WHY PRICES ARE POOR.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 975, 16 November 1910, Page 10

WHY PRICES ARE POOR.

iNEGLECT OF AN' INDUSTRY. At the New Zealand Poultry Conference yesterday, the State Poultry Expert (Mr. F. Jiron'n) read• a. paper, in which he dealt with the preparation of poultry for the .market. The raising-of table poultry,.- he-' stated, was a section of tho industry whicli was sadly neglected. _ Egg production must be made tho main business, and' table poultry could only bo regarded as a by-product. Tho greater part of the cockerels seen on the market were really wasto products, instead of bein£. profitable sido lines. Not more than, twenty per cent, were in such a condition that they could not bo very much improved. Ho held up a couple of samples received from a poultry-seller . that - day. ■- They appeared to be devoid of flesh and fat, and illustrated bis point that the room for improvement was vast. Jfc cost less to produce fat than frame. 1 Unfortunately, most of the table ■ poultry was marketed when the birds were five or sis months old: Just at that age poultry were putting on feather and bone, so it was the worst time to market them. It would even be better to market them at four months, before the natural drain' on the system, which he mentioned commenced. .He . spoke against shutting fowls up in boxes for the purpose of fatteiung. His experience was that birds so restricted fretted and gpt lighter. Respecting cramming, a good mixture was 1001b. of ground oats, 501b. of ground wheat,, 101b. maize meal, 51b. blood-meal and lib. salt, .with moisture added. j