POULTRY NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 73, 26 March 1903, Page 4

POULTRY NOTES.

[By Wyandotte ] Items of interCE- *.viU b? thankfully received from poultry-raisers. P!e*s* ;ddress to " Wyandotte," Nkws oilico.] It is siid i hat the Orpington is now all the rage in the United S'at.es. The boom has slso caught on in New Zealand, and bids fair to bsoome tb-3 favorite. Water (says an exchange) in a scarce art : cta in many yards, yet water, good, .clean, fresh waterjia the very fouudation of the egg basket. Green cut bone will make even moulting hens lay. It is now g >nerally concfd;d that this is absolutely thimost perfect egg food known. Almost all our succsssful egg farmers usa it, and we have known no cne who has given it a proper trial to spaak otherwise than well of it. At moulting time especially, not only will the eggprcducing elements keep up the yield, bat that part of it that is of a fatty or oily nature will help materially to turn the birds out in good feather in the shortest amount of time pcsnble. Doctoring diseased birds and then using them for breeders ruins the stamina of any flock. Better give them away—better still, kill them. There's no weakness like hereditary wshknrss.riovigor like hereditary vigor. If you breed from puny, pampered weaklings you will get the former, and might as well stop right now and save your time. If, on the contrary, you nse only, strong vigwua birds on both sides you will g-1 . hat grand rugged stock tha*', given proper attention, will grow like weeds, and as the soying goes "an axe won't ki'l."

The lack of good sharp grit is the cause of a great many poultry ailments, of which perhaps indigestion ia the most prevalent. Docks do not thrive on whole grain, j and should have none, except a handful to each half-dozen birds at midday, to keep them quiet. Leg weakness ia ducklings is attributed by one writer to too much animal food. In more iostancea it is due to an insufficient quantity. Where a reasonable amount of this class of food i« given, together with grit, bone, and green stuff in proper quantities, there will bo little leg weakness apart from that due to worm*, which can be quickly cored with f-m root tea.

An - American duck raiser says '■ One of the most essential things izr raising ducks is that they have dry quarters to sleep in and pure air to breathe. Litile attention need be given to making tight houses; as long as they are kjpt dry at night they will stand some very cold weather. For their bidding I use plenty of lawn clippings and clover hay, and it is surprising to see how much a flick of 50 will consume through the winter."

THE LANGS HAN. This valuable breed was originally brought over from China, and is is believed that when first imported into England it went by the name of Black Cochin. The Langshan, however, of to-day, should not be a* all like the Cochin. The oonab a'.ou'd b • "-'ingle and vpright. A rather largj comb is admired in the cook, but if the combs be grown too largi in the hens they will have a tendency to fall over, and this is a fatal fault in the show pen. Therefore, though it is not necc-ss uy -to make up two pens for producing' cockerels and pulluts, there is no doubt some slight tendency in that direction. 1 That the Liangthans are a meat useful j breed, either for the table or egg pro- j ducing, is certain. Thay lay rich, large i and more or less tinted (brown) eggs, j Their tkin should be white and thin, j size large, aud an upright and alei 11 carriage, eyes dark with lirge bl rck; pupils, legs dark grey growiog lighter' with age. Scales in front of legs down ' to toes black with ekin b-tween seal-s ! and tees showing a pink tinge, under { foot white. The nails white, the plumage should be intense black, close and• hard, showing a brilliant green gloss, j a purple glofs is rearly, if not quite, j

a disqualification. The head should be fine and highly bred, comb single, upf r ight, evenly serrated and free from | aide sprigga, back fairly long, with very close saddle, and little or no cushion, ! breast long, full, and deep, covered with an abundance of white meat, slightly feathered on legs and outer toes, not on middle toes. Tail, large and full, the cocks with distinctly projecting sickle feathers. A yellow tinge on shiD, feet, base of beak, or around the eyes is a fatal fault, also vulturi hocks, legs quite free from feather coloured feathers (not black) comb other than single, much fluff on thighs and very short shanks. A cockerel with light oyes should never be used in a breeding pen. The Langshan is the only breed with feathered legs that has t in middle toe frae of feathers. The modern Langshan is a splendid winter layer, the chicks are hardy, and are very easily reared, and should te black and yellow when hatched. Langshan lequire little prepiration before exhibition. The other kinds of Langshan are the white, blue, and buff, but the blaek is the most gecenl. Weight of cockerel 81bs to lOlbs, weight of pullet 61bs to 81m, adult cock 101b to 121b, hen Bib to 101b.