POULTRY INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2534, 7 August 1915, Page 15

POULTRY INDUSTRY

[(Br Ohantecler.). A.YSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. Mr. A. R. Napier writes:—"l am glad to note that you are iirginj the- Government to pass a Bill for 'stamping of im> ported eggs.' 1 havo never experienced such'a quiet time iu our industry before. I do not wonder at it. New-laid eg?s aro down to Is. 3d. here, and certainly cannot bo produced at, that price to givo a profit. .What inducement is there for a poultry farmer to raiso early hatched pullets, bearing all the cost and troublo of _ raising, to bs met iust when they get into profit, by thousands of dozens of American chilled eggs arriving on tlio market. This will undoubtedly kill the industry, and leave poultry production to tho farmer to keep his few . birds to eat up waste. What is urgently needed at present is to insist on the eggs being stamped as 'imported,' and also tho increase in duty/' ■ IMPORTED EGGS. . Our correspondent is correct in atrributmg the cause of cheaper eggs during the past winter to tho importations from America. From the public point of view it is to their advantage for eggs to be a moderate prico in winter, but this should bo achieved by the poultry producers in New Zealand, and not brought about by the selling of thousands of imported eggs which buyers are led to believo are New Zealand production. It is questionable whetlior- flier Government would entertain the rise in the present duty which is 3d. per dozen. On top of this the. landing charge would bo .2d„ and by tho time the egg., would be sold to the public, another 3d. would require fx) bo added. Producers should be able to : compote against these charges, so that the rise in duty would certainly be met by opposition _ from the consumer. However, there is 110 valid reason why tho Government should not insist on the imported eggs being stamped, and sold as such, so that the eggs would not enter into unfair competition with new laidsl' The public would buy with the knowledge that the eggs were at least, two months old, and this fact would certainly depreciate their value. From various indications, we may safely assume that an Act will bo passed this year along these lines. The Americans themselves, havo -passed a 'Bill hedged around with so inany restrictions that the use of all imported eggs would 'be greatly discouraged, ■■ ■ • VALUE OF i MAIZE. Very few poultrymen realise the value of maize. In Canterbury several thousands of bushels of maize are being used for poultry feeding this season. The results have been moot eatisfaotory, and many of. the producers havo affirmed that they will not. use anything like the same quantity of wheat in the future whilo rtiaizo win be obtained. Maize is a food that has never received its proper place place in the dietary for poultry. . It is very rich in carbo-hydrates, and has a very satisfactory cffect on egg-production. Tho eggs are also rich in colour, and more suitable for hatching, giving stronger and better chicks. It is a food that dispenses health among the poultry, and it is noticeable hoiy healthy poultry appear that are fed oil maize. Another .very noticeable fact is the appearance of the eggshells.- Maize contains a good amount of phosphates, and when:,the poultry are fed on this food the shells havs a fine hard appearance. There is no doubt maize will grow strongly into favour. In America it is practically tho only food fed to poultry, while in England and Australia it is very much resorted to. FOOD FOE THOUGHT. ' At the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club, Mr. A. E. Wilson recently: gave a very fine paper on the "Breeding of Poultry." We would like to quote extensively from this paper; as it contains 6ome very excellent advice. Mr. Wilson stated the fundamental laws of breeding were:—(l)'-The law that like begets like. (2) The law of atavism. Fundamental principles include:—(l) Breeding to a stJandard of excellence, ideal or real. (2) Breeding only from parents which conform to this standard in a "marked" degree. (3) Breeding from . parents, more especially males, which have long been bred without intermixture of alien blood. (4) Mating 60' as to correct the defects of the parents in the offspring. (5) Practising a selection at once rigorous and persistent; (6) Giving due attention to environment, sanitary conditions, and feeding. Naturally the law that like begets like is the law which claims our attention. This law was strongest in "birds of pure blood and of close relationship. The law of variation is strongest in impure and out-cross stock. The law of atavism is less uniform than either of the other two, ' and weakens as the starting point in pure' breeding is received from. . N.Z, UTILITY POULTRY CLUB'S COMPETITIONS. The official results of the seventeenth week of the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club's eleventh egg-laying , competition for fowls.' for the week onded Tuesday, August 3, aifl as follow::— ' Total Total for . to week. date. Verrall Bros, B.li. *' .19 333 H. Leger,. S.C.W.L, 19 312 Waikato Egg Farm, S.C.W.L. 18 310 Calder Bros, S.C.W.L. 20 326 Heretaunga P.C., No. 1, S.C.W.L. 21 275 N. Solomon, S.C.W.L 3 239 J. Wordsworth, S.C.W.L 25 299 Dominion P. Plant, S.C.W.L. 13 178 M. P. Chapman, S.C.W.L. ... 23 216 Mrs. J. Mills, S.C.W.L 19 304 A. R. Browne, S.C.W.L. 21 29G Heretaunga P.C., No. 2, S.C.W.L 22 292 T. It'll wraith, S.C.W.L 23 212 C. Warburton, S.CAV.L. 17 . 188 A. G. Brailev, S.C.W.L. 19 333 Wainoni P. Farm, S.C.W.L. 21 241 Glencoe P. Ranch, S.C.W.L. 17 ' ' 354 A. W. Irvine, S.C.W.L 22 ' 223 Ashburton P. Farm, S.C.W.L.; 15 200 Geo. Catteral, S.C.W.L. .18 ';&2 L. T, Wright, S.C.W.L; 24 : 311 L. Macdonald, S.C.W.L. ......... 10 13G Atkinson Bros., S.C.W.L. ...... 15 180 A. E. Phillips, S.C.W.L 23 - 223 Dalmuir P. Yards, 5.C.W.L.'... 14 318 B. P.'L. Clayson, S.C.W.L. ..; 19 279 Green Bros., S.C.W.L 15. , 288 Jack Green, S.C.W.L; 15 371 A. E. Wilson, S.C.W.L. ......... 18 295 W. A. Nixon, S.C.W.L. .........20 238 H. S. Woodnorth, S.C.W.L. ~. 25 ■ • 343 R. Roxburgh, S.C.W.L; ......... 2(J 211 B. A. Lazarus, S.C.W.L., ....... 17 222 A. W. Adams, S.C.WIL; 17' 250 T. Fazackerley and Sons,, S.C.W.L 9 252 W. Davey, S.C.W.L ig ' 257 W. A. Nixon, S.C.W.L / 22 25G B. H. James, S.C.W.L ;,i 19 901 R. Mills, S.C.W.L 10 mo S. L. Lcggett, S.C.W.L • M 150 B. Willis and Son, 5.C.W.L.... 27 311 George Gee, S.C.W.L -.31 .222 Green Bros., S.C.W.L. 18 224 Rangiuru Egg Ranch, S.C.W.L, 11 177 Thos. Kennedy, S.C.W.L 18 255 Calder Bros., No. 1, S.C.W.L, 12 313 R. W. Hawke, S.C.W.L 19 2 C3 Mrs. M'Kinnon, S.C.W.L 20 241 Green Bros., R.C.W.L, 20 '268 Totals - 1 900. 12,921 HEAVY BREEDS. • . Total Total to to woek. date. A'. W. Adams, S.W, ;;... 27 '. 127 Green Bros., S.W 23 231 E. Oakes, R.I.R 1G 217 Cooper and Wainscott, R.I.R. 20 339 W. A. Nixon, R.I.R 9 71 A. E. Wilson, W.W 21 • 111 T. Kennedy, W.W 15 200 W. A. Nixon, 8.0 23 216 Wi L. Walker, 8.0 2G 259 E. Willis, 8.0 35 37G W. Bloomficld, 8.0 19 298 totals 210 2574 FOR DUCKS. The New Zealand Utility Poultry Club's sixth egg-laying teat for ducks. Returns for the seventeenth weel' are as follon-: — Total Total lo to week. date. J. B. Morrett, I.R 13 137 T. R. Hall, I .It rii - 2 229 GloneM Poultry J-Pi ■ Mjj IW, lifit minimum Z *»»,

Thomas Dowthwaite, I.R 22 115 AV. Knight, I.R 0 302 AV. Knight, I.R 4 257 AYninont 11.l 1 . Farm, I.R 0 91 Totals 49 170S Tho letters after each, entry denoto tho breed 13 under:—B.L., Brown Leghorn; S.C.AV.L., Single Comb AVhite Leghorn; R.C.W.L., Rose Comb AA : hito Leghorn; S.AY., Silver Wyandotte; R.1.R., Rliodo Island Red; AV.AV., AVhite AVyandotto; J3.0., Black Orpington, 1.E., Indian Runner,