POULTRY NOTES

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10616, 24 April 1912, Page 6

POULTRY NOTES

(By Utilitarian.)

,W,hen ducks are kept in comparatively email pens, it is not advisable to leave ithem in until thoy become very dirty, cither with their owneecretions or even merely muddy. Each let of ducks ilhould, when they are confined, have double yards so that Ihev can ho transferred from one to | the'other. The yards should open one into the other, having large wide gateways, to prevent the birds damaging each other when .passing through, for it is their nature <co run together when disturbed. As I pointed out lately, the greatest care .must be taken, when working amongst them, and therefore | wben a change of pens is being made j it is as well to do this a* gradually as possible. Tide can he effected by moving rWheir troughs, day by day, a ifew yards at a time, an the direction of the gateway through which they will pa&s, until* the .trougihs are right up to the entrance. The gates can ■then ibe opened,, the troughs placed a little way inside tine clean pens, and leave iha ducks to pass through at tthoir own leisure. Later on in the day, when the whole mob have transferred {themselves, the ' gates can again been closed, an I jou can confidently retst assured that -moving under these conditions will not interfere in any ..way with their well-being. .The dirtied. pens can then be ploughed up, and. some quick growing green feed sown down. Having •the gateways made- large will be beneficial', too, in. 'this ; respect, as there ■will then he .no trouble- in taking a plough t'hrougih. The splendidly working and cheap I system, of the Utility Circe is fast ! making it a well-known institution, I and dtis adherents are loud in their I praises or its success. • j Now that 'the classes far utility poultry are Ibocoming so popular, it occurs to ftlhe writer ithat some decided dmiprovoments in this respect could be well effected. The Hogan system, by vvhicih the .birds are generally judged, is open to •much, doubt as tonts efficacy. The system liars much to recommend it, but i consider it is a long 'way 'from perfect, or even near enough to judge uttlit.y stock fairly. The judges are doubtless capable men, •but it is the standard under which they give t'he awards that is at fault/ and* we cannot therefore blame thoM wlhen dissatisfaction arisee. I consider it would be infinitely more satisfactory and educative, as the Hogan system is a secret, supposed to be known by the purcbr.eers only, to have the birds judged by some wellknown authority, such as Mr Brown, d?lie Government .Poultry Instructor, on type, and' let him.be about the hall during the whole of the. show, so that ■he would he available to give his reasons, when required. Again, improvement could be effected by dividing tin.utility classes into two groups, ths heavy and light breeds. True, this i>> some timers done; but it should alwivs be so. The writer once had the judging of some birds under the Hog<.n system, and he found it difficult in some, cases to explain his reasees to the disappointed .exhibitors, who are always to be found, as he ascertained that, an some : cases, the exhibitors. itHienlselvee were not conversant with rtne system, but had entered the birds with the assistance of friends who did know something of it. Obviously, without divulging the secret he was decidedly ban dioapped.

I liave the pleasure of report-in;? the advent of another new member to tho Utility Circle this week.