The Poultry Yard

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1004, 21 June 1930, Page 32

The Poultry Yard

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GEO H AMBLER.)

BETTER BREEDING RESULTS that another breeding season confronts us we must give due thought to our breeding pens. We should not rest satisfied with the results obtained in the past season, and endeavour only to equal the same. Rather, we should strive to effect a noticeable improvement. Advancement, both in improvement and enlargement of the operations, should be the aim of all, both great and small. Hard work, and an endeavour always to exceed our previous efforts tends to progress and success, whereas indifference leads to stagnation.

In order to realise our aspirations we must put special stress upon breeding. We must use intelligence and foresight when putting together our breeders for the coming season. We may have good stock and give it good feed and care, but unless we exercise proper care in the selection of the birds intended for a place in the breeding pens and have the knowledge to so put them together that the results we desire to obtain will be realised, we cannot make the progress essential to success. Good comes from good, and bad from bad. Therefore only careful selection and breeding from the best will crown our efforts with success. Weak, improperly developed progeny cau often be attributed directly to the indiscriminate mating of the breeders. Haphazard selection never gets one anything. No birds should enter the breeding pens that fail to come up to the standard of health and vitality set for them—and one should have a standard of health that the birds must attain. A bird that has been sick should not be bred from. Such birds, when recovered and placed in the laying pens often net the owner a small profit, but they should not enter the breeding pens. The birds that are put in the breeding pens should be those that have developed steadily and naturally from the time they were hatched until maturity was reached. They must, neither have suffered a stoppage at any stage of their growth, nor should they be birds that were forced for quick growth at the expense of hardiness. The best condition under which breeding stock has been cared for is free range, roomy quarters, lots of good wholesome food and freeness from vermin. Pampering the birds with the expectation that better results will be obtained is an error. Far better to have the fowls rough it to a certain extent. Such treatment makes the fowls rugged and keeps them in the best of breeding condition. SELECT THE MALE: WITH CARE As the male bird is the sire of every chick hatched from his pen. he may rightfully be considered half the pen and it behoves us to exercise the utmost care in selecting the heads of the pens. Should we use one or two inferior females, the bad results will not be so noticeable, as these hens compose only a small part of the pen |

their particular eggs will be poor. Not so with the male bird, however, l'or his power tor good or evil Is great. Were he an inferior bird the results would be disastrous. The head of the pen should be well built, a vigorous bird. He should be of correct height, without being excessively fat, and should be typical of the variety he represents. His legs should be stout and set well apart. Eyes should be large and bright, skull broad and neck short and thick. He should be a good crower, as this denotes vigour, and he should be capable of holding his own anywhere. He should also be a good eater, but not greedy and vicious, so as to deprive his consorts of their share. Neither should he be so gallant as to deprive himself in order to let his companions have the food. In such cases he should be fed by himself. After deciding on our male bird we must turn to the selection of the females. It is generally conceded that the hen influences the size of the progeny. Therefore, if one finds it .necessary to use a male that has not attained the desired size, one should mate him with large hens, thus overcoming the tendency to undersized progeny. All the females in the same pen should be as alike as possible. The defects should, in so far as possible, be similar in the females, so that, by proper mating, they will be overcome in the progeny. We should never have females in the same pen that have the same defects as are carried by the male and expect the young stock to show improved quality. It cannot be done. Slight defects in certain sections of the females can be corrected if the male bird is especially strong where the females are weak. HENS ARE THE BEST FOR BREEDING It is at all times advisable to use hens in preference to pullets for breeding. Pullets are, at best, an unknown quantity. Pullet eggs are at first undersized, and, therefore, too small and lack the vitality to provide strong, quality chicks. Also, in using pullets we cannot be certain as to their laying ability. Their first few weeks’ egg re cord is no criterion of their yearly output. Some pullets, not being physically capable of'standing up under the strain of continued production. break down and are unfit for breeding.

GENERAL NOTES

The Auckland Game Fowl Club is holding its fourth annual show in the Municipal Hall, Newmarket, on July 25 and 26. This club, which, I believe, is the only specialist club in New Zealand to hold an open show’, is offering no fewer than 14 cups, 4 trophies, 15 cash specials of 15s each, aud 2 of 10s 6d each for competitiou. Two North Island District Championships, viz.. Old English Game and Old English Game Bantam, are also to be competed for. The judges are:—Mr. E. J. R. McLaren (Old English Game) and Mr. W. Wilson (Old English Game Bantams). Mr. Bust is the club's secretary. New Zealand Leghorn Club. —The New Zealand Leghoim Club has decided to hold its annual show’ in conjunction with the Wellington Show to be held on July 18, 10, 20, when the

club’s trophies and special prizes, also North Island Championships for both fancy and utility White Leghorns, will be competed for. Mr. T. Doig, ■Wellington, W’ill judge all classes of Leghorns in both fancy and utility sections. The annual balance sheet and report of the Leghorn Club just to hand shows the club to be in a sound fin ancial position. In addition to club trophies, the balance sheet shows a balance in hand of £lB 7s 4d. Last year’s show was held in conjunction with the Stratford Club, the entries being as follow:—English Leghorns, IS; American, 15; Utility, 95.

The silver teapot for best fancy Leghorn was won by Mr. George Ambler, and the Utility Shield by Mr. N Higgins. Onehunga Poultry Show. —The Onehunga Poultry Show, which was held last week-end, was one of the most successful yet held. Record entries faced the judges, and quality in most classes was above the high average usually found at Onehunga. Game classes were a show in themselves, the Mason Cup and gold medal for best bird in the fancy section going to Mr. W. Bish’s Pile Game Cock, which was penned in the pink of condition. The Brewin Memorial Cup and gold medal and John Jarvis Honour Bowl (perpetual) for best bird in utility section was won by a beautiful White Wyandotte cockerel exhibited by Mr. Harold Winstone. This bird also won several other trophies. The duck section was particularly strong. The cup for best duck in show

was awarded to a beautiful White Runner exhibited by Mr. Harrison. It was pleasing to note that competition tor Mrs. Hellaby’s Cup, which is competed for by birds having laid 250 eggs or over at Mount Albert Laying Competition, was keener than usual. Mr. B. Arnott secured the trophy with a White Runner. Light Sussex classes were well filled and several good birds had to be passed for crooked breast-bones. Breeders would be advised not to allow their birds to perch too early. I am indebted to Mr. R. W. Brown (Dunedin), secretary of the New Zea land Old English Game Cjub (South

Island) for the following notes on the special prize-winners in the Game classes at Christchurch Show:- — The special prize for best Old English Game, male, in the show was awarded to Mr. J. A. Boswell’s Black Breasted Red Cock, which was undoubtedly of outstanding merit. The South Island Poultry Association’s Championship for Old English, female, was won by a grand Brown Red hen, bred and exhibited by Mr. R. W. Brown. This hen, as a pullet, last year w6n the Christchurch Poultry Club Cup for best Brown Red or Birchen, and at this year’s show the cup was won outright by one of her daughters. Messrs. Robson and Newman won the Club Cup for Black Breasted Red cockerel or Partridge pullet, with a cockerel of good type. The cup for Light Red cockerel, Wheaton or Clav pullet, was won by H. Watkinson, with a good Light Red cockerel. The Duckwing Cup for young birds was awarded to a very fine Golden cockerel exhibited by Mrs.' Watkinson. The special for best cockerel in the Old English Game classes was won by a fine stamp of a White cockerel penned by Mr. H. Watkinson. The Auckland Game Fowl Club is offering a special prize to exhibitors residing 100 miles cr more from Auckland who compete at the club's annual show. This should prove an incentive to distant exhibitors, and the example of the Game Fowl Club could well be followed by other clubs. The New Zealand Game Club (South Island) has decided to hold its annual show in conjunction with the Oamaru Club on July 10, 11 and 12. Fanciers will be sorry to hear that Mr. J. O. Law, Gordonton, the wellknown Rhode Island Red specialist, has been seriously ill aud confined to hospital for five weeks. Mr. Law, whose illness is due to war injuries, is looking forward to hatching a few of his favourite breed during the coming breeding season. USEFUL HINTS If a fowl becomes ill, at once separate it from the others, since the disease may be contagious. It is better to keep a box of grit and shell constantly before the birds than to throw down a handful occasionally, or even every day. Go about poultry-keeping in a careful and sensible manner. Look before y r ou leap. Obtain, if possible, the counsel of some reliable and successful poultry man.