July, 1910,] 



41 



Live Stock, 



time of hatching and method of feeding 

 the young stock. This is a most impor- 

 tant point for consideration when pre- 

 paring stock for a competition, as it is 

 recognised by most breeders that some 

 pullets will develop quicker and lay 

 earlier than others, even of the same 

 breed. This point needs careful watch- 

 ing, as there is no doubt that it is 

 entirely a question of strain, and the 

 man who is fortunate enough to possess 

 that strain in sufficient numbers to 

 enable him to select six for work has an 

 undoubted advantage over the less 

 fortunate. While a number of competi- 

 tors have to start with birds which have 

 been laying some time, some have to 

 start with birds not likely to lay for 

 weeks ; the former lose credit for the 

 eggs not laid in a competition, while the 

 latter lose time which caunot be wholly 

 made up, or to the extent that might be 

 expected. It is a common experience 

 that all the birds ease off in their laying 

 at about the same time, viz., from the 

 middle of February to the end of March, 

 when the majority are in heavy moult 

 and the few stragglers do not lay to any 

 profitable extent. They* do little more 

 than merely marking time during the 

 last few weeks. In this connection I 

 would respectfully draw your attention 

 to a suggestion to alter the date of 

 starting competitions in this State from 

 the 1st April to the 1st of March. I 

 fully realise this question is likely to 

 open up a lot of new ground, but in 

 view of the ability of breeders to raise 

 pullets which are too early for April, 

 and from carefully watched results, 

 such as end of season laying and moult- 

 ing condition of the birds, I think the 

 alteration would be worthy of a trial. 

 The birds arrived in good condition, 

 taken on the whole, section I. especially 

 so, considering the numbers and dis- 

 tances which some of them had to come. 

 They were clean and generally free 

 from vermin, only some four or five 

 pens being affected. In a few instances 

 the birds were backward ; the majority 

 looked well, some nice size, and in most 

 cases showed better handling, as they 

 were mostly of a quiet nature. A few 



Eens appeared to be unaccustomed to 

 ousing, and preferred to roost any- 

 where but on the perch which was 

 erected in the house for that purpose. 

 Others appeared total strangers to a 

 feed of mash in the mornings. These 

 may appear to be minor details, but are 

 worth consideration by competitors, as 

 they cannot do too much in training 

 their birds to competition conditions if 

 they desire good results. Section II. 

 contained some good specimens ; the 

 majority were in good condition. Some, 



however, were very young, especially 

 among the Black Orpingtons, one pen 

 being in the chicken stage, and there- 

 fore lost three months in the laying 

 period. On the whole this section was a 

 good lot, containing some nice birds in 

 each breed. The Anconas and some 

 Brown Leghorns were very wild, and 

 the Buff Leghorns were noted for their 

 shyness. Considering the journeys 

 some of the birds had to make, and the 

 knocking about they are bound to 

 receive during train and road travelling 

 before arrival, 1 must say the consign- 

 ment showed very careful handling and 

 packing by the authorities, as only one 

 bird dead or injured was recorded upon 

 arrival. The new pens were ready to 

 receive the birds, and litter was placed 

 therein during the first few days. 

 Matting was erected to serve as wind- 

 breaks, and the birds, especially the 

 heavy breeds, soon made themselves 

 comfortable and at home. The weather 

 remained fine and dry during the period 

 required for dispatching the birds from 

 the previous test and installing the new 

 arrivals. The first two days remained 

 quiet enough to let the birds have a 

 look around and get a start, but the 

 next day a wind from the north-west, 

 accompanied by a dust storm, blew 

 strong enough to destroy a lot of the 

 matting around the yards. The next 

 day cold wind with showers tended alto- 

 gether to give a bad week for a start. 

 This bad start was followed by adverse 

 weather right through the month. 

 Although the first half contained some 

 dry days, the weather conditions were 

 not conducive to good laying, as we 

 had gales on five days, strong winds on 

 eight days, 13 days of wind, 1-91 points 

 of rain between the 10 "-.h and 30th. The 

 latter half of the month was unsettled 

 with cold winds and showers, with dull, 

 cloudy conditions, and the month was 

 officially noted as a record cold April, 

 May opened with dull, cloudy conditions 

 up to the 3rd, 4th, nice warm day ; then, 

 until 7th, dull, cold, and showery jllth, 

 fine ; 12th, terrible wind all day ; 13th 

 and 14th, fine but cold ; 15th to 18th, 

 rains and cold winds ; then on to the end 

 of the month chargeable, fine and warm, 

 to cold and cloudy. June generally cold 

 with light showers ; 8th to 11th, frosts ; 

 12th to 14th, dull, cold, and windy, with 

 light rain ; 15th, clear and fine ; 16th, 

 dull and cloudy, with cold, north-east 

 winds ; 17th, dull, with mild rain ; 18th, 

 showery and dull with severo thunder- 

 storm in the evening ; 19th and 20th, dull 

 to fine ; 21st, dull and cold with showers ; 

 generally dull and cold to the end of* 

 the month. July 1st to 9th, generally 

 cold and clear with frosts ; 10th to 14th, 



