POULTRY FARMING.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 952, 27 July 1903, Page 4

POULTRY FARMING.

L ECTUBE BY MB D. D. HYDE,

There was a large attendance at tbe Theatre Boyal on Friday evening when Mr D. Hyde, the Government Poultry Expert, delivered an interesting address on poultry raising. Mr Hyde had a very difficult matter to make himself heard, owing to tbe noise caused. Mr H. M. Porter presided. Mr Hyclo was received with applause. The lecturer showed the advantages to be derived from poultry raising when carried out on scientific lines. Persons who forced thoir fowls to roost in a treo should not, he said, oxpect the best results. At the same time palatial houses wore not necessary. Plenty of ventilation was required, and tho floor of a poultry house should not bo made of boards, asphalt, or concrete. Xt was essential to protect the birds against vermin, and to do so plenty of ventilation was required. The tomporalure should be a little warmer than outside. Poultry-raisers who wanted to establish a good export trade should not coddle their birds. The perch was of the utmost consideration, should not be Built in a step-ladder fashion, but on a level about 18 inches from the ground. No portion of the perch should be nailed, but it should fit into a groove so as to enable the porch to be easil/ cleaned. Cleanliness was one of the first considerations, and anybody who did not attend to it should not go in for poultry-raising. It was not an industry for a lazy man. The house should be washed twice a year in order to keep down vermin. He cited an illustration to show that vormin kept birds from laying. People might consider it an exaggerated ease but it was a fact. Kerosene was a splendid thing to keep down vermin. Birds should be dusted with carbolic powder twice a year, and persons who followed this rule would be satisfied that the returns would be very satisfactory. Drinking vessels should not be left in the middle of a yard, because

when heated by tbe sun it introduces cholera. Water should not be given to fowls that could not be drunk by any human porson. In America poultry-farm-ing was carried out in a scientific way. It was done in a business-like manner and methodically. Fowls should not be kept more than two years. There should be no sentiments in keeping old fowls. The matter of incubating depended upon the extent of 'the business. If upwards of 100 chickens were hatched the incubator should be used. Proper attention should be given to the hen that was hatching. Mr Hyde then described how to make a nest for hatching, and how to entice hens to sit. After describing the best methods of testing eggs, Mr Hyde went on to state that a record should be kept of all the food given to the fowls, and that the eggs laid should go to the credit side. Those who carried out such instructions would bo handsomely rewarded. In America the poultry industry was one of their staple products, and was a long way ahead of many others. Out of this colony 38,000 fowls were exported during the first year and 100,000 the second, which spoke volumes for the strides that the industry was making. The Government was not able to meet with one fifteenth of the orders received. They could have sent one and a half million fowls to South Africa, and there was the London market, which could take ten times as many. Mr Cameron, the produce commissioner, wanted four or five thousand cases sent at a time, and not a few hundred. In Melbourne when they started to ship a few hundred cases to London they thought they would be overstocking the market, but they soon found that it was not so.

* The feeding of fowls was an important item. They should bo fed early every morning on soft food, made of bran, pollard, and root crop, etc., and great care should be exercised as to the amount of food given. It was necessary to be on the watch for greedy birds, as they only put on flesh and should be got rid of at once. One evening wheat should be given, another barley, and a third maize. MaiEe should not be given more than twice a week, because it was very heating. A variety of food was essential. The speaker went on to describe how broken crockery*, and bottles could be utilised by adopting a bone-crushing machine, and was the best possible food to build up the ogg. Green bone was also another excellent food for fowls, and in. a few places in the colony enterprising

butchers were selling it in equal demand to that of sausages, etc. In Stratford a butcher had entered upon the enterprise, and the speaker had been informed that he could not supply the demand. The speaker went on to refer to tho fact that he had received a letter from a man in this district stating that he had sold a number of turkeys averaging 181 b each at

2s 6d per head, which he thought was a great shame, and he strongly advocated that poultry should be sold at so much per lb, and not per head. It was ridiculous that people should not get half tbe price of Dutchers’ meat for their fowls. In Wellington birds were sold per lb and realised good prices, and yet the people of the district asked for a poultry grader. He did not blamo the people for sticking out for a grader, but the question was whether it was wise that they should undertake the matter so soon. He did not think it wise to push tbe matter ahead just yet, and expressed a wish to know whether the whole district started the movement or one or two. In Auckland they were unable to pay the salary, and, in fact, Christchurch was the only place in the colony in which they could do so. They had four graders

in the colony already, and one was wanted in Gisborne, another at Timaru, and other placeß would also be wanting them. He was afraid that a good deal of harm would bo done by asking for too much. He was glad to say that the price of eggs had gone up 50 per cent., which was satisfactory to the producer. In the larger centres the press had recorded that the price of eggs had gone up over 50 per cent., and in Christchurch they boasted of an increase of over 100 per cent. He (the speaker) was working in the interest of the producer, and was gratified to think that such a stand had taken place. People should not take less than Is per dozen for their eggs, although he himself had bought eggs for 8d per dozen, and kept them in a cool store for over seven months, and at the end of that period sold them for 2s 6d per dozen. His idea in buying them at that price was more for the test of keeping them in cool stores, and he was sure that if a sufficient number of gentlemen guaranteed to take a certain amount of room in the local freezing works for the same purpose that they would have no diificulty in doing so. In fact, it was a matter in which he intended to interview the manager of the freezing works.

In conclusion, Mr Hyde explained that he had been asked to give an address at the Farmers’ Union Club on the following afternoon, and he would be pleased to see those interested present. His Worship the Mayor proposed a vote of thanks to the speaker for his interesting and encouraging leature, which was carried by acclamation.