportunity occurs to procure such valuable stock, and we would advise those wanting new blood in this variety not to hesitate, as Mr. Dowthwaite anticipates a ready demand for these particular drakes. « * * Mr. H. K. May, Whangarei, the wellknown Leghorn specialist, has purchased a Brown Leghorif cockerel from Mr. W. J. Martyn, Christchurch. Mr. May evidently has his eyes on the Brown Leghorn Championship which is to be competed for at Whangarei. GENERAL NOTES We have received an advance copy of the schedule of the Manawatu Poultry Association’s show, which will be held in conjunction with the National Dairy Show at Palmerston North in June. The society offers for competition a most valuable list of challenge cups and trophies, 25 for poultry, one for homing pigeons, three for fancy pigeons, including the Macquarie Memorial Shield, which is competed for alternatively at Christchurch and Palmerston North, also three challenge cups for canaries. The special prize lists contains close upon 100 valuable prizes as specials. Special ribbons -will be awarded for the best bird in fancy poultry, game, fancy ducks, utility poultry, utility ducks, homing pigeons, Norwich canaries, Yorkshire canaries. North Island championships for Fancy W’yandottes, utility ducks, Yorkshire canaries, African owls, English owls, fantails, jacobins, magpies, turbits, tumblers. The North Island Game Club, Rhode Island Red Club, Orpington Club, and Wyandotte Club are all holding their annual club shows in conjunction with the Palmerston North show. The judges are Game and bantam section, Mr. O. Anderson; all other fancy poultry and ducks, Mr. Geo. H. Amblerutility poultry and ducks, Mr. W. A. Hanson; homing pigeons, Messrs G H. Wilson and W. A. Alexander- fancy pigeons, Mr. W. B. McKenzie; canar ies, Mr. R. W. Thompson. Mr. W. Grey, who is w-ell known to Auckland fanciers, is president of the Poultry Association.

We hear that quite a number of Auckland fanciers have entered birds for competition at the Whangarei Show, to be held next week. The writer hopes to be in attendance at the show, and will be pleased to look after the needs of any local fancier’s exhibits.

Competition will be keen in the canary classes competing for the

Manawatu Poultry Association's challenge shield at Palmerston North. This particular trophy, which has to be w-on three times by the one competitor before becoming his property, has been in existence for 10 years Messrs. Munro. Denny, Inkpen, and Mace have each won the trophy on two occasions, and as these are the leading canary exhibitors in the Mana- j watu district, it would seem as if the trophy would this season be won out right. Have we no Canary breeder in Auckland capable of winning? ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT Pekin Bantam, Epsom. —There is nothing strange in your Black Pekin throwing white chickens that have kept that colour of plumage up to their adult stage. They are simply sports, and I have known similar cases in other black breeds. Of ’ course, at some period your strain of blacks may have been crossed with whites. That is quite possible.