GROUP POULTRY FARMS
4- . SETTLEMENTS IN N.^.W. The Director of Soldier Settlements in ■Neu- South Wales, Mr. J. .G. R. Bryant, hns forwarded to tho Editor of tho "New Zealand Poultry ■ Journal" tho following interesting information on soldier poultry Kettlements:— ' :| : At the oresent tinio there aro fii* group poultry farm settlements under way. These are: Bankstown Settlement, 48 poultry farms and" eight vegetable growing blocks; "Grantham Settlement, 11 poultry farms and stud'farm; Campbelltown 'Settlement, 37 poultry farms' and one vegetable growing bloek; Chipping Norton Settlement, 18 poultry • farms, 12 viticultural, and four vegetable-growing blocks; Hillrieiv Settlement, 36 poultry farms; ,Weston Settlement. 50 poultry farms.Negotiations are also in progress for tho purchase of two other properties irii the metropolitan area. Of the six above-mentioned settlements, five are in the Sydney metropolitan area, and one,' Weston, in, tho Maitland-Nowcastl* district. ' ' Allof. the ' poultry buildings on 'lie settlement* are built, to " standardised plans, and the. lay-out of the farms themselves of course planned according to the aspect and contour of the land. Tho construction work is carried out by tho foreman carpenters,, and the :immcdiato detailed management nnd instructional work is performed hv a manager ni.d assistant on each settlen.ent. ;:i The Departments purchases «11 feed'and requisites in bulk and debits,the settlers according to the quantity distributed to them'. As part of a general marketing eeheme. the Department markets all produce from the various, settlements, crediting each settler with the proceeds.. Advisory committees are formed on each of 'the settl/emerita upon which the' Settlers , are represented. Bankstown Settlement,,was the firet to be established. A commencement was made there in April, 191". Tho whole ■ area being densely timbered, the;flrst oensideration was clearing. Some two months later the erection of buildings was well under way. In (ill those operation* the intending setters were employed to the fullest extent practicable. The 48 poultry farm, blocks range in area from sto acres, according:'to quality and suitability of tho land. ■ In the subdivision of tho estnte. chain wide streets were designed, and the blocks laid out on'definite lines. Good roads havo since been constructed, through the -settlement. an' 1 ornamental trees pi, nted (ilongthem. The buildings on each farm consist of the following: Cottage, brooder house containing' eight brooder units, incubator room,, feed'room, four breeding pens, sii rearing- pens, two netted' enclosures containing five colony bouses, -four large netted enclosures with shedding accommodation for layerfe. ■ The wliplo of this equipment is : 'coordinated to enable tho. settler to. hatch, rear, ,'ntid handle with facility all, necessary 1 art stock through the-, different .ota'ges-.to attain;' 600 laying hens,-, at which- point it is intendejl to leave future''extension to the uettler. Each. section has heen so arranged as to permit of extension as required. ■ Thn ■ wholo plnn is the oulcof?io of sound commercial ponltry-farming experience. Each settler was provided with breed-' ing stock to enable him to iliatch sufficient chickens to produce 000 laying hens in twenty months to J:\vo years.. It might be mentioned that this involved the , successful rearing by ,ench pettier of some 1300 birds to the adult'stage, half of which on general averages would be expected to be male birds. 'During the season 1918, 25,482 chickens were hatched, or an average of S3l chickens for each settler. This year (1919), 43,464 thickens have been hatched, an average of 1009 for each settler, Considering' the fact that practically : all these settlers, were inexperienced men, it is satisfactory to find, hatching ■ operations have eome up to the estimated possibilities. .At the inctjihon of the eettloniento, an estimate was drawn up with a view to calculating the prospects of tho settlers. This estimato foreshadowed a working period of from eighteen to twenty-four month,-;,, during/ which sustenance would be paid to. tli6 settlers at the rates mentioned abuiu.
It is now found at the end of. about BCventeen months, that the. position, of fc.'.Mrtie woportion of the settlers is highly satisfactory, and quite up to tho estimated/ possibilities. Ab a. matter of faeti some, to date, have actually shown a. profit on a Atocktakine basin over and aboro tho estimate probabilities, ' « , The Grantham settlement, as mentioned above; is adjoining the well-known ..shid farm of'that'name, and comprises nleven farms for settlers incapacitated by the "loss'of a lee; or arm. Operations worn commenced there <n the spring of 1918 bv six of'the'eleven settlers. •' Tho remaininir five did not' go into occupation until this year. 1 lie settlers, definite their disabilities, have 'mode progress eoual'to. those at Bankstown. : The enuipment on these farms is the same as nt Bankstowii settlement, with tho additional 'conveiiien6e'of having tho water . suddlv ..extended' 'to each of the"'main nans. Some assistance is rendered these settlers occasionally to carry out the more mfficiilt.work oh their farms, which their injuries nreclude them from doing then, '*elyes. Their progress so fiir is satisfactory. Ths function ;'of.;the Grantham Stud rnrm is to supply breedfng stxick to .tho' settlement, also as a training farm'fol intending soldier-settlers before taking up 31 their farms. A course pxtondinp over "fiix months or'more, as .desired, 'is provided to trainees being paid the Repatriation Department sustenance allowance while undergoing their training. A course of lectures and demonstrations in included in to the routine work of the farm.' The past hatching season on thiii farm was very successful. . Tho losses h/t've been ligHt -'arid the development very good. ■ The 'resultant flocks of Toung stock excite* th£"adniiration of all who see them. 0
Atr the Campbell'town 'settlement the bliildincf'l and construction work wa,s coinnnmi:fld iiv Octolior, 1918, and the whole thirtv-seven farms were. completed in iiniii for each settlor to commence brecdinc'otierntions thin season (1919). Tho results achieved were on the whole somewhat belter than the first fleaflon's operations at Bankiitown; These fiettlcrs are under the «iine conditions as Uiosn of Biinkstown liotllement in fo 'equipment, etoek, etc. The other settlements mcnlioned aro in various staijes of advancement; It .is anticipated' that all will te ixl readiness for the neit hatchinjf season.
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Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 139, 8 March 1920, Page 3
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991GROUP POULTRY FARMS Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 139, 8 March 1920, Page 3
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