The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-08-28
NOVEL EGG LAYING RACE
American Hens Reported Lead
ing In Australian Contest.
The TEST ARRANGED FOR A YEAR

Picked Fowls to the Number of Four
Hundred and Twenty Fight For
Honors Upon the Grounds Of the
Hawkesbury Agricultural College,.
Fifty Breeds Arc Represented.
Whoop 'er up for the great little
American hen. She's racing down here
in Australia, eighteen of her, against
4O2 Australian hens in an interna-
tional, interstate, worlds first egg lay
ing competition, and she's been ahead
from the first, and at last accounts she
was still leading. But the race is one
for a year, a whole year, and Of
course, since the race is not always to
the swift, the great little American hen
may continue the fight or she may be
bested by next April, when the race
will end, says the Sydney correspond
ent Of the Chicago Tribune. writing
under date Of July g.. !!
For some time previous to April,
1902, two New South Welshmen, A.
p. Henry of Ryde and II. E. Kelly Of
Campbelltown, had been holly debat-
ing with each other in the columns of
n of the Sydney newspapers the re-
spective merits of Silver Wyandottes
and Buff Orpingtons. Poultry breeders
and poultry Journal readers in many
other parts of New South Wales Joined
in the wordy fray, and finally Henry
challenged Kelly to an egg laying con-
test, each with his favorite fowl.
Out Of this proposition grew an open
competition, backed by a newspaper
which donated the sum of $1O5 as
prize money. John Kidd, the minister
of mines and agriculture, was waited
upon, and he granted permission that
the race be held upon the grounds of
the Hawkesbury Agricultural college,
one of the best institutions Of it's kind
in the world.
These are the conditions determined
upon for the competitions: The pens for
the competing fowls were to be 81 by
II feet, constructed of iron bark posts
and six foot wire netting. The houses,
each divided to answer as two pens,
were to be II by 6 feet, 81 feet high
fronts were to be open wire netting
WIN q nOrJneaSterly aspect.
The competition was to begin April
1. The competitors were bound to pen
their birds during March, each pen to
consist of six pullets or hens of any
age, no male bird to be excluded. All
birds were to be bred by the compel
itor. All birds We're to be examined
by the poultry expert Of the college, d.
q T1,oy,,.,co, y1po, +1,o;, n vriv-ol NJ fhn
college. If a bird died during the COM
petition it was to be replaced.
The competition was to be decided
by the greatest total number of eggs
laid by the birds in each pen, eggs un-
der one and one-half ounces were not
to count. The market value of the
eggs laid was to be recorded; also the
weight of eggs from each pen; also the
total quantities of the various foods
consumed by the competing birds; also
the cost of maintaining the birds per
head, and finally the prizes were to be
awarded according to the aggregate
weight of eggs, pen against pen.
The American competitors in this
great race are: w. B. Candee, Fayette-
Vile, N. Y, White W%yandottes; Mrs. A.
II. Hansell, Loup City, Neb., Brown
Leghorns, and w. *. Hays, Henley
vile, Cal, White Wyandottes. The
birds arrived in Sydney on March IA
last in a sad plight. They had had a
rough passage indeed, but had survived
and were thirsting for a chance to dis
tinguish themselves, their breeders and
their country. Mr.. Thompson tenderly
took them in hand and ere long they
began to lay at a furious rate. The
year long race began on April 1, and
those modest Nebraska Brown Leg
horns bore Old Glory to the front in
the egg line on the first day and have
done it every day since.
Expert Thompson, in response to ques-
lions regarding the competition, said:
Fifty breeds are represented. The
students at the college eat the eggs.
The fowls are all doing splendidly and
the number of eggs from the competi-
ton is $50 per day. The American
Brown %I.eghorns are ahead just now.
and they have been from the first. The
last time l took the number they were
ahead of the best Australians by five
eggs. The best Australians are Silver
Laced Wyandottes. owned by G. Howell
Of Wentworthville, N. S. w. l was dis
appointed that there We're two sets Of
White Wyandottes in the American lot.
I wanted the selection to be three diff
ferent breeds, so we could have an
eve better idea of what the Americans
can do. The students at the college
take a great interest in the competition.
and they do all the work-the manual
work-connected with it, under charge
q a poultry man.
Mr.. Thompson is deeply interested in
this competition, for he holds the view
(which, it seems, is ~controverted by the