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Outstanding performances by boys or youths in one direction or another occasionally receive mention in our daily papers, but here I tell a story that appears to me to be unique in the history of poultry breeding. It is the story of a boy, who although only 14 years of age, has already proved himself a very capable breeder. Some may be inclined to look with suspicion on his work; but like most things it is capable of explanation.
This boy, Winchard Grundy of 10 Barker Street, Strathfield, in Sydney NSW, is a student and to study and acquire knowledge is merely the expression of his natural inclination. He was mostly top of his class at school, and has gained numerous certificates in connection with his musical studies.
During half his years he has been intensely interested in fowls and has completed a course of lessons with an American school of poultry industry. I went over some of the papers and in many he had gained full marks. He has a good grounding in the essential details of poultry culture following the best American practice, which is easy to adapt to Australian conditions. The books issued by this school are very comprehensive and it is a matter of surprise that there are no Australian publications on similar lines. This is why the boy has been able to accomplish breeding so successfully - he has been educated to it in the same way as most boys learn other things.
Added to his knowledge is a desire for neatness and method and only one way of doing things - the best. Concrete paths, automatic watering, outside trough feeding, straw litter, and plenty of green feed, all take their part in bringing about the success which has attended this lad’s efforts. |
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| Intensive Work: |
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Master Grundy is also an exponent of intensive culture. It should be stated that Winchard possesses the advantage of having a father fully in sympathy with his work, and he has been fortunate in that his father made available the necessary funds to enable him to begin with good stock and well-built houses. The father early instilled into his son that there is only one way to succeed in anything, and that is by doing things properly.
A piece of land 120ft x 50ft contains all the houses, and dearly everything used commonly in the household is grown as well. I have never seen a vegetable garden where so much is grown in such a small space. Rows of lucerne and silver beet provide a consistent supply of green feed for the stock. |
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| The Feed Hourse: |
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Part of the garage is used for this purpose. Rats and mice have no chance here. Bins, mostly painted oil and petrol drums, are used for containers and nothing is left exposed. Master Grundy says that about 25% of food bought is wasted one way or another on many places.
A formula was carefully prepared and the necessary amount of each ingredient was weighed out to make sufficient food for 50 fowls, a scoop was then made to hold exactly the amount when brushed with the hand. Tin measures have been made, labelled with a brass plate showing the name of the ingredient and the number of fowls the quantity contained in them will feed. The pollard measure holds 2 quarts and weighs 2lb. The bran 2 quarts and weighs 1lb 3oz; meat meal 3¼ oz.; and salt ¾oz.
Master Grundy says the reason for this care is that the usual method of measuring by handfuls is only approximate and does not provide continuity of the same ration. |
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| The Fow Pens: |
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The first fowl pens met are each 10ft x 12ft having concrete floors well littered with straw. A good deal of glass is used in all the houses to admit plenty of light. Master Grundy uses some glass substitute, but only for the purpose of removable screens. He does not think that ordinary glass is in any way detrimental to the health of the stock.
(I attended a garden party this week and saw two glasshouses containing the most delicate plants and shrubs all grown under ordinary glass, which seems to indicate that all the vitalizing rays of light and sun are not lost when coming through an ordinary window glass.)
In one of these pens was the breeding trio with which this boy won second place at the recent Sydney Royal Show. He bred these fowls himself. Several yards are available for the fowls and a trapdoor worked with a string allows each pen to use them in turn. A good depth of sand has been out in all yards. This is frequently sifted so that it remains clean.
An Australorp cockerel in one of the training pens was awarded a highly commended card at Sydney Royal in a class of 49. The fowls in the yards I would describe as being nearer the standard requirements than those usually regarded as utility specimens, yet it would appear that they are wonderful layers. It is all to the good if a fowl can be bred that combines both show and egg production qualities, and that appears to be the case here.
A Cypher 140-egg incubator and a coke colony brooder takes care of the hatching and rearing. This boy studies every fowl individually, lining it up with the correspondence course questions.
Theoretically he is well primed on all points and practical experience is combined with the theory. The combination should produce a champion breeder before he is out of his teens. |
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This Australorp cockerel in one of the training pens of Winchard Grundy was awarded a Highly Commended card at Sydney Royal - 1933 in a strong class of 49 entries. That was 79 years ago!
Winchard kept intensive laying records and these figures were taken from the Egg Board record cards. An accurate account is kept of everything, and the totals for the same eight months, which can be verified from the books are: Sales, including breeding pens, pullets, table poultry and fowls for home consumption, £112/10/-. The expenses, including £15/15/- which was paid for new stock, were £50.
This is a very creditable performance and I feel sure that many of our older breeders would like to meet this boy of 14 years. Should any reader call, there is a notice on the gate: “Beware of the dog.” My experience is that in most cases there is no dog at all, but I can assure you that he is out of sight before you enter in this case. Master Winchard Grundy’s address is 10 Barker Street, Strathfield, which is about 15 minutes' walk from Homebush Railway Station.
From "Poultry” newspaper article page 8 - Saturday, 13 May 1933 |
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| Australorp Club Footnote: |
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This photograph of the house at 10 Barker Street, Strathfield was shown in an internet real estate section in February 2007.
It was listed for auction as being built on a very large block and for sale as the result of a deceased estate.
We did a register search on his old address with his Surname as shown by the old Poultry newspaper, but came up with a blank.
A further search however found the original home in Strathfield advertised on an internet real estate listing and we came up with a picture of the original old home. It was described as a “deceased estate". |
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| One wonders if young Winchard Grundy was there all his life, or a World War Two casualty? Will we ever know?
If this young man was alive today, in 2012, he would be 94 years old. |
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| A Tragic Finale: |
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After the above story was posted on the internet a Grundy family genealogist, who was doing some research, contacted the Australorp Club with some conclusive proof. Winchard Grundy was also known as Winston Grundy. The name “Winchard” was the pet name his mother called him.
He was born on 31st October 1918 at Wentworthville NSW and attended Trinity Grammar School as an outstanding student. He is listed as an "Old Trinitarian" within their website, and also as a WW2 casualty.
As we anticipated, Winston (Winchard) was in fact a casualty of World War Two. He enlisted at Strathfield, Sydney, close to his home on 23rd April 1941 at 22 years of age.
He was the dearly loved son of Mr & Mrs Arthur Charles & Sarah Harriet Louisa Grundy and he had a brother, Keith Arthur.
He became Gunner Winston Grundy NX2516 of the 2nd/15th Field Regiment, 8th Division, Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) and involved in the Malaya conflicts.
Winston was verified as being interned as a Prisoner of War in Changi, Singapore and later moved on to the notorious Thailand-Burma Railway in 1942. (as sourced by the International Red Cross records)
He came back to Australia after the war in a “distressed and damaged state” and passed away on 10th May 1946 at 113th A.G. Hospital - Concord at just 27 years of age.
At the time of his death he was engaged to a Miss Marjorie Wilkinson, the only daughter of Mr & Mrs Frederick Walter & Rita Ruby Wilkinson of Campbelltown - NSW. Marjorie (Hilda Marjorie) had a brother called William.
Winston was buried on 12th May 1946 in Rookwood War Memorial Cemetary, Sydney.
Having just recently researched Winston's war records, we discovered that his occupation was listed as a Sewing Machine Repairer at the time of his enlistment. This coincides with the fact that his father owned a successful business as a machinery importer and retailer known as A.C. Grundy & Co, 599 George St, Sydney. They were a Singer agent as well as proficient and well regarded with most commercial sewing machines.
We can only imagine that if young Winston had survived World War Two, who knows, he may have been up there with the great Australorp breeders of his period such as Ray Connor, Ian Benson, Athol Giles, Bill Cox, Neville Budge and so many other great poultry people from that long lost era. |
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| RIP Young Man - You have not been forgotten - Lest We Forget: |
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This notification appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald - 11th May 1946 |
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| This article is Copyright to the Australorp Club of Australia Inc and is reproduced on the Australian Artillery Association's website within the Gunners Memories section, with their kind permission. |
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