THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1866, 27 September 1913, Page 23

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

(By Chantecler.) |

The Export Tradoi ( During tho coming month an experiment of great interest to New Zealand will bo made in tho shipment of 10,000 dozen eggs to the Vancouver market. Already thero aro signs that the initiai tion of this trade is going to do much towards keeping up tho local prices. One -whole chamber has been secured for tho boat leaving Auokland next month. Tho bulk of tho shipment will , bo sent from Christchurch, where poultrymeii are alive to the possibilities • export. They had l purposed ><•!••»•;• another 10,000 dozen by tho boat leaving in November, but unfortunately • thero was no chamber available that V will hold less' than 18,000 dozen, and this number at tho present juncture-is '' rather more than promoters can undertake. Should the October shipment provo successful, there is no doubt that the following season will sco tlio export | trade fully developed. How the Work -Is Done. 'Already tho egg circle movement has dono much towards improving prices, i and the quality of eggs in the Dominion, and it is through organisation of, this kind that tho export trado has' been mado. possible. The. local agent,. Mr. Jessen, lias arranged to .send 1000 dozen to. the shipment, leaving ' noxt month, and such an enthusiastic agent is deserving. of support. .In Christchuroh co-operation of this kind ; is even more, forcibly illustrated, as mombors of the association aro, each contributing so many dozens towards tho shipment. I Eggs aro sent in to tho agent every threo days, whero they aro .carefully tested;' graded, and packed in oxport cases, and then in cold storage until the coastal steamer takes' them to Auckland, whoro they aro again placed in fold storage on tlio boat for Vancouver. The cases contain i 30 dozen eggs. Poultrymon overyf whore benefit by this undertaking, as .. local prices improve and all participate in tho increased values.

An Interesting Experiment. Recently a poultryman brought the writer a lion in which could bo plainly felt four fully-formed eggs in tho abdomen. It was noticed that this hen continued to lay several weeks after this discovery Was mado, The _ ogas wero firm,, and from an examination it was evident that they had escaped from tho oviduct. As I had no previous ox- , perience of this kind, nothing was left hut to kill tho'hen for examination. The results proved that, had an.anaesthotic been administered, the eggs could liavo been removed and the hen restored to health. On examination the four eggs were found to bo Saddled as tho result of confinement for weeks. The puzzlo was to find out'how they got there. Careful examination shbwed that they had not escaped from tho cluster. If they had they would liavo been dovoid of shell. • Carefully following tho oviduct it was discovered that at tho uteres tho eggs iha;l broken tho membranes and escaped in this way. After four eggs had been, retainod in this way the rupturo had evidently healed sufficiently for tho hen to con- - tiuue laying in tho ordinary way. At

the. time of examination the oviducthad almost 'been restored to its normal condition. Weakness in tho structure brought on through excessive laying had evidently caused' tho troublo. Signs of Progress. On every hand poultryn?en aro reporting that tlio present season has been tho busiest ono'yet experienced. Numbers of. them have had taking orders for "day-old chicks," setting eggs, and stock. Thousands of poiuids aro being distributed among tlio specialists, who arc more tbaji pleased that they have extended their plants and made provisioii for tho increased business. Tho demand for eggs is increasing rapidly—in fact, much faster than tho supply, and thoso who have been croaking that tho industry would be overdone may well banish their fears. Never liavo wo seen such high summer prices as at ■ tlic present, and it is if oggs will drop below one shilling this cmiing .season. Many of the largo consumers of eggs aro now offering one shilling per dozen for first grades, which in previous years tlioy liavo been able to obtain at 9d. or 10d. per dozen. These increased prices mean more enthusiasm in tho industry, and strengthen tho assuranco that there is room for rapid development. Tho writer has alwiys asserted that thero is no industry in tho Dominion that is so worthy of being helped as the poultry industry. It is a business in which money is freely distributed among all classes of people. The poultryman lias to spend freely in order to get his plant up to date. Materials in timber, ironmongery, etc., foods (grain and sharps, etc.), printing, etc., all get a share in the poultryman's profit. It is an occupation that almost every worker can take part in, and contribute to his income by keepjng laying. fowls. With tho increasing local demand, and tho possibility of export trade, the poultry industry Las a bright futuro. before it.

Correspondence. - Tlio following letter has been received during the weolc:—Sir,—ln: writing of the hot versus tireless brooders, "Chantecler" leaves tho average reader with a misty and incomplete view on this subject. To sa.v that the fireless brooder does not suit tho big man is ti loave a very.great deal unsaid. For, aftor all, tho big man is not the "only strawberry in the patch." Tho man of hundreds who tried cold brooding has gone back to the warm brooders, I have no doubt, with some advantage and ease of mind. But tho big man in this industry is and will remain a mosquito in space in comparison with tho mass of medium and small poultry breeders. For these. "Chantecler". has nothing to offer except tlio delusive broody hen or a costly and unyielding hot box. Now venerable "Biddy's" popularity has only recently received a serious check', owing to ]the fact that it. would only decide to.sit after two parts of the season; hatching' should have been done: This mass of small breeders aiid egg-fanciers need newblood and a bunch' .of pullets for next season, and tltoy cannot procuro a room oa tho stovo principle, with 1000 chicks,

or even a lamp brooder, with its disadvantages and cost. Tlicro enters tlio lire-loss brooder, both for spring and summer. It lias its faults, but not irreparable faults. For one thing, it lias no strike fits like "Middy," and does not sot tlio house on fire. This writer claims to be unprejudiced, and uses both the hot brooder and lireless brooder. The former for large lots, the latter for social pedigree" lots. These roar with good frames, and are finer chicks, with practically i)o loss both in frosty weathor and summer. That most successful breeder in all Australasia—Mr. Padinan—will not touch bens or heated brooders. He contends that a lireless brooder rears stronger and better stock, and has unmistakably shown that it does, by a record wliich big breeders and poultry savants will vainly try to reach, oven with a long perch.—l am, etc., H. LEGER. Weraroa, September 23.