THE POULTRY INDUSTRY IN CERMANY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1079, 18 March 1911, Page 10

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY IN CERMANY.

The writer has, read with very great interest a report by Mr. Edward Brown (secretary for the N.P.0.5.) on his visit to Germany. He'set.out with tho express purpose of'gaining information regarding the growing:, import of eggs and poultry into that"'country."" Germany_ is now tho-largest importer of' eggs in the world, and it largely . affects tho supplies from which' English demands are drawn. -Reference was made to tho subject last week in this column,, and it is evident that-tho expansion of German imports will ultimately force England to fall back on her own poultry resources, or seek. supplies ■ from' other fields. She is turning her attentfon. to the colonies, and Australia and New Zealand aro likely, to havo a share in the £8,000,000 spent annually in importing eggs and poultry into England. Tho means of transit and treatment of eggs form a difficulty, owing to tho distance, but these obstacles can bo overcome. From Mr. Brown's report wo gather that Germany has lagged behind in the development of .her own poultry industry. "Until recently eggs and poultry wcro hot largely cbnsumed in Germany, and, consequently, prices wero low, and offered no inducement to producers. Her, geographical position enabled her to obtain a largo supply at low prices from .Belgium, Hungary, and Russia. Of recent years, however, her industrial and commercial progress has been enormous. - Tho result is that' tho attention of her people has "been devoted to pursuits other than tbo3o of food production. It is stated that 45 per cent, of tho population of Germany now live within urban areas, and aro dependent almost entirely upon others for supplies of food. Then again, we learn of tho increase of population. In the last 30 years her population has nearly doubled itself, so that the demand for foodstuffs has advanced largely.

Tho report is very educative, and shows exactly why Germany has increased her egg importations. A. demand for a better class of food, the manufacture-of articles of which eggs form a part, the removal of duties, etc., are reasons given to thoso. above for the increase in her poultry trade. German egg imports in 1909 exceeded thoso of Grait Britain by £2,488,172.,. or 30.72 per cent., and she is, to that extent, tho largest importer of eggs and poultry in tho world. Where do N.Z. Imported Eggs Coma From? It is regrottajilo fsthat. .tho'. Government, which has spent thousands of pounds in developing the poultry industry,:'can give no figures . as ; to' the value , of. eggs -imported, into.New-Zea-land each year, nor can they tell from which conntries they come. They aro included in provisions N.0.E., and aro accepted in various forms, both desiccated arid liquid. It is assumed (and a Government official is responsible for tho statement) that. Germany sends somo hundreds of pounds' vorth of eggs into New Zealand each year, and that tho bulk of our imported, .article . comes from that country.j : Judging from the enormous increase of the Gorman import of eggs, and their rising value, one fails to see how she can export at a profit.. Her. export trado in eggs and poultry; only runs iiito a few thousands each year, and it is romarkablo that far-off New Zealand should bo selected as a market. During last year her poultry exports fell off nearly £5000, tho whole total being only £44,150. Poultrymen will need to give the matter further attention. '

China's egg shipments do not impress one with any groat confidence in their quality, though it is possible that importations aro largely mado from there. The writer would be glad if some of our readers could throw a little light on this subject. At present it may not affect poultry producers to any great extent, but, in the near future, it may considerably affect New Zealand egg markets. If eggs can be obtained at a lower price in tho winter timo than local eggs, it is not to bo expected that confectioners will go to tho troublo of preserving eggs, and : stand out of their, money for several months when they may easily obtain cheaper supplies as required.

Line Breeding,

A Wellington man (A.R.W.) asks for information on lino breeding. The following, in diagrams, is educative, and if

the description is closely followed, no trouble will result: — In this diagram and explanation I havo gono »s far as I would advise anyono trying line-breeding to proceed. For a start, you have, for preferenco a welL-mature'd second-season rooster and lien which, when mated; will produce you chickens containing half blood of cach parent (Diagram J). You now take a cockerel of this half blood and mate him back to his mother, whilst a pullet of tho half-parent blood is mated back to her father. Now, from tho son to mother mating, you get '} of (1 plus 1) which equals three-quarters mother's blood in chickens (Diagram 3m), and, from daughter to father mating, you get (J plua 1) equals J father's blood

in chickens (Diagram Jf). The next step is to mate a cockerel from amongst tlio 4m lot of chickens back to his mother, and you will got -J of (J plus 1) 11 1 i . C( s lla ' s seven-eights of mother's blood in the chickens. From this mating you' will mate a pullet from amongst tho Jf chickens, back to her father, and you get } of (J plus 1) equals seven-eighths of the father's blood in tho niatings. Wo have ..now reached the stago at which I advise breeders to stay their liand, and where I stop the diagram. Howovor, some breeders go on 1 by mating a cockerel from amongst tho seveneighths m. chickens back to his mother, and thus get $ of (seven-eighths plus 1) equals 13J-1G mother's blood, and mate a pullet from among tho seven-eighths f chickens back to her father, and get 2 (seven-eighths by 1) which equals 13}16 father's, blood. Other breeders will not go as far as this, and mate a cockerel from amongst tho chickens of seven-eighths mother's blood back to a hen. from amongst, those possessing halfblood of .the original purent stock. They thus get- half of; (seven-eighths by half) equals 11-16• of blood, aitd mate a pullet from amongst chickens of._ seven-eighths f back to a rooster containing half of .original parents' blood, and .thus got half, of (seven-eighths by half) equals 11-16 of. father's blood. Tho Breeding Season. It is only a. matter of a few weeks now when many poultrymen will bo entering up their birds for the breeding season. Quito a number have already doiiG 1 so, but-one does not seo much advantage in hatching out chickens so early; They come oil to lay when eggs are cheap, and moult badly when eggs rise in price. Beginners ask how tlioy should start in tho poultry business. Tho best way is to buy a pen of secondyear liens, say four a pen and have them mated to a vigorous cockerel. Placo tile order with a reliable poultry breeder, and you will have the means of raising thirty to.fifty pullets in tlio coming year. The experience which you gain in the work is very valuablo. and will givo you srimo idea of tho problems that tho poultry man has to master.

It is an absurd practice for beginner?, to launch out in a big way, and* at-" tempt too much. This is where failure results. Begin in a small way, and gradually work up. AVhon. you can rear 200 healthy pullets in one soason, then you may look forward to a timo whon .you can tako up poultry farming as a living. Any advico you may need as a beginner will be freely given through these columns. 'Die writer has had several years of practical know[pdge', and daily attends nearly seven hundred hens*. Most writers of poultry notes have littlo experience in actual work, and are able only to advise from book knowledge.

Tho Conference Report,

It was not anticipated when a brief mention was made of tho conference report, that requests for conies would pour in from readers of this column. A\ itllin ono week eighty applications were received. I regret to learn tliat the edition is , exhausted, but tho requests are being met as widely as possible. lam glad to noto that these columns are being widely read, and that farniers especially are taking a wide interest in the improvement of their flocks. There is 110 branch of farming that affords scope for development so much" as of poultry-keeping. Tho future of the industry is bright, and when the export trade is developed there will bo no end to its possibilities. The conference report shows that, among the writers, are men of experience and ability. Next year tho report will bo prepared in a much more' clabate scale, and will bo sold at.probably one shilling a copy. The funds wiil enable the association to get out a work that will be a credit to New Zealand poultrymeu.

Prices and Their Effect on Demand,

Although, owing to the increased volumo of Russian supplies of eggs during the first' three quarters of '1910, the decline of imports which marked the previous years had to some extent been made up, that has had no effect on the better qualities of this product, which have been higher during the List three months than wo have ever known them before. The actual comparisons can be made from Mr. Vernev Carter's roturn of prices paid to depots of the National Poultry Organisation Society. Our present purposo is to call attention to what may bo the result of this steady rise in values—namely, that it is more than likely there may be a serious check to consumption. That there is a limit which householders will not go beyond Qfinnot be questioned. What that may be is difficult to state. But different grades of customers simply do not uso eggs when they rise beyond a certain price, and in many cases they are unable to purchase, or go on to cheaper grades. Traders record tjiat in the poorer arcis when once tho retail price goes above a penny per egg, the sale falls off greatly; that in the industrial districts lid. per egg is about tie highest that can be obtained; that in

th<? ordinary middle-class centres 2d. per egg is the limit, except for invalids and exceptional purposes; and that 2Jd. and-3d; eggs are. only.-bought by the well-to-do. The consequence is tba when rates in each case exceed the rates obtainable for home produce, or the better grades of Irish and foreign supplies, the.y are compelled to go for cheaper classes, ajid as many people will not eat eggs boiled or fried, these latter, they do without. Wo do not want them to go without, and that is not the interest of producers. Wo are led to say this much because farmers and depots sometimes desiro to force up priccs unduly, which is a mistake. There is plenty of demand at paying rates, but if the present tendency, con-

tinues tlio cffcct may Ix 3 injurious to everyone concerned.—E. Brown, in January "Journal of N.P.0.5." Pedigree Sals. Tlio pedigree sale advertised in theso columns last week has resulted in many inquiries being forwarded to C. R. Wilson and Co., Cliristchurcli, for a catalogue. Twenty pens are entered, among them being Sail's leading pens and those of Rangiuru, holding second place. These aro both to be sold. The sale will be watched with interest. It affords an opportunity for buyers to purchase stock that have an accurate tab on their laying during tlio test.