POULTRY NOTES

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10635, 14 May 1912, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES

J (By Utilitarian.') ■Sele/'timg the Runner Drake.—Tito;;.-' ■ who hwve n*?t yet 'mated up ih-rir Indian ffluimw ,biiixl» for the senwn should make a speciia 1 study of the Hi/ea'd; of itlnp male. For some pa\st the •bin! showing an almost Mack Qiead was 'the one generally selected, other points being typical cff the breed, but mow many consider a drake's (head- needi be. scarcely any daa'ke.r than the duck's, and certainly I have frequently observed that the ■very Iblmok heads are often coarse, which is most mndesiraible. Some will -contend rtihavt the drakes having extra dark ihe;uhs render .them easier to detect lfro.ni. the dwks wihe.n tlicy a .re in Itthe duuilddng stage. ttf growth; but, once the art ol telling the soxes by the iloico «'s cultivated, the colour of the Ihead can be discarded for Mils purpose. As :* very geirr-al rr..!e, when the birds are between, sx and eight weeks old. there is no difficulty in picking thean out, the dmcks having attained,, iby then, a. very decided quaclc. As regards the 'build of .this Ibreed, the more tlioy J are the (better ; that V:>, the shape eff a hook Ibottile rather 1 lie ordinary •wine receptacle. From the head 'to the tMghs they diould taper in ,or ? e even symmetrical line, no bulging at the sihoulders, and when' standing oughrti • to iresemible, very &tron|g!ly, penguins. To revert to the head again, .note tOiat the is as eflose to the top as possible, and if you were to fake a straight-edge, yt.ni .should! be able to i 'have an even iline .from the crowm of ■tJiH? skull to the tin of the bill. Show I Ibreed'etrs wiJl probably not agree with I idll the foregoing, but this column .is.) ini the liinterest®, chiefly, of the utility I poultry man. ■ As ii'ar as the standard 'is concerned ifor ehow birds, attempts have been made of late to 'bring more into harmony ibot J h show and .utility (points, ! ,Imt so far tdias can. sca celv.. be said} to /have been effectiviely .a'<chie'ved. However, .we aire moymg in, the right *l:irecti3ba fin this m-pec.t, Mid the day . ds. not far distant whom the;, .show > breeder and the futility maai will _be \ rmiore effectively linked together. ;' Metis wall now require the best of (housing, slheds free firdni. draughts-,, dry, and open to as much smi ivs po> \sible, especially the. microing sun. 'N"ests rshou'ltl alii, be ini position by this, i 'time, and pdiaiced so that the bird lis in. J comparative darkness. Fowls prefer a seclucledj spot, and a& little disturbance a® possible. . . Mention wlas anade recently in these notes .to the economic qualities of the i cross, especially for laying piirposes. Theire is also another value in tine mi 'as regards the cockerels. These,- rra contra-distinc-tion from the paire Leghorn, will fatten much mere readily, in fact can frequently be marketed between three ' and' low months old, and 1 should attauiii' up to tih.Tce, pounds' 'weight each, allive, at about fourteen woefesi. Esh trmaiting them to cost to reair, in eluding the value of the egg and hatching, one' sfaffingij .thi® leaves. a fair margin of profit, .which, allowing the bia-d& to rea?:isei Bd' per pound, liv& jweight, aind- sold at .three pounds, ( gives shil'liiiig dear cf ccfst,of feed. : Tliis profit would consicbrably offset in .the" event of m-amy death's in the ■rearing;, same; as with other stc-r-k. TOie Utility Circle was further 1 strengthened lately % tlliia addition another honorary member, a prominent business, gentlemian ,in Masterton, wh'o !fe-a< keen, enthu'siiivsti in- agricult- , • iito. Has pTofcrenice is for Wyandnt- I tes, which, as I ha.ve stated previous- J ly, is to my thanking the best breed | for' the> town dweller. I

The Live Stock Department in- Canada still takes a great interest in the bTgamasing of : «{rg circlles in> this Doniiiimtiii, and /by last the writer was informed that regular monthly bulletins on "market eggs" would be despatched tb' him. ;;