POULTRY NOTES

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10707, 30 August 1912, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES

(by TjTalitariaß.)

The übiquitous hen —how she loves to get into a garden and scratch. The laws of meiim and teum are like the algebraical x, an unknown quan--1 tity, for a neighbour's garden is no \ nioio sacred to her than lier owner's. I The dog has wonderful instincts of scenting, tho black tracker is much on a par, and the hen will wander an extraordinary distance in search of freshly sown peas or other grain. We use tho term übiquitous, for the lien will go in any direction to get a crop-ful, her home is wherever she roosted the previous night, and the more holes there are in the surrounding fences the better she likes 't. The above is but u prelude to my wishing to draw attention to what is absolutely a public nuisance in many cases, not only here, but general. When sheep, cattle, or horses, or pigs, trespass on to a neighbouring property, and the offence becomes monotonous by its frequency, there is soon ill-feeling, not infrequently resulting in law suits, but a few score hens or ducks is treated lightly, tho owner of the trespassers, would deem it absurd, in most cases, if the complainant sued him for damages. Yet," ono hen, let alono.a <losion"or two, could in half an hour, undisturbed in a garden, undo the work of weeks, which valued at only j a shilling an hour for ono man would i run into pounds. Persons owning poultry arc urged to realise that they must be kept, m bounds tho same a* other stock. Vv e have heard 'of many complaints in Mastorton, rind one .could hardly blame the garden owner if he laid. poisoned grain, presumab y to eaten sparrows, and as long as he first noticed his neighbours they would have no right to complain. No right thinking farmer takes any delight in laying poison for do-'.s, when he is being troubled witn sheep worrying, hut he does ,t for hi, protection, and we contend that garden owners have the same ngh* \ good garden is often said to ho half a living, and it is worth protCGene'rallv speaking, it is the monarelwhoisthe greatest . trespasser of neas. .„ p » „,._ The Organiser ol the timatcs there are close on nve liu..dred members now belonging to e_ been deluged with. ,i S nal amount of wot weaiho, 11 . . U winter, and it is not mprol v .• i^anbeovenvhelmedb^relo,. with too mncli sunshine. 1)J J, lnv in nroviding plenty of shade toi loth adult birds and chickens, and •this applies to ducks also. confess having been somewh t plMHS le«l concerning the reason of a 11: ,nv noultry keepers meeting ta profitable results this season utu ducks, and we irave - hesitation in saying *"»*■£, ££ ra te. in many cases, it J« ■ the elves, --eciallv in lon e rank " ,; where thev will fine main w - which to their palates. -ro. •;., morelv a coincidence that sine tho'Club in Ohristehuvoh oniony, t.Vir Huck nens at the Laying Con- , petition, that better results vrevi | co"=idernblv secured. 1 An oro,Tvowdcd <}v.rt nen soon V- I comes foul a»d .h— of anwo c.nnnot. bolu thinks va-ds ", that description are running the owners IVO serious risk of disease anions the Hock. A small vard may be nlfricvht for a fat old Muscovy, bin it is'not conducive to .high record-; fo- Tndian Eunuers. Tviooption >, however, will doubtless bo found, but I we believe that where goad results j .have been achieved with close yarding for runners, that better returns still would have been obtained had those birds had freer range and less crowding. Pav day for the Utility F;.py Circle niembevs lias been altered till after , the 20th of each month. The Levin Eiig Circle is contcmpki- j ting securing their own agent.