THE POULTRY YARD

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 572, 26 January 1929, Page 30

THE POULTRY YARD

(By

GEO. H. AMBLER.)

THE FARMERS’ FOWL

THU farmer lias long been notorious for the low-grade nondescript poultry he usually keeps. It is surprising how often one finds a flock ot' mongrel hens on farms xvhere the <iua!ity of the live stock shows signs of the most careful breeding and selection. The explanation given in these cases is that the owner has no time to bother with poultry; in short, he considers them beneath his notice. A few farmers will stoutly maintain that these crossbreds, as tliey prefer to call them, are superior for their purpose, to the majority of pure breeds.

They claim they are hardier and easier to rear and maintain than pure-bred stock. While disagreeing with these opinions as far as some of our pure breeds are concerned, it is well to note the points the farmer lays so much stress upon when discussing the kind of fowl he believes to suit his purpose the best. THE IDEAL FOWL The ideal fowl tor the farmer is the bird which will “rough” it a bit at times, and which can be reared with a minimum of trouble: the type of bird which will give a fair return without any elaborate housing or expensive feeding. The farmer’s fowl must be able to withstand the vagaries of the weather without immediately sinking in condition and ceasing to lay; it must also be a good forager, and able profitably to consume some of the by-products of the farm. I can Imagine some fanciers shaking their heads and saying that unless the conditions are made much better for the birds than those mentioned they will never be productive enough to be profitable. 1 am quite prepared to admit that maximum yields are not likely to be obtained on the farm under these conditions, but I would also point out that it Is not necessarily the highest yield which proves the most profitable. The farmer’s profit depends i largely on the low cost of nrainten-1 ance; pud to keep the expenses down! he must stock the kind of iowl which is most suitable. This Is a point upon which opinions differ. A large number favour crossbred stock, because they believe it is a hardier and better layer. Some confine themselves to a first cross between two pure breeds; others say “the more you cross them, the better they lay,” and they use male birds of a different breed, or cross every year. A few favour a particular pure breed, and keep only stock of that breed. PURE BREEDS PREFERRED Previous to my leaving England, 1 iried all these methods and I have no hesitation In saying I like the last plan far the best. The indiscriminate mixing of breeds leads to nowhere: one never knows what kind of stock one is going to get. Perhaps it is I

i this element of chance which makes this method appeal to some people. By mating carefully-selected crossbred hens to a well-bred male of a pure breed, some useful stock can be obtained. A better plan is crossing two pure breeds, providing the birds are mated correctly. Hens of the heavy and general purpose breeds mated to a cockerel of a light, non-sitting breed, will generally give a useful all-round fowl, which will meet the farmer’s | requirements in" most respects. | Although a first-cross of the above ; type has much to commend it, there ! is no reason why a pure breed, carefully selected to suit the conditions and locality, should not prove more satisfactory. If one finds that the present stock is not quite of the type desired it can be bi-ought nearer the ideal by judicious crossing. Although we have so many breeds to select from, such a variety of types from which to make a choice, there is no need to go beyond the breeds mentioned below to fulfil your requirements. There is no reason why the purebred bird should not be quite as hardy as a crossbred. It is only a matter of mating a selected bird and keeping it under natural condi- 1 tions. ADVANTAGE OF PURE BREEDS The advantages of stocking only j pure breeds are obvious to all. To 1 get genuine first crosses, one must have breeding-pens for pure breeds to provide the stock for crossing. This means a great deal of work, which can be avoided only by purchasing pens for breeding. Apart from the uniform appearance of the purebred flock, it has a higher commercial value, and it affords opportunities of disposing of breeding stock and eggs for hatching at prices above the ordinary commercial rates. It is not for this reason I recommend them, but because 1 am confident a higher rate of production can be obtained. with a less amount of effort. Pure breeds hive been brought to a superior state of productiveness.

and by sticking to them we know more what we are doing. With regard to the particular breeds I consider suitable for the farmer, a good deal depends upon the soil and situation. BREEDS TO USE I know one farmer in the Waikato district who keeps two white breeds, Leghorns and Wyandottes. The Leghorns are run on the sheltered side of the farm, and the Wyandottes on the more exposed position. A short time ago I was on a farm where only the Plymouth Rock was stocked, and the owner was very loud in his praises of it as an all-round fowl. Where the farm is large enough l should recommend the keeping of two breeds as mentioned, but where only j one flock could be accommodated, I should give to what are usuallytermed the general purpose breeds. The Rhode Island Red and the Light Sussex are two excellent breeds for the farmers, and a well-bred flock of either would yield a much higher return than crossbreds or mongrels, and at the same time have all the ad--1 vantages in respect of hardiness. FORAGING IN SUMMER j It is the active, busy', foraging fowls that continue to lay', and seldom become broody; but almost any breed of fowl will become sitters if confined and fed liberally on grain. When the hens have a range, and are busy at work they naturally keep themselves in what is termed "‘good laying condition.” for the reason that when they forage and work over a wide area they secure a greater variety of food, have plenty of exercise, breathe more fresh air, are subject to less disease, and the food is more balanced. When fowls are fed liberally, they have no incentive to forage, and become fat, and they' are then out of laying condition. It is claimed that the hen that forages and lay's a large number of eggs in summer pays more than one which lay's fewer eggs in winter, even with the advantage of high prices during the cold season, as the expense is much greater thau for the summer. The profit is that which is left over after all expenses are deducted. and the high prices for eggs in winter will not produce a profit unless the expenses are such as to accomplish that purpose; but in summer almost any' price for eggs gives a profit. Foraging in summer permits i the fowls to utilise materials on the i farm that otherwise would not give ] any return. CLEANING AND REPAIRING Repairs should be done in fine sum-1 mer weather. Lime washing is better done on a sunny day. The free admission of sunlight to houses tends to keep them sweet and insect free. Insect pests breed and multiply during summer. Rub a little flowers of sulphur under | the hen’s wings now and then: it ! serves to keep vermin away. Keep a record of the flocks. Do regular and systematic poultry book- i

keeping. Do not leave it to guesswork. Find out what they cost, and what they pay, how many eggs they produce, what they sell for, and whether or not you are making the profit you should. Use insect powder freely in the nest boxes to keep pests under, and also put a little powder in the dustbath. If creosote is, used for woodwork it should be heated and allowed to i soak in. GENERAL NOTES ! The following are the results of the j Taranaki Egg-laying Test, up to and j including the 41st week:-r- ---! In the White Leghorn section, quite a number of birds have now passed the 200-egg mark. W. Cannon’s hen still retains her lead, her score being 224, followed by A. J. Davey’s hen with 219 and W. Ferguson’s with 216 eggs. Competitors in the Black Minorcas and Andalusian sections are not coming up to expectations. G. L. Gaylard’s hen is leading in the Black Orpington section, as is H. Kirkwood’s hen in the Light Sussex section. C, C. Cleavei’’s Rhode Island Red has gained a further two eggs on A. Gibbons’s White Wyandotte, and it looks like being a race between these two birds for the leadership in the heavy-breed section. In the Fawn and White Runner section, V. L. Gane’s duck, which has laid so consistently for so many months, laid eight eggs for the week. A. Morse’s duck, which is second on the list, laid six. In the White Runner section J. W. Carrick’s duck has displaced D. M. Waddell’s duck for the leadership. A meeting of the members of ihe Auckland Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Club was held in the Y.M.C.A. on Tuesday. Mr. Geo. H. Ambler presided over' a good attendance. Correspondence was read from the North Island Poultry, Pigeon and Cage Bird Association, informing the club that a meeting was being held with a view to the revision of the association’s rules and asking for remits. It was decided to send several remits. In addition to judges already cm the fist, it was decided to nominate the j following: Mr. A. Wood (all classes of poul- j try); Mr. E. Bust (Old English and j Modern Game); Mr. F. E. J. Hiddleston, editor “Racing Homer,” Sydney, who is shortly visiting New Zealand, and Ralph Hunter (Racing Homers); Mr. T. Sparkes (all classes Fancy Pigeons); Mr. and Mrs. Simmons (Angora Rob bits). The South Island Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Association is making strong efforts to run an art union in connection with this year’s South Island shows, and has asked the De-1 partment of Internal Affairs for a permit to raffle art metal work (hand-; made), 12 prizes, to the value of £7O.

The prizes will consist of palmstands, fire screens, herbs, bowls, log boxes, and vases, etc. The association is expecting a favourable reply.

PERSONAL NOTES

I have just x'eceived a long and interesting letter from Mr. R. Pearce, secretary of the South Island Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Association, and late secretary of the Christchurch Poultry Club. Mr. Pearce, who, for many years, has been one of the most successful breeders of Anconas and Black Leghorns in. the Dominion, has had an excellent breeding season. In addition to several promising youngsters bred from his own birds, he has some good Anconas hatched from eggs imported from Mr. G. L. Ardill (Australia). The eggs were from a pen of birds imported by Mr. Ardill from the Vancouver University. Mr. Peai’ce also imported a sitting of Black Leghorns and Anconas from Mr. Salmond (Australia), these eggs being from a pen of birds imported from England. From these latter eggs he has some typical Black Leghorns with grand head points and leg colour. He tells me his own stock of Anconas have the right-shaped Ancona tipping, and are better in corour than any he has had for some time. Mr. Pearce is also interesting himself in Brown Leghorns, and has four cockerels, bred from the Christchurch Club’s English importation. All these birds are showing great promise, all having capital head pieces. Blaster Rupert Pearce, who *lB a keen bantam fancier, has also a grand lot of youngsters. Blrs. Pearce is also an enthusiastic fancier, and is entitled to much of the credit for the success of her husband’s birds. Both Mr. and Mrs. Pearce are expecting to spend their holidays in Auckland duriug the coming month, when they will, no doubt, visit many of the Auckland fanciers’ yards. During the week I had a visit from Mr. Low, Glen Eden. Mr. Low, who is a Scottish fancier, well known to the writer as au exhibitor of several breeds of "poultry at the leading English and Scottish shows. We had quite a long and interesting conversation on the fancy and fanciers also Association football, both of us having been official referees in League games in England. Blr. Low is also well known as one of the leading referees in the Soccer code in New Zealand. Since coming to New Zealand he has confined his interests (so far as the fancy is concei’ned) to the breeding of Black Orpingtons and White Leghorns, but is giving up these breeds and going in for Khaki Campbells, White, also Fawn and White Runners. Although eggs will loom largely in Bir. Low’s efforts, he does not intend losing sight of breed type and, in all probability, his old love for the fancy will reassert itself. If so, "Duckers” will need to look to their laurels. Mrs. Pickard, Waimauku, who is au enthusiastic lady poultry-breeder,! tells me she has had a splendid

I hatching and rearing season, having ' hatched over 1,500 chickens. In addition to her adult stocks, she has over 500 fine, healthy pullets, chiefly White Leghorns and Black Orpingtons. I congratulate Mrs. Pickard on her success, which should be an incentive to other lady fanciers. Miss Ambler, Glen Edeu, has a couple of most promising White Minorca pullets, bred from a White Minorca hen—a sport from a pen of Blacks. . If Miss Ambler exhibits them they will be of especial interest to fanciers. G. L. Gaylard’s hen is still leading in the Orpington section, as is H. Kirkwood’s bird in the Light Sussex section. C. C. Cleaver's Rhode Island Red is still 14 eggs behind A. Gibbons’s White Wyandotte, the latter leading in the heavy breed section. In the White Runner section. J. W. Carrick’s duck is now only three eggs behind tile leading duck, belonging to D. M. Waddell. I have received ail advance copy of the schedule of the Tarauaki egglaying competition, season 1929-30. Tests are to be for single birds in both fowls and ducks, also three-bird teams, light and heavy breeds. The entries are limited to 68 pullets and 20 ducks. The competition, like the present one, will be held oil Mr. Don. Stewart's grounds at Normanby, and will be under the personal supervision of Mr. Stewart and a strong executive. Mr. Stewart is one of the Dominion’s foremost experts and judges, therefore competitors can rest assured that every care and attention will be given the birds. The entrance fee is £1 15s for first entry, with £1 5s for additional entries, together with a membership fee of 10s. Special prizes have been allocated for the autumn, winter, spring, and summer tests, to both heavy and light breeds, also ducks. For the pullet laying the greatest number of eggs during the competition, and for the duck laying the greatest number, also for pullet laying the heaviest weight of eggs during the competition, also for duck laying the heaviest weight during the competition. In addition to the above, special prizes will be awarded to the best exhibition birds in both light and heavy breed fowls, also ducks. Special prizes will also be awarded for teams in both light and heavy breeds sections. Birds will be judged according to New Zealand utility standards, and must score at least 66 points as exhibition specimens, also lay 200 eggs, to enable them to compet for special prizes as exhibition birds. ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT A. Leigh, Matamata.— This does not mean stock birds that produce only pullets, as you apparently think, but is a fanciers’ term. In some breeds, mainly pencilled or laced sorts, the show standard does not allow of exhibition specimens of both sexes being produced from the same parents, or rarely so. Hence two breeding pens have to be mated—one to produce good cockerels, the other for good pullets. It is needless to go into further details, as it is not your object, I presume,, to go in for this class of poultry.