THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1681, 22 February 1913, Page 14

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

(By Chantecler.)

The Conference, Tho excellent programme provided by ; tho Auckland committeo should wove a . great attraction to ponltrymen. Already , (liiito a InTge number of delegates have been appointed both from tho South and tho North Islands. The sessions will bo largely used for tho discussion of tho commercial side of the industry and a paper by Mr. 11. D. Actand, a well-known Christchurch solicitor, on co-operation in Denmark should prove specially valuable. 'Mr. Acland lias recently 1 returned from Denmark and Ireland whero lie spent some time studying the methods of marketing poultry produce inbotli countries. A determined effort will be made at the conference to concentrate tho marketing of eggs in the four centres through one or more agents. They will obviate the cutting of prices that has been experienced in the past, and the resultant losses which the producers have had to face through the present system. . Now Zealand Record. Not only is the present competition in New Zealand likely to furnish us with a new record for our own tests, but there is every prospect of Mr. Nixon's pen putting up a The present record is 1589, and Was made at Roseworthy, S.A., last year. Mr.' Nixon's pen, on Wednesday last, had attained 1401 in 45 weeks, with seven weeks to go. A weekly return of 25 eggs will make the total 1590. Seeing that the pen laid '31 last week there is every prospect of this bein:» done. In fact, it is just possible the 160) goal will be reached. Mr. Nixon's friends will wish him success. Tho next seven weeks aro arduous ones seeing, that tho moult has to be faced. Still, the prospects look good, and Now Zealand will have something hard to beat if the team hangs together next month.: • The Dangers Ahead. . Getting numbers is fascinating, but dangerous. Our tests .may show what numbers can be laid, butythe penalties are not-shown. Nature revolts beyond a certain point, and already many breeders have to face the losses that forcing entails. The dangers of high numbers are numerous, and the eg»-laying competition will need to devote their attention to other tests; It is little encouragement for breeders to support thejn for numbers alone. Each pen means an outlay of nearly ,£lO, and many breeders ore backing out and leaving the entries to beginners who wish to try their fortune. Hcus laying high numbers lay small eggs, are subject to various troubles, are almost useless as breeders, and fail. generally in constitution. These are losses that breeders cannot face, and the time is near at, hand when these matters must be remedied. ' The Queensland Black Orpingtons. Reader's of this • column are familiar with the. fact tbat black Orpingtons havo been /doing well at the Gatton Agricultural Competition in Queensland. Tho six birds got 1183 eggs for tho nine months ended December 31, with 14G for December, but they only knocked out 118 for January. Tho. falling off—of an egg. per day—begins to' supply conformation of the fact that the. heavy breeds don't finish well. Tho last three nionths try any hens—the weather is hotter, the moult is about, and the hens aro wear)'—and tho experience of all the competitions teaches that tho light-weight, skinny, white-col-oured hens (white is a non-conductor of heat) get through the best, as indeed 1 they should, their only function being to lay eggs. ■ ■ ■ Will They Put Up a New Record? The highest score got by six black Orpingtons in competition is the 1461 made by Loughman's birds six or'seven years ago at tho Rockdale competition, in New South Wales. With two months to £0 the Queensland birds have 1301 on the slate, so that thev want 161 to put, up hew figures for the breed, and I don't think they-will make it. They aro heavier than Loughman's, birds were—they average about 71b. apiece—and'what with the weather, the strain of laying, and the moult, etc.—it does not seem . that these heavyweights will make' history so far as the competitions are concerned. Loughman's blacks got 158 for the first month, (April), while the Queensland birds' only dropped 20, but the latter- put up better work in the middle months of tho contest. The Two Pens Compared. For the 10- months' ended January 31 Loughman's pen put up 1278; the Queensland blacks did 1301. For February and March (the last two months) the Rockdale birds got 108 and 75; what the Gattoii birds will do remains to. be seen, though I think they [aro too heavy to last, (the slump in January is ominous), but however :it finishes, this writer takes off his hat. to these gallant ,blacks that ■ have done so very much better than any ono expected them to d'>. ■ : Roseworthy, Kybybolite, and Murray BridflS No More. It was officially stated during tho week that the poifltry stations at Roseworthy, Kybybolite, and' Murray Bridge will bo closed down, and that in futuro the whole of the operations will bo concentrated at Pai'afield, near Salisbury. 'Tho move will occasion no surprise among tho poultry men. The number of tests is likely to be reduced a's they liavo largely fulfilled tho mission assigned to them.