POULTRY NOTES

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10605, 11 April 1912, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES

(By Utilitarian.)

The fine weather we have bee;: experiencing lately '.should prove of groat benefit towards p-iuhing < n }h: young (stock for the winter's !ay::.;.>. and also bo a good opportunity for innovating any leaky roofs. The Irishmaji, in connection with (this, is reported to ho/ve said: "When the weather i/s fine there is no need to bother ahout leaks, and. when it rains it :& too wet to mend them." Take time by the (forelock, and make a close overhauling' in the buildings and fences. April is generally considered the ebmjineneeinent of the. poultryman'G year, and is the time fresh entries of acock, buildings, etc., should he made in a book kept isolely for • tha.fc pur- I pose. If it is desired to keep records of the layers, a .start should be made this month, or, ait any rate, as soon as the eggs begin to come in. Jt is rumoured that a local poultryiman intends to devote more attention to table poultry than to eggs, and intends to have some as- j sistance from, another one interest- { ed. There is evidently going to be a good opening for thi* class of bird, bait it is important that anyone taking up this line commences with the .best obtainable. Just as much as.it costs v no imore .to feed a .purebred [ bird for eggs than a mongrel, the same remark applies to producing table poultry from pure strains, euch as the Pekin for ducks and Orpingtons and Wyandottes in fowl®. Nevertheless, good results may be obtained, from first crosses, as long a* the;* are each of the right sort. In. America, iPekins are almost invariably used for this purpose and what they haive found, by experience, to , give the ibest results are worthy of stimulating there. The Ayleshury-Pe-kin, in crosses, is one of the most successful for the table, in fact, any l breed that produces a white flesh when dressed is more saleable than dark skinned birds.,. The Utility 'Egg Circle Committee have, authorised one of the •of the Oiircle to ta-nvaiS's for furth?r \ miemhers. |

Thc«e v who intend to purcha.se any fresh male hirds for the coming season's breeding are strongly advised to do so at the earliest opportunity, thereby having tlie best opening f'or obtaining the pick, of the flocks. It is not a day too .soon to do so now. In table poultry, a. little-known bird, as yet., in this country, is the (Rhode Island hen, an American production. The writer has. seen some, . both in Nelson, and Balmerston North, and judges them to be well worth a trial by those who may be taking up table birds. In appearance they are very much like the Buff Orpington, only darker in the feather. They have one similar tendency, or weakness, as the latter, namely, to throw black feathers', especially in the tail, but of course t'hi • is only a blemish from a show .point of view. Another few weeks, and we shall' have the annual shows round 'again-. As Masteitonihasi, for the time 'being,, "(thrown, lip the sponge in.this direction, '.: : Jaik»ers ! should patron ire Carterton in .July,' (both by. exhibits and, '•■ attendance.,. This Society .is gaining ground since its inception", three of ■'iWr yeans- ago, no doubt lairgely due to the energetic secretary, 'Mr W. Tucker. The seventh egg-laying contest was finished on the 31st ult., and for the .first time in poultry history the double event was carried off by one individual. I refer to ; that popular ] •gentleman, Mr Mumhy, of Heretaunga. Ho Ms been well up on; , previous occasions, which indicates that his was not a mere sporting win, but one arising .from matured judgment, his tuition having been greatly assisted by our popular Government Instructor, Mr F. Brown. His Leghorn®, though l not attain- 1 ins quite such high records as have been achieved, put up the respectable record' of 1464 eggs, and the ducks. 1354. The second in the fowls were Mr Brown and Mr Nixon, .'who tied •with 1447.t0 their credit. Kennedy's Silver Wyandottes made 1411, a truly' rem a ridable performance for that breed. The great Padanan was right out of the riming this time, only having 1114, but it was not till gome time after the competition had been running that it was discovered that one of the hens was an absolute waster. The winter test was won by the Misses Bradley, another pen which had some hard luck to contend with. The bottom pen, White Leghorns, only laid 775, which proves how much more there is in type than in breed. The ducks.' records on the average were higher than in any .previous competition, and the fowls, some 360 birds, averaged right through the pens 200 eggs apiece. One rather prominent point stands out, that for some three months the ducks produced eggs steadily while the pullets were almost'at a standstill.