Poultry Notes

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 133, 7 June 1934, Page 9

Poultry Notes

EGG CLASSES AT SHOWS. The great weakness in the egg trad® to-day, especially where the eggs come from mixed farmers, is the manner in which they are marketed. The careless 5 way in which many eggs arc dcs--5 patched to the consumer—i.e., in a ’ dirty state and in all sizes and conditions—is not only sufficient to* prejudice the consuming public against eggs, 1 but means a direct loss to producers, : who cannot expect anything but • second and third-grade prices for such 5 unpresentable commodities. It is gen- ’ erally the case that the person who ia t careless about the appearance of his eggs is also careless regarding their internal condition. fciouie poultry 1 societies in the Dominion endeavour by competition and demonstration at shows to educate producers in regard to the class of’egg that should bo sent to market and the one most desirable ’ fof the export trade. An extension of ■ such displays made at our agricultural 1 and pastoral shows would prove a valuable object-lesson, particularly to 1 those who require the lesson most—i.c., the farming community. Sometimes classes are provided for eggs at agri--5 cultural and pastoral shows, but too often the largest eggs secure the chief : honours quite irrespective of their beI ing uniform in shape and of a good • internal quality. Under such conditions, in the country-show class for a ’ dozen eggs, one only requires to save up the Uouble-yolked eggs, however stale they may be, to secure the award. ■ Egg classes at shows will never servo : the best purpose until the eggs aro judged with standard requirements, ‘ and the competitors, as well as the ’ judges, aro familiar with the requirements of this standard, whereby the oggs must not only conform to a desired size, but to a high degree of ’ cleanliness, colour, bloom of shell, and whereby uniformity of shape must be considered, together with the colour of the yolk and the size of the air-cell, this being an indication of age. Hereunder is the recognised New Zealand standard of excellence by which egg classes in shows oau bo judged:— Points. .Size of air-cell, almost nominal .. 40 Weight of eggs (2oz. standard) .. 20 Texture of shell (smooth and thick throughout) 15 Colour of yolk (deep orange) .... 5 Consistency of albumen (not watery) 5 Uniformity 5 Shape 5 Clean shells (natural bloom desired) 5 Total points 100 Serious Defects.—Blood spots and stains cloudy yolks, developed germs, adhesion of yolks to shell, malformations. The Pullet as a Breeder. Almost since utility poultry-keeping began there has existed great prejudice against the pullet as a breeder. This prejudice was, and is, chiefly due to the fact that the fancier—the founder of the poultry industry—desires great size in the majority of his breeds. He found that old stock would breed him larger, if fewer birds, and thereupon he condemned the pullet as a breeder. Extra large size may bo one of the essentials of an exhibition bird, but in the majority of utility breeds it is an actual handicap. The utilitarian does not want an extra large bird. He wants eggs, and experience teaches him that it is tho medium-sized bird which will produce them in greatest numbers. Tho case against the pullet as breeder did not stop at the question of size in progeny. It was also urged that it was responsible for lack of stamina. Such assertions have been repeated by generauoa after generation of poultry writers, until to-day, by mere repetition, they have become accepted as facts by those who are not in a position to test tho matter fully. If we are content to accept a lesson from nature —and natural methods of breeding are surely those which beget birds in the greatest strength and health—then we must admit that in breeding from the matured pullet wo are breeding from a bird in the prime of its life and at tho height of its breed.ng power. The pullet grows in easy stages until it reaches maturity, and at maturity it expresses its natural desire to mate. It is at its greatest strength and at the period when it can propagate most of its kind. No one who has studied fowls cau have failed to mark the great strain which the first full adult moult makes upon a bird. By what method of reasoning. or by what logic, can a hen which has just recovered from such a strain be held to be the superior of tho matured pullet as a breederT Tho reports of experiments conducted in this country have shown that the power of the hen to reproduce her kind declines in each succeeding year of her life; yet numbers of poultry-keepers are convinced that the only way to success in breeding is to wait until her most fruitful period has passed. The conviction will not bear close examination, for the simple reason that if only hens are to be used for breeding, we must make up our minds that our stock will be late hatched. The hen is not an economic breeder, inasmuch as she will not produce enough early eggs to produce those early pullets which have made poultry farming a successful commercial proposition. There are several farms which have been built up and maintained on pullet progeny. Their owners claim that the chickens they rear aro hardier and more vigorous than those bred from hens. Their claims are to some extent confirmed by some extended experiments which have recently conducted. There is but one danger in breeding from pullets, and that is by breeding from immature stock. It is difficult, if not impossible, to measure maturity by time. Some breeds mature at an earlier age than others. Again, individuals of the same breed will reach maturity at various ages. There can be no good reason urged against the use of the matured pullet as breeder. ’ She can be tested, her eggs are satisfactory in size, and when wanted most she is in the best breeding form.