Live Stock. 



42 



[July, 1910. 



dull and cold with hail and rain; 15th 

 flue, with very cold winds ; 10th to 

 29th, generally dull and cold, with heavy 

 rain during the evening of later date, 

 followed by snow ; 30th, frosty, clear 

 and fine ; 31st, rain, dull, and cold, 

 August 1st, heavy rain with strong 

 wind ; 2nd; nice and fine, but cold 

 showers in the evening ; 3rd, dull and 

 cold ; 4th and 5th, fine and cold ; 



and bright and fine, but cold, through- 

 out until the end of the month. The 

 foregoing is reported to indicate the 

 most unsettled and erratic weather con- 

 ditions which prevailed during the early 

 part of the year. The following table 

 will show the average minimum, maxi- 

 mum, and mean temperatures, with 

 rainfall and monthly scores by the 

 birds :— 





Temperature. 







Monthly Scores. 



Month. 



Average 



Average 



Average 



Rain. 



Frosts. 



Section I. 



Section II. 





Minimum. 



Maximum. 



Mean. 









April 



43-85 



67-19 - 



55-52 



1-91 





4 024 



2096 



May 



45-90 



65-23 



55-59 



2-89 





5-938 



3-361 



June 



41-63 



59-33 



50-48 



1-84 



4 days 



5-246 



3-453 



July 



39-59 



56-95 



48 27 



3-8U 



5 days 



5-538 



3-741 



August 



42-10 



59-38 



50-74 



4-56 



3 days 



7-167 



4907 



September ... 



40-79 



64-25 



52-52 



1-52 





8 501 



5-674 



October 



47-68 



74-19 



60-93 



2-55 





8-820 



5-606 



November ... 



50-36 



78-16 



64-26 



2-08 





8-107 



5-010 



December ... 



51-15 



80-71 



68-93 



•70 





7-839 



4-793 



January 



59-86 



91-49 



75-67 



1-72 





6 756 



4-083 



February ... 

 March * 



56 95 



91-31 



74'13 



Nil 



# 



5-385 



3-135 



















Broodiness,— The number of broodies 

 recorded from section I. was 206 from 

 51 pens, thus leaving only 14 pens not 

 affected by broodiness. The number of 

 entries from the pens average from one 

 to 12. Section II., 636 broodies recorded, 

 number of pens affected 45, averaging 

 from one to 49 entries. This is much 

 below the number recorded last year 

 from 28 pens. Although this is a desir- 

 able change to note in connection with 

 the heavy breeds, any increase in number 

 of eggs laid, which we would be justified 

 in expecting to follow such a change, has 

 not taken place, which may be due to 

 poorer laying strains. At the end of 

 July last, or the fourth month of the 

 test, I carried out the instruction received 

 to weigh an average dozen eggs from 

 each pen, with the following results : — 

 Section I. — 65 pens ; weight per dozen, 

 from 2l£ oz. to 23 oz. ; average 24 "46 per 

 dozen ; leading pen 25 oz. ; top weight 

 in section I., 28 oz., laid by pen 38, owned 

 by R. J. Legoe. Section II. — 48 pens ; 

 weight per dozen, from 21 oz. to 28 £oz. ; 

 average 24*16 per dozen ; leading pen 

 25 oz. ; top weight in section, 28J oz., 

 laid by pen 75, owner Mrs. Ladyman 

 Smith. A comparison with the pre- 

 vious two years' as follows : — Section I. — 



1907- 8, 25-23 oz. ; 1908-9, 25-61 oz. ; J909-10, 

 24-46 oz. Section II.— 1907-8, 24 33 oz. ; 



1908- 9, 24-60 oz. ; 1909-10, 24-16 oz., thus 



showing that the improvement noted 

 last year has not been maintained ; also 

 that the average is as low as it is safe to 

 go in view of the increased weight limit 

 imposed in connection with the forth- 

 coming tests, viz., 24 oz. per dozen. 



Feeding.— In view of the fact that the 

 feeding of the birds has been conducted 

 much along the same Hues as that 

 adopted in previous tests, and of which 

 particulars have been published so often, 

 perhaps it is not necessary to again go 

 into details. The birds were fed at 7 

 a.m. with hot bran and pollard mash 

 during the months April to September, 

 inclusive ; cold mash was used for the 

 remainder of the year, with steamed 

 lucerne chaff added at the rate of one- 

 third of the bulk quantity. This was 

 from the beginning of November to the 

 end of the test. The chaff and bran was 

 soaked over night to be ready for 

 the morning. The general average feed 

 was 4£ oz. per bird. Midday meal, 

 average about 2 oz. per bird of green 

 food (chaffed), such as lucerne, cabbage, 

 thistles, silver beet, or any other good 

 green food available. Evening meal, 

 grain, wheat, maize, and peas, the latter 

 being used during the colder periods. 

 Average grain feeding about 2 oz, per 

 bird. The most noticeable alteration in 

 the feeding as against other years has 

 been an increase in the meat meal supply 



* Records not available. 



