POULTRY NOTES

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10666, 22 June 1912, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES

(By Utilitarian.)

According to Mr Ltoekwcad Kipling, poultry in- India, is iook-E'd upon as mid<?.an, a-nd or© not ooi;»?.ider?d ! worthy of a.ffectio:.:i as other animals; in fact, in. that country a common term of [insult- as ftt- one. Hindu to call ano'.tihnr a "poulterer." Th 4 following a,re <1 few not •ulucwum/m id- 1 join's. £6m'otimes .'heard in the land of J Ritjahs. "Can you have no wifchloulb cock-crow ?" applied to ow who gives himsoliP iai-ns. An Afghan [prove/rib runs, "Though tho cock did nbt crow the dawn would still come." "A lien' dirrnms ouily of grain'," is applied to a sordid jpcliis'on. A Bengal proved) says the Bengal landlord treats lilie farmer itenanltis as tlie MoiliaaiHriedaiii treats fowls—feeds them only to kill them in th'e end. To tone .1 who chastised (reluctantly his child, ffchey sia<y, 1 'The cikick doesn't die fmm a lien's 'kicks." 11l England the cry is beiing heard against ,those who are advertising tOieir stock at ridieulwusly 'lion' figures, and arguing, very justifiably, tha't it teftids to Ito weir the standa.nl of ihigli-dasis ("birds. lEvcn as low as •2s 6d is being accepted for (breeding stock, and t-lio same for- a sitting of ' K'o-ealled go'od eggs. How breeders make anything out ! cif this iliard to se'e; tvs a matter c'f if act, it has been pointed out thalb iflrom'2s 6d to 3s fid e&cih can- ib& oiWfcaine'd" .feir birds from three to four months Ifbr the pot. Itis very evident that a large number idf inlfer'ioir specimen® roust be finding tbhfeir way into various breeding pew.there to jpetrpeitaiate their undesirable pharacifceristics, leading lAltunatetly to a gireat nlumber of disappointed 0.--giaiiiifefrs'. In this eotujnn, '.latdly, wetre a fewlines an reference l .to Through an efrroT, it wa*J irtade out tha't itJio birds /wouM aibt be of mtieli if caip.oniised, amices kept for five oavs'ix lalbsurd; at should ..ihave read, five <,>r . isdx inohiths. The gailn' comes in vthxough a iniuch greater iirareatjed j wieiight and imp'oved- quality, in the earns mastcfir as .we'tliers ofr bullocks'.

There. are mwt wauuting those. who I condemn rtßie duiftenteive 1 or closer :.xit- I der-icover sysitemi df foeteping fowls, on the score' of erueity. 'ffliey argue thH tb. deprive a hiein; of lie l !*' liberty <snvfours of mikindnees and is antatuiial. ■With the 'latter via (heartily agra3, /bait for commercial purposes one am- 1 •not always be* looking )t,o nature for a lead. With' regard: <ft> cirii.eilty, re-' isults .should 'speak for .themselves. If * a lien, wffi lay as weSl in confine inen. , as at l,iibie:rty, that itilictory falls to the ground a't ouoe, for it is well kno'.vn itliat a 'hem. is .etaisily checked du egg- j produhtiion,. (Bait, Ibinds db -lay ! ap a veil under covered rubs as a,t libeirity, and tlilOro is every reason: why they should'. A (lion prefers dryness to wet, she prefers r , wialrmth to cold, she'loves ito material always at hand Car feet). All ; 'tdiese she has ,u.nde!r. covered ru'iis. f;f prope'rly cared, fbr- eilro should hiveeverything tMre-ais if at liberty, or. •at any : ra;te,' e'qbal substitutes. Th* ordinlary fa'rmer'iS 'fowls are genera liv in. ua sorry plight 'a:t .tihis season of it-lv-) year. Cold, -wot, iniud-bklragg.led, aid a general Iforkirai' apptntraheo :s their w>ua'l lot. illu the winter v.e cover tbuT horseis and cows to retain < a© onueh natural llneat as possible; in anno ciountrics -keeping them in staIbfes (through tth'd woiislt months. Obviously; wo cam 'scarcely provide exfcra coaitis foi' ,the> -lione, but wei can easily keep them dry and reasonably warm under a covered aum, thereby tsavinig so mivefli flees ic'f iC ecd. In the i&umuric'r .time, t'lid hens "".vJll still •thrive l .under ilhe same conditions', as they have pfenty df isilia'tle always at hand.