8 THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
=p ISS 
ASSETS 
July 1. 1907 
ve. 
132 GAWLER PLACE. 
Renowued fo~ his Watches. Jewellery. and Repeirs. 
ADELAIDE 
eee 
—= 
Poultry Yaad, 
Orpingtons 
At the recent show of the South Aus 
tralian Poultry and Kennel Club, held in 
the Exhibition Building, Orpingtons car- 
ried off the principal honors. A few 
particulars with reference to this variety 
may be interesting to our readers, 
They are a valuable introduction to the 
poultry yard. The blacks have been manu- 
factured from Black Plymouth Rock 
pullets, Langshaus, and Black Hamburghs, 
and avowedly bred for utility chiefly. 
There is a single-combed and a rose 
combed variety; the former has become 
the more popular, and in England has a 
club with many supporters that rigorously 
excludes any but single-combed breeders. 
The first Orpingtons were black, with a 
rich green lustre; pure white ones soon 
followed. This color did not please as 
well as the black, but they are now being 
bred in large numbers. Then, as the 
result of the buff mania, the Buff Orping- 
tons were produced, followed by a red 
speckled fowl, christened the Jubilee. 
The Orpington, while very large, should 
be compuct, cobby, and shapely; neat in 
head, with a dark-colored eye; the legs 
should be short and placed wide apart, 
and quite free from feathers. The breast 
should be very full and ample. the back 
short, with an upward curve to head and 
tail, without any Cochiny cushion, or, 
indeed, Cochiny fluff about the bird. 
The legs of the Black are black, of the 
other varieties white in color. All the 
Orpingtons lay very freely a large dark 
yellow egg. The hens are good sitters 
and mothers. Apart from the black legs, 
the table quality is good. This objection 
is overcome in the Buffs, which have the 
desired white leg; and, as they fatten 
well, they may be considered a valuable 
: table fowl. 
The Buff Orpington has attained a 
popularity far out-rivalling the Black, 
It may be said to be a much improved 
Lincolnshire Buff. an old hardy breed 
very common inv Lincolnshire, which was 
largely called upon in the production of 
the Buff Orpington The color now is 
much improved. being more uniform and 
less patchy. Evenness and softness of 
color and soundness of color in the fluff 
of the feathers and wings and tail, are 
more looked for than any other precise 
shade of buff. In shape the Buffs are still 
inferior to the Blacks, and in both there 
is yet a tendency for minute feathers to 
appear in the legs and toes, which are 
considered fatal defects. The Buffs are 
good winter layers, and in spite of being 
frequently broody as the season advances 
must rank as a thoroughly good all-round 
breed. 
Rearing Chickens. 
By M. Fern. 
Tue Natura Puan. 
In the rearing of chickens, as in the 
case of the hatching, there is the natural 
plan—i.e., with the hen—and the arti- 
ficial method with the foster-mother or 
brooder. 
I think there is littie doubt amongst 
poultry-raisers that the hen is the best 
method of brooding chicks, and where it 
is possible, even with chicks hatched by 
incubators, the best results will always be 
obtained by allowing the chick to run 
with the hen. 
Arter Hascuina, 
After hatching, if a number of hens 
have been set togethor, or if an incubator 
has been used, the chicks when thoroughly 
dry should be sorted amongst the best of 
the hens. Always use hens that have 
brought out the largest batch, as it is a 
sure sign of their being strong and pos- 
sessing any amount of vitality. Each hen 
according to size can be given from fifteen 
to twenty chickens. The mothers may be 
confined for the first week or two in 
boxes with slatted fronts, to enable the 
youngsters to have a free run If a 
number of hens are being used, they can 
be placed in their boxes in rows, allowing 
the chickens to mix. If the chicks are of 
different colors, itis a good plan to mix. 
them under each hen, otherwise, if a hen 
is given chicks all of one color and an- 
other stray one of a different color from 
a neighboring box should by chance get 
into the wrong box, the mother may kill 
it, This is not likely to ovcur if she has 
several of different colors. 
PLACING THE Coop. 
The coop shouid, if possible, be placed 
on @ grass run, as grass is one of the most 
necessary foods in the rearing of chicks. 
It should be sheltered from the sun and 
bad weather. I prefer wooden floors, 
slightly raised above the ground, The 
coops should be moved on to new ground 
regularly every few days. 
Marxina Cuicxs. 
If the breeder is breeding on careful 
lines, and desires to know the pedigree 
and particulars of strains, ete., the chicks 
should be marked on leaving the incu- 
bator or nest. This should be done by 
punching a hole in the web of the foot. 
Several punches can be obtained for this 
purpose at any poultry supply house As 
there are two webs on each foot, it is 
possible to get sixteen distinct markings, 
and if particulars are recorded, no matter 
how the chicks get mixed up under hens, 
particulars of their breeding can always 
be ascertained by the punch marks. 
Sickty ok DerorMEepD CHICKs. 
All deformed or weak-looking chicks 
should be killed at sight; there is no 
economy in attempting to rear them, and 
they are only taking up the time and 
room of healthy birds. It is the puny 
chick that always brings trouble and 
disease amongst the flock. 
Freprne tHe Curcks. 
As a general rule, chicks should not be 
fed for twenty-four or thirty-six hours 
after hatching. They can safely be kept 
for even a longer period than that without 
food or water; in fact, at that agé they 
can be safely sent, if secured in a comfort- 
able box, to distant parts of the State 
without feeding. 
