POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 299, 13 September 1919, Page 12

POULTRY NOTES

(By "Chanticleer.")

Imported Eggs.' I'oultrymen owe Mr. L. M. Isitt, M.P., much lor nis cntmisinsm in lighting against tho imported egg. liecently several barrels of Asiatic egg pulp arrived in New Zealand, and, aiutougli Kegulation No. 20 of the l'ure Food Act, 1908, distinctly prohibits iis use. yet it is allowed to eonie into New Zealand b.v the Health Department. It is liql illegal to import nuip in frozen form or eggs in ■hell, but eggs preserved with preservative are prohibited. It seems strange importers can override these regulations, and in spite of the number of returned men settling in poultry-keeping this menace is allowed to continue. The public have themselves to thank for the high price of eggs. The imported eggs cut down the price of eggs in ' summer, With the result Hocks have not been increased nor poultry plants enlarged. This makes eggs dearer at other times of the year. On the soldier settlements many soldiers intend to keep poultry, but there is little encouragement or security unless importations cease. Australia has defended her soldiers b.v prohibiting the importation of oggs in any form. Now South Wales now has <!flO returned nien nettled on poultry farms, but before spending money on this prospect, they protected the market for tho soldier. Why should not New Zealand protect, its soldiers against importations? New Zealand imports little, it' is true, only a fraction, soy. half per ccrft. of its requirements. Still the menace is there and should ho removed. Possibly eggs in shell -would be fair competition, but no nihil living in' New Zealand can compete against Asiatic eggs when foods are so cheap and the methods of keeping poultry so crude. It becomes the Government to protect the interests of the Boldiers and poultrymen, and absolutely prohibit the importation of eggs in pulp form. 1 Prooosals for Future Ess-layina Com-

petition at Papanul, Tho following rciiuri was.considered and adopted by the isew Zraiuua utiiuy Poultry Oiu'o:"By uirection of the officers and members of llic club the Management, Works and Finance Committees bug to conjoin Lly report as follow:— l ino committees were Instructed at a-meeting or tno cluo held on August 5 to give attention to Uio matter o) arrangcmeuts.for the club's future egg-laying competitions. 'i'hey have given the matter tlieir earnest consideration; and have met for the purpose of framing a recommendation. The committees have .the Honour to recommend alterations in the preaont method of conducting the competition as follows:—Site: The committee recummi;nd that the club retain the prescnL site at Northcote ltoad, Papanul. Housing: In order to provide laying houses capable of accommodating teams of blx for single-pen testing and also of accommodating single birds, it is necessary, in the opinion of the commttees, lo build- entirely new houses. With the exception of the houses numbered 1 to 30. and at present occupied by birds in the singlo pen test, the majority of the houses are, in the opinion of the committee, unsuitable for single-pen testing. Tho question of erecting new houses during the currency ol a competition is one requiring careful consideration. In order to avoid interference) with the birds m tho present competition, the commttees rccommeud thnt the now houses be Greeted on that portion of the club s grounds at. present leaped to the caretaker for grazing and other purposes. With regard to the typo of house best, suited for single-pen testing, and also such as can bo erected conveniently and economically, t.ne committees recommend, the lollownig type:—tour houses %it. long by 6ft. 6m. in front, sloping to sft. at hack; depth from back to front 9ft„ carrying sheet of corrugated iron 10ft. long, (inch a houio to bo divided into single pens of :i width of 3ft. each.; each compartment having a door-in front boarded up to a height of 2ft. Bin., the rest wire-netting. An Bin. board to be run along tho ton of tho pens; each third pen to carry a -wooden parti tion extending six loot from the back, finished with 3ft. of wire to the front. All other pens to be divided by a wiro partition. The purposo of having 3ft and wire between the partition from back and front of house is to enable the sun to penetrate the pens as freely as possible without exposing the birds to strong draughts. The committees 'recommend that each team of six birds be allowed a run 24ft. deep by 18ft.; that the run bo subdivided into throe compartments, thus allowing three birds in each team to un relcasod simultaneously. The committees further recommend that the present houses in use for heavy breed test be nltcred to provide 46 stnglo sens, ov provision for six teams ol six birds eacn; that the .present team liouscb be retained Tho new houses, therefore will ue additional to tho present plant. The commlttees recommend that eight of the new houses, . 90ft. by 9ft. ■ bo ■ erected on tho site of tho paddock at present leased to tho caretaker; that a drive 14ft. v,-;de bo allowed through the centre of tlie site; and that at least 10ft, clear be allowed on the western end ot tho site. The houses to be of lcu»-to style, and tu fiu;e norm as noarly as possible consistent with symmetry. "Entry Fees,-The matter, of. entry tees is an important one, and much of the future success of the competition may depend upon this factor. Tho committees are of opinion thnt competitors who »r« allowed the advantage of singlo.pen testing oj teams will be prepared to support tho club at a higher entry fee than is required for tho present team competitions. The work in connection with the testing of teams by single birds is, of courso, greater than is the case wlicro the team is tested as a team, llic committees recommend that the sura of £5 3s. per team be charged for teams entered for testing by the single bird test. The committees further recommend that a number of the present team houses be retained at the present fee of £2 per team. A further recommendation is that the single pens numbered 1-30, containing, birds of the single pen test, be offored nl. £1 por pen, and that single duck entrios bo accepted at £1 per bird, and thnt duck team entries remain as at present, viz., £2. "Finance—ln order to give ofFcct to these recommendations it will be necessary to raise "a. substantial sum of money. Tho committees ire of opinion that this enn bo done without going outside of the club's membership. They therefore recommend the issue of 200 debentures at £5 each, repayable in a period of years and carrying interest at the rate of 6 per cent, per annum, such interest to be'nayable annually. The sum . raised by theso means, viz., £1000, will, we think, euablo tho club to carry out the alterations as suggested and will leave a margin for other contingenciev. "In conclusion, the committees desire to express the opinion that the competition carried ot-. the lines suggested will receive the support of poultrymen through, out the Dominion. Particularly in tho case of the single pen team tests may this be >oo''od for. It is 'possible i ,r| d even nrobable that under tho proposed rearrangement a much larger entry will be made. That being so, the financial outcome should be eminently satisfactory."