POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 116, 2 February 1918, Page 15

POULTRY NOTES

(By Chanticleer.)

Price of Fowl Feed. Complaints are being matin by consumers at the rising price of eggs but how tew pause to consider the cost of foods that it takes to produce them Wheat is being- retailed from 7s. 6rl. to Bs' per bushel; pollard at £8 to £9 per ton The public look at the prices fixed by (iovernnient nt. ss. ICd. for wheat, and £6 15s. for pollard, and imagine, the poultryman obtains foods at t'Uusc prices, but while the. Gorcrnmcnt has fixed (he price tik the farmer, there are few limitations Jo*tho profits charged by the retailer. It is- impossible to produce eggs unless tho cost is passed on to the public and if the Government do not keep the prices of foods down eggs arc going to be a co9tlv item this coming winter. It is not, geri. erally known that the retail price of pollard has beep fixed by law. Any poultryman paying in excess of these prices has himself to blame, and can, if he chose, lay information about the seller. The clauses in the; Act state: "vV'hen wheat is sold, in a quantity of hajf a ton or more' an addition! at tho rate of 10b. per ton may be charged for pran and 15s. for pollard; if less than half a toii 12s 6d for bran and 17s. 6d. per ton for poliard! Taking a ton of pollard, say, at 14 sacks this works out at 9s. 8d„ an.addition of 17s. 6d. per, ton for retail.' malting tho charge at lis. per sack. "No retail merchant can charge more than this. Poultrymen are paying an excess of this pricebecause there is such a scarcity, but it is most -amusing to note how the' regulations are being broken. If 'the' mer- ! chant has to deliver tho poljard, say, a mile from his store he is justified in charging cartage, and the purchaser cannot complain, but providing the purchaser ,'doss his own carting then he need not pay more than lis. per sack of KC'lb. Where heavier or lighter sacks of pollard are 6old, the charge is in proportion. The Purchase of VVhoat. ■;A largo number of poultrymen are not 'conversant with tho regulations of the Regulation of Trade: and Commerce Act, 1914, fixing, inter alia, the maximum price of wheat. No one -except a Government broker can buy aad sell miUimr. wheat direct from tho farmer without, very heavy .penalties. The' following is tho clause containing the prohibition:— "Save in accordance with and pursuance of the scheme of • liurchase and salo set forth in theso regulations it shall not be lawful for any person, whether as prinipal, agent, or otherwise, to purchase or. agree or offer to purchase any vheat other than free wheat, or to be concerned in the making of any " such purchase, agreement, or offer by any other'person, whether in New Zealand or elsewhere, or to be concerned in the fulfilment or performance of any agreement for the Mirchase of any such wheat, whether such agreement has been made in New Zealand or elsewhere,-and whether it has been made before or after the making of theso regulations." ,•' ••■ - - •: • . From our reading of the regulations it appears 'poultrymen may purchase their fowl wheat from, the farmer direct. Such .wheat may be regarded as "free wheat." 'No farmer can sell bis -wheat as fowl wheat till -after it has.- been- offered'to a Government broker, and passed as inferior for "milling." The price for poultry wheat liaß been fixed by law. and is twopence por bushel less than milling wheat. Poultrymen should thus be able to lay in their supplies at a cheaper rato than in previous years. Of course, if merchants hove to buy, cart, store, and deliver in sack lots as required the pro; ducer must exptct to ,pay greatly advanced rates. The Food Problem. Poultry cannot he deprived of good wholosotno abundant foods. Quantity must ever play an important part in egg production. Tho man who leti his fowls go .hungry will soon pay for bis folly. Tho man who stints his growing stock will soon regret such false economy. While out birds must have "luil and plenty," .thero is no need for us to be so wedded, to wheat. Oats,- barley, and. maize can all be brought in and used to equal advantage. Wo-know one poultry breeder >ho has raised &0 pullets on maize, imd a; finer lot of birds it would be impossible to find Maizo is a grain that can te easily imported, and there is no doubt that during the next three' monthß a • huge co-operative, effort should ho made to buy a-large line of maize for poultrymen throughout tho Dominion. It could be easily organised, and scores of poultrymen .could make Bnro of their" corn supply; for this coming year "without much effort; ' Tho four ■ centres could easily arrange tho orders, and, if apurchase of say 10,000 sacks were made , wjiat an immense saving could be effected. do much for us. In fact, we should bo ashamed to ask it to do for us what wo could very easily and quickly do for ourreives. The" food supply is cue of the ■<ul>. jeots that jioultrymen must, take up, and, 'if possible, organise a scheme for too muttial benefit, of producers. If maize can be landed .in New. Zealand from 4s. 6d. to ss;-. per bushel, to bo supplemented wiMl wheat at 6s. and oat-B at 3s. Mi. with pollard at -Si 10s. and ..bran at £4, surelj nmiUrvinen should be satisfied

EGG-LAYING

K'Z. UTILITY POULTRY CLUB'S COMPETITION. Following ia tho official report of tho ; forty-second week, ending and the total to date of the thirteenth Hgg-laying Competition held by tho New Zealand Utility Poultry Club, at Papanui:— LIGHT BREEDS. Weekly Total total, to date. Brown Leghorns— . Yen-all Bros •>! 1060 While Leghorns— . . . .11. F. Rosa 31 ticorge lieo 26 . llto bamei- Bros., No. 1 K W. Stephenson 21 J'O A.-K. Phillips '28 . 1076. J. Jl'Jmien -W . - ' L. T. Wright '. o2 1139 71. W. Bower ■26 1018 ■' Orccii Bros. .■■■■■■■■■■■: 22 1018 To Aiiad Utility Stud 2f 1066 ' AtkinEort Bros.- ....: -22 944 llokowhitu Poultry Co; ... 24 . 961 -. '•H. Dick '-27 1096 ' ])almuir Poultry Yards .. 29' 1103.J. M. Alley - ..'2O 989 ' 'J. ltobinsou ;••• 20 971 ' Rnngiuru Eg?' Ranch 21 363' '•■■OiUEo .Poultry Farm' 33 10-18 ' 'llorctauilKa. : ' Poultry Co. :tfo; 1 ■'••• 20 981 Jack Green 26 932 ;' 'Smart Bros.- ■30 1114 •w. Davcy- .: 1.....:.*...;:;...: 30 1091 T. E. Conway ...' 1 23 -, 1012 Mrs. J. Mills 26 954 T. W. Wilson 6 848 'B. ; Mills 18- 853 A. W. Adams 24 108-3 Reliable Poultry .Farm-..; 19 98t A. R: Brajley ••••••■•• 26 973 ' • 'John' Steveus ' 22 963 Fazarkcrlcy and Hon ' 23 967 It. W: llawko : 16 847 .1. Naiiciii-i'ow, Scin- 28 1059 Oaldcf Bros., Wo.-? '33 1172 T.' Kcuncdy * 29 ■ 826 Jlevotauiiga Poultry Co. No. 2 18 1020 ' M. A. Ciirrin 18 9'iß H. Ball' 22 1139 W. II ' West 29 ' 1191 A. K. 'Wilson '. 27 1058 H. Williams .'. 32 1117 ' Totals 1023 42,715 ' .HEAVY BREEDS. { - - Weekly Tola.) total, to dato. Silver .Wyniidottos—. - • . Green Bros 18 843 • A. W. Adams 26 81?, W. W. llewinson 23 923 . Jlrs. F. Howell 16 897 T. Kennedy 29 933 T. Dowlhwaitn ; ....... 18 789 White V/yandottes- ■ 0. 1-!. Benjes 25 921 Black Orpingtons— Mrs. . Claridse 13 647 '■ T. E. Conway, No. 1 12 522 A. fi. Cooper 28 869 .1. Nancarrow, Senr 21 1023 'I.'. E. Couwuy, No. 2 30 970 Victor .-Gee -23 • 921. H.. ]i. Marsdcn 20 BSI ... F. Staines 10 1099 llokowhitu Poultry Co. .. 26 36.V " Miss .f: '.lames'.. 28 831 iV'hilo IJoekn— 11. J. Cfopperth 20 844 Rhode Islnud Rods— A. K. Cooper 19 710 E. P. Oakcs ...' 20 682 Totals .'...430 17,282 ■ (238 eggs were gathered from 93- • spare -birds.) . . 81.NT.LE BIRD COMPETITION. LIGHT BREEDS. Weekly Tctal total, to date White LeghornsGreen Bros 6 261 W. Ilavey 6 184 Victor Clee' 6 210 . Jy Nancarrow .'. 3 216 Atkinson Bros -S 231 R. Mills • 0 97 . 11. Williams, 5 232 • . It. 11. Taylor ;...' 6' 217 Te An'au Utility Stud' 0' " 177 "Mrs. "Mills" : 7 248 ' R. H. James 0 ■ ult A. E. Wilson 0 121 (Ireen Bros 6 187 It. W. Ilawkc 0 180 Minorcas- .- "■ Miss .T '.rames 0 .134 . ■ -:Miss 'J*'3alncs ..0 - • 186- . Totals 50 2942

UUAVy BIT BEDS. Weekly Total total, to date Black Orpingtons - T. li. Conwa/ ' '96 Silver WyandoUca--Tho?. Wilson 6 <--3 ftreon Bros 0 i-:. j. n.vs 'i iuJ Rlmci.-! Island lied.-:— J. Nuni.-arrow, Scnr " Totals 17 W DUCK CONTEST. ■ - Weekly Total total, to date. Indian RunnersW. Knight 25 1239 lleretaunga Poultry Co. .31 1364 Mrs. Gee 25 1265 W. T. Oreo'n H «85 : H. W. Bowel' 30 1439 Totals 126 6692 (37 eggs were gathered from the 9 epare ducks.)