THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1412, 12 April 1912, Page 8

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

(By Chantecler.) '^P^^^'

Ten Million Hens: What Britain Wants. Germany's incivn-ftig fondness for i'gg.is likely to prove a sori.iu- matter to u-, .-ay- li„. "Daily \eiv-." So, at any rale, argues Air. Kdward Urnwii in an iiiler—liiiS anil exhau-live report running In over "lie hundred pages, on (lie poultry industry in (.icnn.iny. The Fatherland i- miw tim greatf-l cg-i and poultry importer in the world. In IS9S Htt.Slu (ons . I egg-, of the value of .1;1.255,:i."i0, were imparted; iu 11)10 Hie quanlily was 150,871 tons, and Ihe value ,!:7.959,2!10.' And yet lite Germans do not cut as many eggs as we do, and we, again, are second to the French in this mailer. Air. Brown points out that when Germans c-al. a- many' eggs as Britishers (he supplies of the'country will have to be drawn from the more excessive oourres, for he sees no probability of native production advancing equally to the growth of the demand. Our supplies will thus be threatened, and prices iu this countrv will n'-e.

The moral is obvious, and Atr. Brown deals thoroughly with the practical side of (he question. He makes valuable suggestions as to poultry breeding. A great increase, he states, has taken place in poultry-keeping in the Tinted Kingdom in the last twelve years, and he estimates that we now produce ..£'5,(100,000 worth more eggs and poultry than fifteen years This advance has been mainly in England and Ireland. Wales and Scotland are only now awakening to their opportunities'.

Aii addition of ten millions lo our stock of laying hens is, needed, and, remarked Mr. JJroH'n, "an there are upwards of •16,5(10,00(1 acres nf cultivated laud iu the United Kingdom, it requires less Hum a quarter of a hen ]>er acre to reach that total." Scotland and Ireland, he thinks, could meet the vast second-class trade demand, while England and AVales should provide Hie belter grades. Only recently Mr. K.lward Brown, the English poultry expert, whose travels have taken him to' ilie United States, Canada, Denmark, and Oeruiany for the purpose of gathering information with respect lo poultry, has given some of his impressions regarding the position of poultry in the latter country, and lie soys that Germany will become an increasing factor in (he'mter-Kumpoan trade in eggs and poultry, and therefore exert a vast influence upon producing and consuming countries—in the former by oiTering another market, in Hie latter by competing for supplies. Willi the idea of keeping the British farmer up to the mark in the industry, Mr. Brown enumerates the following ' points for consideration:—That the breeding of fancy poultry may bo made a leading step to the evolution of practical breeding on industrial lines, and, rightly applied, exhibitions help in creating a desire for better breeds. But when such breeding is regardless of economic qualities, ordinary fancy shows'are of small value, and mnv be an injury rather than a help. That whilst it is e-.sential the class of poultry -elected should be suited to the conditions found in, and requirements of, any district, and that, when native races conform to such tests theso should be selected, the policy adopted for development of the national food supplies should be to secure the best and most productive breeds that can he found, whatever their place of origin. That for practical purposes the greatest results are obtained when one, or at. most two, breeds are generally kept within a given area, leading to mora rapid advance, to uniformity of products, and giving a special character to the egg or poultry from that district. Winter Egg Supply, ! •V "Teat point in maintaining the winter egg supply is to keep the hens m warm'quarters and to make them scratch in deep litter for their grain Keepingthem in a small place'protected from the cold winds is' net all that is required to keep them warm. The more important essential is that their restricted quarters should be filled in with soil, dung, or litter of any kind till it is a foot" or more above the surrounding level, so as to ensure that their fret are we above all damp. Fouls are not well housed, however good the builuing may be if Ihov are continuously standing on cold' slu.-li. as they too often are during the winter. The cheapest feed you can use ior egglirnduction is the best you call obtain. What a fancier wants to knot is what percentage of meals to mix for the niornin» mash, and what is the most suitable .'rain to feed. When a hen is in full lav, laving four or five eggs per week, Hie fancier must remember that such should be counterbalanced by iood. Foods that contain (lie necessary glutens, albuminoids, etc., that; the egg contains should be used, also allowing a certain amount for bodily use of the hen. b) so doiii" you are feeding economically, not giving the hen food that is not required at all. but. getting full va lie from your food, and doing justice to tho pets for labour they do. Always keep vour stock free from vermin, as very bflen these pests require feeding. Dunn" the winter months- it may happen that, during periods of severe frost the birds may suffer from frost-bitten combs and wattles, and when this occurs they leave off hying. J his sta.e of thines mav bo prevented, where■ only a small flock is concerned, bv rubbing tho combs- and wattles with vaseline. The trouble involved by (his treatment is well worth while, for it must be remembered that once birds discontinue the laving habit during winter it takes a long time to get them started again. Fireless Cooking..

"I lake a lull large enough In hold mv lint, wilh awiul li". spacer .ill riiiniil. 1 line Ibis lull at the -ides and liallnni with fell, then pack lightly wiili hay. Icaviii" a -pace in Ihe middle of the hay la rve enough In lake Iho |ml. (I may -ay liter;' i- mi lutv packjug at the bottom iif Ihe lub.) "Having pill (lie pot, ju.-l boiling, inHie tub, I cover Hie top with felt and leave it there till morning. "ll' any of your leaders try lliis method it will pr.obably be a pleasant surprise lo them when they find on uncovering the pat in the niurnimr Hint the mash put in overnight is slill -learning hoi, thoroughly cooked, and ready to inixwilh tlie meals. This saves a lot of oil; anil, what is more inipnrlani, a Int. of attention, which is very irksome if tlie operation is done in some outhouse, and has to be looked ai'ter Into at night in all weathers." Three Good Rules. Tu the poultry diet three rules must be enforced: Gocd, -harp grit, constantly, before the stock; pure, clean water; sound grain. The grit is needed to properly grind the food in the crop, thus avoiding trouble will) tin- digestive organs. The water must be pure, clean, anil fresh, as. impure water will carry nausea with il. The grain, whether whole or ground, must be solid and Rood. Damaged or musty material is very harmful. The Vancouver Test. The latest returns from the Vancouver test show that the Australasian pens aro leading in both sections. Tlie scores on February 20 were:— Light Breeds. .1. Stewart, N.S.W 2,1.1 S. Ellis, N.S.W 148 AW Nixon, N.Z 1:17 L. Hopkins, N.Z 129 Heavy Breeds. !. W. Nixon, S.W., N.Z 195 The Double Event. The win of the Hcrciounga Poultry Co. in -coring bath tests lias been unique performance, and Mr. Muniby, the proprietor, is receiving hosts of congratulations on his achievement. Poultry Dropping Dead Suddenly, (To the Editor.) Sir,—A few days ago two prime While, Leghorns suddenly rolled over. Again, to-day, in the space of about half an hour, four more rolled 'over, dead. 1 have examined the crop, wind-pipe, etc., and can find nothing, but have come to the conclusion that it is a sting of the red flying ant. Do yon think I am correct ■ Jiy reason is this for thinking so: I knocked one down, struck it several time-, but did not kill il, and picked it up in a small leaf. It stung me on the finger. It Mcmcd like the prick of a hot needle point, and remained- so. I put several things on* it, and lastly I put a little tincture of laehens on it, which 1 think checked it. l)o you think there is any cause for fowls (o go off in this way? The poison seems very deadly.—l am, etc., HENRY WALTON. April 11, 1912. BUTTER AND CHEESE EXPORTS. SEASON'S TOTAL TOE LONDON. ■ Tho export of butter ■. will probably cease with next week's shipments, and already a. considerable quantity has been placed in cool chambers for local itso during the winter. Next week's steamer, it "is staled, mav take 12.000 to 1.1,000 boxes of butter and about 13,000 crates of cheese. Cheese shipments, however, will continue up to the end ol April or inlo May. A little butter is stiU going, to \ r aneouvcr. One' local lirni, in spite of the lateness at which the butter will arrive, has an order for 500 boxes to go by the next steamer.

According to a table prepared by a Wellington merchnnt, the export of butter to London for. the season to date shows a falling-olf of about 5 per cent., ami the cheese exports to tho same port show an increase of from 12} per cent, to 13 per cent. The quantity of butter exported to London up to this time lust year was (aViIG boxes, the total for tho present season to date being 5110,228 boxes, a falling off of :i1i,418 boxes. The cheese exported to London up lo this time last year 'was 221!,!!55 urates, ar- against 257,U72 crates this year, an increase in fayou; of the present season of 28,!157 crates.

\n Old Country poultry-breeder writes: "Tlio-e of vour poultry-readers who are in the habit of giving their fowls a hot mash in the early morning may be niter-e-teed to know of a way in which I save inv-elf a good deal of work, inconvenience and incidentally expense in. the preparation of this mash. What I do of an evening is to bring my mash of litmso<=crnps, greens, etc., to boiling point in a lar<>e pot over a- Primus oil stove. I then put this pot in n tub, which hao been prepared as follows:—