POULTRY INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2606, 30 October 1915, Page 15

POULTRY INDUSTRY

;(BY Chantecler,).

POULTRY-KEEPING FOR OUR WOUNDED SOLDIERS At Duneil in a. few days ago tho Hon. G. W. Russell expressed the opinion that tho returning soldiers should be induced to take up such occupations as poultrykeeping, fruit-growing, bee-keeping, etc. Poultry-keeping, ilias special claims for' them, and tho Government could do wotss than 6eoure certain areas of land which could bo divided up and apportioned out for the purpose of Keeping poultry by the returning men. Throughout tho Dominion. and especially near to the main cities, thero are certain tracts of land - that' could bo obtained for a very . moderate price. Such land would bo unsuitable for other branches of agriculture, but it could bo utilised with good profit for poultry-' keeping. This as a moans of livelihood lias many advantages over fruit-growing, where tho area required to make a living is from five to ten acres.-In addition, it requires several years before trees como into profit, during which period the owner would have littlo to live upon. Poultrykeeping oan be practised on smaller areas, and within a few months tff commencing operations would largely support the °wner. In the small district outside or Sail Francisco, which is scarcely bigger than tile Hutt Valley, they produce more eggs than wo do .in. the wholo. of,' New. /iealand. The returns from this smaller portion of the country amount to JE600.000 per year. Poultry aro kept there,oil tho intensive _ system, so >.that-it. is evident that an immense amount of : \yealth can be obtained from a small' " area.' Bee-' farming has not the advantages o'f poul-. try-farming, as there are only certain portions of the country -where it can "bo made profitable, and. it takes longer to gain experience and work up stocks in order to make a living in the production of honey, -'llliis- commodity'also soon floods'the market, whereas there is ail increasing demand for \ eggs', and ..poultry, and prices are higher now than ever thoy have been in the history of -New' Zealand. It is almost a certainty there are hundreds of poultrymen who would be: willing to assist returning soldiers to get a start by giving them eggs for sittings or ' day-old . chicks. The Government could supplement these efforts, and it would not be lone, before tho so wiho had fought. for their Empire would be placed in an independent position. Tho pension received from the country -would, help to keep, things going till'their returns: came in. The coming poultry conference' might well take, in hand the matter, and a commission could be set up to select suitable J5 n d and the ways and means for giving the soldiers a start.'

Concentrated Wisdom for Duck Farmers. 1. Do not attempt to catch ducks by th«ir legs; it is much : safer to handle them by tli.o neck.

2. Do .not leduco their weight by taking a lamp amongst them at-night. 3. Never throw dry lime ill a duck-pen; it kills.

4.Never select the largest duck eggs for hatching; they are usually infertile. 5. Never set,a hen on duck eggs in a dry shed' unless you moisten tho nest twice each week.

0. .Always provide plenty of carbonate and phosphate of lime ■to assist shellmaking; oyster-shell supplies this need. 7.. Keep plenty of coarse sand, old mortar, and a little charcoal in a box for laying ducks. r 8. Keep ducks away from the creek or dam at night time, otherwise many eggs will be lost.

0. Ducks should always be locked in at night, and kept on an absolutely dry, soft floor.- They lay best under these conditions, and the eggs are easily gathered.

10. To breed healthy duoklings, avoid the heavy, fattened birds, which 'lay but few eggs; even tlieso are usually infertile. 11. Never hurry the laying duoks; it usually injures them, sometimes seriously. When handling ducks, nevor hold them by the wi'nga. 12. When sickness attaoks ducks it is useless to doctor them. The tiest remedy for duck nilments is plenty of sliced raw onion r ; in the mash, and an absolutely dry, soft bed... . ' . .

13. When runner ducks for egg produce tion are desired, have four to five duckif with an unrelated drake; two ducks and one drake usually produce too large a percentage of drakes. 14. Ducks for market should be fed well; feed as much as possible—up to 10 weeks. They pay best when fattened before they commence to shed the young feathers. : N.Z, UTILITY POULTRY CLUB'S COMPETITIONS. The official results of the twenty-ninth week of the New Zealand Utility Pouitry Club's eleventh egg-laying competition for fowls for the week ended Tuesday, October 26,' are as follow;—'

■ . Total Tptal for to week. date. Vetrall Bros., B.L 27 675 H. Leger, S.C.W.L 29. 656 Waikato Egg Farm, S.C.W.L. 28 685 Calder Bros., S.C.W.L 31 683 Heretaunga P.C., No. 1, S.C.W.L :.... 28 635 N. Solomon, S.C.W.L 30 560 J. Wordsworth, S.C.W.L 23 593 Dominion P. Plant, S.C.W.L. ■. 34 524 11. P. Chapman, S.C.W.L. 32 607 Mrs. J. Mule, S.C.W.L 35 CB7 A. E. Browne. 'S.C.W.L 31 652 Heretaunga P.C., No. 2, S.C.W.L. 27 635 T. M'llwraith, S.C.W.L 28 . 519 C:. Warbuxton, S.C.W.L 25 491 A. ,G. Brailey, S.C.W.L 35 695 Wainoni P. Farm, S.C.W.L. ... ■ 34 599 Glencoe P.' Ranch, S.C.W.L. ... 32 719 A. W. Irvine, S.C.W.L 31 ' 579 Ashburton P. Farm, S.C.W.L. 30 . 509 Geo. Cattgral, S.C.W.L 31 , 558 L. T. Wright, S.C.W.L 32 . 67G L. Macdonald, S.C.W.L. 34 '501 Atkinson Bros., S.C.W.L. 31 555 A. E. Phillips, S.C.W.L 30 576 Dalmuir P. Yards, S.C.W.L. ... 34 700 B. P. L. Clayson, S.C.W.L 26 585 Green Bros., S.C.W.L 32 ' 647 Jack Green, S.C.W.L 30 . 719 A. E, Wilson, S.C.W.L 29 670 W. A. Nixon, S.C.W.L 30 579 H. S. Woodnorth, S.C.W.L. ... 34 690 R.' Roxburgh,' S;C.W.L ;22 544 E. A. Lazarus, S.C.W.L. 29 567 A. W. Adams, S.C.W.L 30 627 T. Fazaokerley and . Sons, S.C.W.L 29 560 W. Davey, S.C.W.L. 32 633 W. A. Nixon, S.C.W.L. 29 621 E. H. Jamea, S.C.AV.L. 33 634 E. Mills. S.C.W.L ; ...' 33 • 672 S. L. Leggett, S.C.W.L 29 511 R. Willis and Son, S.C.W.L. ,i. 28 651 George Gee, S.C.W.L 32 588 Green Bros., S.C.AV.L 28 ' 535 Rangiuru Egg Ranch, S.C.W.L. 18 471 Thos. Kennedy, S.C.W.L 2S 585 Caldev Bros., No. 1, S.C.W.L. 31 685 R. W. Hawke, S.C.W.L 24 ' 563 Mrs. M'Kinnon, S.C.W.L 25 559 Green Bros., E.C.W.L 33 649 Totals. 1,459 29,847 HEAVY BREEDS. Total Total for to week. date. A. W. Adams, S.W 23 477 Green Bros.; S.W. '. 27 521 E. Oakes, R.I.R ,31 557 Cooper and Wainscott, R.I.R. 23 675 W. A. Nixon, R.I.R, . 14 238. A. E. Wilson, W.W. 27 420 T. Kennedy, W.W, 29 ' 602 W. A. Nixon* 8.0 25 630 W. L. Walker, 8.0 28 662 E. Willis, 8.0 36 772 W. Bloomfleld, 8.0, 30 630 Totals 293 6,184 FOE DUCKS Tho New Zealand Utility Poultry Club's sixth egg-laying test for ducks. Returns for tho twenty-ninth week are as follow:— Total Total i'or to _ week. date. ,T. .B. Sferrett, I.R 39 559 T. R. Hall, I.R 38 635 Glencoe Poultry Ranch, I.R. .. 36 708 W. Davidson, I.R 38 591 Thomas Dowthwaite, I.R 40 498 AV. Knight, I.R. 38 756 W. Knight, I.R 35 539 Wainoni P. Farm, I.R 15 184 Totals 279 4,470