The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-02-07
CHICKENS IN HAWAIl-THEIR
DISEASES AND REMEDIES
The First Bulletin of Experiment Station
Is Issued by Smith and
Sedgwick.

mea, on Kauai. in the early part of
177S. This fact indicates that fowls
were on the Islands previous to the
advent of the first whites and under
? some degree of domestication.@ The
native hem" as it is called. was small
and the eggs, likewise small, were not
: of a good flavor. The hens were at
that time reported to be good layers,
good settlers, and excellent moth -.
Whether any historical value can be
attached to this native bird as regards
the early settlement of the Islands is
a question Nevertheless, if the true
native chicken could be found at this
day it's identity might be determined
! and its history traced back to the
country from which it came. This is
! not easy matter, however, and
lwould require the efforts of poultry ex-
perts of both the European and Ash
attic countries. The mountains at the
present day are the homes of manys
! so-called wild chickens and turkeys.
| 1t is here that the true native chicken
would probably be found. Even here,
however, there is a chance of error,
in that the climate is so equable that
domesticated chickens might find their
way to the mountains and survive and !
cross with the native birds. In this |
same connection the native chicken |
might be used as a stock on which to |
breed Systematically to produce bird /
well adapted to tropical climates, and
one which would resist the diseases
which so infest the tropical poultry
yard. The native fowl is described as
being small in body, with short legs
and generally light in weight, probably
resembling the LeghornS in mode of
life. AS far back as 1S4S, and proba-
bly, earlier, the foreign settlers of these
Islands interested themselves in the
Improvement of the native stock by
crossing them with introduced breeds
and at this time records show the fol- !
lowing breeds. or classes of breeds,
were represented on the Hawaiian ISL
ands: native chicken, or that which
was found in existence here at the s
discovery of the Islands; the Frizzled s
fowl, supposed to have been originally Z
from Japan; a mixed Malay,
II which the cock is a great fighter: 6
he Cochin China; the Shanghai. and 3
he Spanish. Game fowls We're import
I'd from Valparaiso, as we'll as the 3:
'rizzled, although the latter were sup !,
posed to be native of Japan. Cross &
breeding was INDUCED in, as will be s,
cen from the following quotation from g
he report of the committee on poultry, IS
Royal Hawaiian Agricultural Society, 3
$50: 6
THE principal stocks on these Islands 8
re composed of crosses between the q
ative hen, Shanghais, Malays and 6
parish fowls" g
These mixtures, then. form part of 3
he common mixed breeds of the pres 9
MT day. which will be found quarter q
d in the native huts sharing food 3
18th the pigs, dogs, ducks, water buff Il
lloes, and even the inmates of some g
ldustrious Chinese houses. 3
Pure breeds of White Leghorns, .
White WYandottes, Black Spanish, an &
OCCASIONAL Plymouth Rock, Brown 6
eghorns and Brahmas are sometimes s.
cen. It is quite natural to suppose g
'at from time to time representatives
most of the standard breeds have e
zen imported leaving their traces in &
lie mongrel breed which is generally 6
en in the yards. s
CTo be Continued) 6