THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1324, 30 December 1911, Page 15

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

(By Chantecler.)

A Harvest Time. Ono. distinct advantage) of tho poultry 'business lies in tho fact that tho producer has always something to sell, Eggs may bo marketed every day in tho year, anu at least a few shillings ready cash may be obtained each week. Tho farmer gets his grain orop onto a year, the sheepi'aroier his wool and tho dairy farmer bis butter-fat chiefly in season, but tho poultry-keeper can wisely plan to hayo something to sell all through tho year. The present season is remarkable in regard •to prices. Eggs have risen sharply this season, and will probably be higher this coming winter ' than we havo seen them for some time.' locally, eggs have been, retailing at Is. Bd. per doz. Ducklings and table chickens havo : been scarcer this year, and reached higher prices than have been obtained in Now Zealand before. i The Export Trade. I In commonwith other poultry produc- : ers, tho writer: shared tbo anxiety that ;we would soon'over-produce, but, judging ! from pr&sout appearances, tho public of .New Zealand will havo to pay dearly 'enough for eggs and poultry this coming year. . j, Tho,export trade has .offered us somo '■ consolation;. but, at. our'. present-■ prices, ;there is no need for us to worry about export. The English markets aro fully '30 per cent, lower than our own. Prime * Irish ducklings have been selling at ss. ;Bd. per pair, while our own have reached ■by auction 7s. to Bs. lOd. per pair. Table chickens in England sell at 55., while our 'own are at Bs., with the quality in favour of tho English-produced birds, The Cause of (he Rise. I Everyone is asking why prices havo jriscn. The reasons aro obvious enough. 'Last year ducks were a glut in the niarjket, ami duck eggs were hard to sell. 'Tins led to a wholesale disposal of ducks, imostly Indian Runners, noted for layers. ;Tho. profits of the duck-farmer wore so Ismail that ho cither sold right out or 'reduced his stock. With' the removal of [thousands' of layers, the ' "egg producers 'havo gone too. Hence tile scarcity at a -.time when ducks, lay well. 1 The warm spring also gavo us a boun'tiful supply.of eggs, and, with tho cold' •snaps and bad weather of late, the birds I have gone off • the lay, and an early imoult is expected. The Dominion's deImand for eggs is also increasing, and ; these facts account for the rise. Scarcity of Table Poultry. I Except for a. bountiful supply of hens, i tho market is poorly supplied. Tho far,'mer has been induced to go in for eggiproducing birds. He has naturally sclcct!ed the Leghorn', and what is the result? iTho -splendid old crossbred-table bird, 'has vanished, and the Leghorn has 'taken its place. The Leghorn is a usc'less table bird, and scarcely worth the Itroublo of raising. The farmer has not increased his egg-production, because tho Conditions for keeping the sensitive Lcgihorn are too severe, and this bird is unablo to endure the exposures for which :tho crossbred was so well fitted. Tho :crossbred birds provided by the farmer gave Us somo of the finest table poultry that could be Obtained, but they have .'nearly vanished now. \ Tho Indian Runner. ■In tho noar future we shall look-.to ducks to a greater extent than in the past ito furnish our egg supply. The Indian Runner is already helping to solvo .the 'egg problem. .The rapidity with which ,'this egg-producing line' o£ stock is growling in popular favour is simply wonder- ', Of the entire duck family the Indian 'Runner'is thq' best'-known .'branch,- and ' : is coming to tho front by leaps and 'bounds. It is a beautiful variety that 'matures very .quickly and is usually found : shcl ling out the eggs at the ageef sixteen weeks. Barely, indeed, is it found difficult to produce the second generation of 'Runners in the one season if tho proper Wade-'of bird is kept. Runner eggs hatch readily, but they must be incubated under hens or in an incubator, as the runner itself never sits.. '•■ The runner is the smallest of the best ■known varieties of the water-fowl family, ■but lays' more' eggs than any of them, 300 per, year being pot an infrequent total amongst prolific strains. When we re : ■member that four duck eggs are equal to' Six hen eggs in the -matter' of. weight; and that the average' production of a runner is equivalent to four hundred hen eggs, wo get a proper idea of tho valuo of this grand utility bird. ; The Indian runner is a. great forager, and requires little- or no feeding when given free range,' preferring grass and insects to grain. It is extremely hardy, and prefers to roost ottt of doors on the ground, except in severa weather, Its housing at any time is a simple problem, and a three-foot fence is sufficient to keep it within bounds. ■ It may not be generally known that runners can-be confined in very small enclosures and kept on lawn clippings and table scraps. Instances are on record where half-a-dozen Of these birds have been kept continuously in an ordinary colony coop without their egg-production boin" checked in tho slightest degree. It is thus possible for the city; resident, to keep a flock of these birds in his backyard and have fresh-laid eggs for breakfast each morning, and some to market. Thcv need water only for drinking purpose's, and are'not subject of infestation bv lice or mites, nor to the diseases that affect poultry. They can bo hatched and reared at all seasons, and lav extremely, well in winter. A strong prejudice exists against duck eggs with tinted shells, but tho runner is immune from such prejudice, as its eggs are white.and the equal of the hens product in every way for cooking purposes. In many instances no marked difforcnc is observable between them and tho latter, except as regards size, runner eggs invariably, scoring an advantage in this regard. _ ~ The fiVh of the Indian especially fine in quality and early in maturity, and is always produced at less expense, pound... for pound than is that of the ordinary market duck, but it is as on egg-producer thaHho runner shines.

UTILITY POULTRY CLUB.

; SEVENTH LAYING COMPETITION. " The following is the official report for the 39th week of the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club's seventh compctition:_ Total Total ; • - for to week, date. A. H. Padman, Adelaide, W.L. 22 869, V R. Browne, Grecnmoadows, * ' \y i ' ' 30 1,090 T. Collins, Waiwetu. W.L. ... 30 950 C. M. Peek, Avondale, 8.0.... 23 840 G H. Barnott, Loeston, B.L. 2? 899 Horotaunga Poultry Coy., Sil : ' verstroiiin, W.L 29 1,068 W. Halpin, Greonmoadaws, W.L. 21 1,010 W. Knight, Hutt, No. 1 W.L. 25 918 A. E. Wilson, Shirley, W.W. 9. 945 W. Knight, Hutt, W.L 24 879 Verrall Broa., Swannnnoa, W.L. 22 931 A. E. Wilson, Shirley, W.L. ... 25 914 Eangiuru Egg Ranch, Otaki, w.l. ~:...:. 21 1,001 D. Stewart, Normanby, Taranaki, W.L 27 746 A. B. Menzie, Addington, Rosecombed W.L : 20 859 Edgar Hall, Lower Hutt, 8.0. 17 852 C. Hammond, Ruakura, White P.E 20 902 G. Finn, Wellington, W.L. ... 29 906 Dominion Poultry Plant, CoTomnndcl, W.L 27 905 A. It. Browne, Greenmoadows, W.L. : 28 1,026 Mrs. H. W- Hawke, Papanui, W.L 21 896 Mrs. J. Mills,. Dunedin, W.L. 28 995 R, Willis and Sons, New Brighton, 8.0 : 8 790 H. Meadows, Spreydon, W.L. 23 834 P. J. Keller,' Rolteton, Cam- ■■' pinea 25 669 W. G. Goodwin, Thames, W.L. 27 953 R. Willis and Sons, Now Brighton, W.L 14 953 A. W. Irvine,-Epsom, W:L. ..: 29 971 T. Kennedy, Eangiora, S.W. 25 1,083 James Ashton, HArnn-nr, S.W. .J, W?l

G. 11. Bradford, Cust, W.L. ... 1G 553 D. Y. Gibson, Herbert, W.L. 32 !185 W. Nixon, Bunvood, W.L. ... '2$ 1,002 H. M. Banuehr, lliccarton, W.I'.E 23 . 690 Thomas' I'-rothov, ' Mnrtinbor--ougli, Bull' L 3G flliG C. L. Bridges, Wanffimui, W.L. 17 868 Janios Maxwell, > Jlastorton,- „ K.O , 27 CG3 G. H. Robinson, Christchurch, W.L r 25 801 A. E. Kent, Shirley, W.L. ... 29 891 W. Balclv Belfast, W.L 32 • 875 Ileretaunga Poultry Co., Silverstream, W.L 32 ' 1,056 N. Solomon, Westport, -ry.L. 23 ' 910 A. W. Irvine. Epsom, W.L.... 25 846 G. H. Eobins'on, Christchurch, ' ' B.L / 24, 1,028 A. Stevenson, Wellington, „ W.L 31 900 H. Leger, Wcreroa, W.L 21 874 W. O. Sail, Cust,- W.L 2G 955 I Master Gordon Wilson, Shirley, W.L 26 9CI A. E. Kinncor, Adelaide, W.L. 31 920 '£. Doivthwaite, Auckland, W.L 23 731 A. Tisch, Dallington, W.L. ... 31 . 1,039 C; M. Peek, Avondale, W.L.... 32 953 A. I'. H. Sutherland, Wellington, W. P.E. 20 682 T. Kennedy, Eangiora, W.W. 25 : 9GG A: W. Adams, Sheffield,'S.W. 20 • 791 W. Scull, Christchurch, B.WT 26 903 W. 'Nixon, Burwood, W.L. ... 36 1,046 Misses M. and M. Bradley, Papanui, W.L 21 1,107 J. W. Green, St. Albans, W.L. 32 . 994 1,490 54,335 FOR DUCKS. Total Total for to ■ Week. Date. Ileretaunga Poultry Co., Sil- • vcrstrcam, I.R 31 1,161 W. Knight, Hutt, I.R 38 1,156 W. Knight, Hutt, I.R. 26 91G S. H. Scott, Onehunga, I.R. ... 22 637 T. Strong, Doyleston, I.R. ... 22* 903 3. H. Scott, Onehunga, I.R. ... 23 783 C. Hammond, Euakuraj 1.R.... IS 923 A. R.' Browne, Greenineadriws; I.R 12 1,041 W. Hodgson, Cheviot, I.R, ... 23 ' 764 T. Dowthwaite, Avondale, I.E. 15 833 T. R. Hall, Wcreroa, I.R .' 25 950 15.'A. O'Brien, Waihi, I.R, ..'.. 17. 861 P. J. Kellor, Eollcston, I.R. ... 24 1,016 P. Webb, Levin, I.R 20 G47 .316 12,593 MAGISTRATE'S COURT. ♦— (Before Mr. W. G.-Eiddol].- S.M.) INSOBRIETY. The charge-sheet at tho Magistrate's Court yesterday morning consisted, with one exception, of indictments for drunkonness, and tho list was disposed of in about half an hour. Four first-offe'nding inebriates were convicted and discharged. Wm, Tierncy, for drunkenness, w;is convicted and fined Ss., with the usual option. Cornelius Sullivan and Henry Irwin, each once previously convicted • of drunkenness, were fined 10s., and Phillip Sharkey, .with' two previous convictions against his name, was convicted of drunkenness, and fined.. 205., with the option of three days' imprisonment. Harry Swanson was fined 405., upon being convicted of a breach of his prohibition order, the alternative being seven days in prison. SERIOUS •CHARGE. A man named Albert Honry Hughes, accused of a serious offence against a i. young girl, ..was .remanded'till. March 5, bail' being allowed" on his personal bond of ,£IOO, with two sureties of X'so each, and ono of .£IOO.