THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1348, 27 January 1912, Page 10

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

' WW • (B y ghantecler.) jUMg

Is the Poultry Industry Overdone? During tho past few years there havo been quite a liumlier of people who havo expressed the belief that the poultry industry was being overdone. Scores of peoplo have told us that we would kill the industry by inducing too many peoplo to take up poultry-keeping; others have condemned the Government for tlio same reason. But one is glad to say that tho year 1913 is going to be the best year we have over had. Months ago I advised readers to go in for ducklings and table chickens for the Christmas market. Sovoral took the advice and reaped the profit. Thousands of ducks have been sold during the past six months, at prices I unique in New Zealand—from 6s. to Bs. lOd. per pair. Table chickens, too, have been scarce. Up to 2a. per pound—9s. 4d. per pair—havo been sold in public auction livo weight. What do these things showp Where is the ovor-production bo many predicted? Take eggs. For several months they ruled at a low price, but when havo we had Christmas pricos of Is. id. and Is. 6d. per dozen, as wo have had locally this season ? Eggs are going to bo dear this winter;.at least, as dear as we want to see them. . is the Cause? There must bo a cause for thoso high prices, and the writor is going tc givo his opinion, and it is'as near correct as it can be formed. (1). If we study the poultry industry- in Canada, United States, and other countries, what do we find? Tho growth of population and the consequent demand for eggs and poultry is greater than tho supply. Canada and tho United States had ample for their requirements a few years ago, and used to export; but now they require all they can produce. At the momout of writing, eggs aro retailing at Vancouver at 3s. Id. a dozen. History repeats itself with us. Thore is a bigger demand for eggs and poultry to-day in this Dominion than there ever has beon, and the supply in some departments is less. Tho true causo of high priccs in ducklings is the wholesale disposal of ducks in the fall of 1911. Owing to so many rearing ducks, prices dropped. Duck eggs, too, were at a discount, and breeders eold, off their stock. This season sees.a. iremendons. shortage. (2). Table chickens are scarce because so many farmers have been induced to go in .for White- Leghorns. Tho good old crossbred raised.-by. the farmer has gone and in its place we have the Leghorn. Until farmers and poultrymen go in for the heavier breeds, there will be a shortage in chickens. (3) Tho price of eggs soaring up at Christmas goes to show the increasing demand. The removal of thousands of ducks has removed thousands of duck eggs off the market, and our egg production is less. These are the main causes of present conditions. Never have I seen the prospects of the poultry industry 60 bright as at present. Given a good harvest, with moderato prices for foodstuffs, wo havo nothing to fear. One can confidently encourage readers to go in for more poultry. The. demand will not- grow less. I know that each year poultry grows moro popular for table purposes. \ I urge ' all poultrymen to— 1. Breed more table chickens and prepare them in better quality for th© trade. 2. To grade and supply-more'eggs, fresh, and of high quality. 3. Whore practicable, to f 00-operato in the purchase of feed.'. ■ The London Conference. Tho "Weekly Press," after publishing in full the letter received from Dr. Pearl in the matter of sending a delegate from New Zealand, says: We are euro - that llr. Merrett knows as much about tho poultry, industry as any of the gentlemen whose..signatures are a ttach cd - to ■> th 6 ;'jxljOvo' li jfnd ithat if anything l valuable'could bo achieved by a "World's Poultry Congress," hp.would jrlo his'part" towards it.' 'Buti'db-Vo'really need a congress of able inori to tcaih us lvow to raise chickens and feed fowls? ■AVhat knowlelge could the congress give us that has not :boen published • and republished in tho poultry press? The style of the above letter wouid befit a communication from expert sheep-breeders, or dairy-farmers, or wheat-growers,, or exporters of frozen meat; but coming from those associated with poultry, it seems a little inflated. Ono cannot agree with tho 'Tress." The poultry industry is assuming greater significance' than .ordinary writers imagine. It is 'bccomiiig as much a science, as any of the' industries "specified. • One .would certainly like to see New Zealand represented, .and' it is to. be regretted that Mr. Merrett cannot attend. Vancouver Egg-Laying Competition. Mr. Merrett received word last week from the Vancouver Egg-Laying, Competition that up to December 20 all the Australasian pons occupied the leading places in the test. In the heavy varieties Mr. W. A. Nixon, Christcburch, leads with 103, the next hen being 54; in tho light varieties J. Stewart, New South Wales, 87; liangiuru Egg Ranch, Otaki, New Zealand. 75; W. A. Nixon, Christchurch, 57; J. Ellis, Sydney, 53. These returns aro very gratifying. Tho weather has been cold, the teniperaturo being down to 29 degreos. The average prico of egga in Vancouver during December was 3s. 2d. a. dozen. In writing to Mr. Merrett, the Government expert says the New Zealand pens are marvels, and'the excellent 'performance of the Ranginru pen in laying 72 eggs in 'a month has created great surprise in Vancouver,_ considering the "bad weather and" clianga" of climate"the birds have been called on to face.— "Press." 1 There is every prospect of the birds finishing high up in the test that have been sent from Australasia.. They were all picked teams from the best flocks, Many of the Canadian pens have been entered too young, so that tho chances for a win in both sections'of the test be with the Australian birds. Poultry in China. For hundreds of years, says the "Sydney Morning lievald," China has been the greatest poultry-producing'nation in the world. A- recent American consular report states that of the 300,000,000 people of China there are few who do not consume pojltry—chickens, or ducks, or geese, and a largo number of 'eggs. For considerable portions of the population poultry is tho only animal food used, for the well-to-do classes it is an ordinary meat _ diet all the year round. Ducks are pickled, dried, tinned, and otherwise preserved, and shipped to many parts of the world to Chinese who are away from a home supply. Eggs of all kinds arc used frcsh.and are cured by burying in clay and lime, until they acquire something of the quality of cheese, and are a Chinese luxury. It is easy to calculate that to meet this domand the output of poultry and poultry products of China needs to be enormous. There are few families in China,, even in the larger cities, that do not have at least some chickens, mid near the ports open to foreign trade there aro a few good-sized poultry farms. Ducks aro raised in immense quantities on farms along tho canals and rivers of Central and South China, and aro much more common than chickens. ■ One of the customary fights along the Grand. Canal in Mid China is that of a Chinese duck farmer in his boat watching-his ilock feed in and along the canal. Tho ducks are trained, to obey hint, and armed with a long bamboo pole to guide them, - ho controls- their movements and takes them hack to shelter for tho night. While very few Australian Chinese breed poultry, they aro as partial to this class of food as their comrades in the homeland They are weekly buyers of the best quality of ducks offered at the auction sale?. The purchases by some of the Chinese restaurant-keepers range from -C2O to -£30 weekly. The salesmen aro all anxious for their custom, as they are prompt payees. Utility Poultry Club. I have to acknowledge (lie receipt of tho New Zealand Utility Poultry Club's prize schedule for -.its 1912-13 egy-laying competitions. Tho competitions will commence on April 8, and extend over a period of fifty-one weeks. All birds (fowls and (lucks) must be Ixjtwecn the nge of five and nine months on entering the competitions and must be the bona fide property of tho competitor. The competition lor fowls is limited to sixty pons and that of ducks to fourteen, each pen consisting of six purebred bird*, The

prize-money offered for competition for loins is JJGB, and has been allotted as iollows:—l'irst prizo (to tho pen laying the greatest number of eggs during tho competition) .£lO, second Xi, third JU, fourth filth ,£l, sixth 10s. To the pen laying the greatest number of eggs !•" i n, lvmter (Way, June, and July), first .£2, second £1, and third 10s. To the pen laying tho greatest number of eggs during the autumn (January, February, and March), first prize ill 10s„ second sil sum is offered for monthly prizes (the.pen laying most eggs in a month receiving 155., second 10s.). A sum of .£lO has again been donated to the winner of the Studholmc test, second ?i nc ', I'' le conditions of the otudholme test are that the pen laying the greatest aggregate weight of eggs during the competition shall receive GO points, other pens in proportion; as table birds, maximum number of points for greatest weight, 20 points, other pens in proportion.. The first prize for tho duck competition is i£s to the pen laying the most eggs dnring the competition, £3 to the second, XI 10s. to tho third, 15s. to the fourth, and tho club offers a gold medal to the pen of ducks laying most eggs during the winter (May, June, and July). Standard prize certificates will bo issued to owners of all pens of birds laying 1250 eggs or more during the competitions The Management Committee has decided to retain the four loading pens in each of tho foregoing tests for a second year and prize-money on a most liberal scale is offered for competition. Entries will close on February 17 with the secretary Mr. J. H. Shaw, 23 Churchill Street Christchurch.