Poultry Farming "Boom"

Horowhenua Chronicle, 29 June 1916, Page 2

Poultry Farming "Boom"

EXPANSION IN THE SUBURBS

(From Melbourne Age)

Tile roniailiable growth ol Melbourne and suburbs in tho last ten years has brougiit iii its train many new industries and considerable expansion ol existing ones. There is scarcely one, however, that has developed to such an extent, both in iits output and in the number engaged in it, as the poultry industry. Its increase in the period mentioned, and more particularly m the lasit three or four years, has been phenomenal, uuitdl now pouitry farming in the suburbs is enjoying a boom. The metropolitan poultry farmers are mostly to be found in Cheltenham, iMun-um>beeiia, Moorabbin, Oakleigh, Snndringham, Box . Hill, Ringwood, Preston, Northcoto and Oobiiirg. Tho eastern suburbs are in favour, ibeoauso of the sandiy nature of the soil, but not a few of the best farms are located among the northern outlying, areas. A percentage of them devote their energies exclusively to poultry raising. Some combine poultry with market gardening, fruit growing and horticulture, but tho majority Breed laying fowls as a side line to an entirely different class of busineiss, and regard it nioi'3 in the light of a very profitable hohby.

Eggs represent the most profitable branch, and for months the wholesale prica of these has been bordering on 2s per diozen. At half that prico they would pay t"he producer. Breeding fowls ha.ve been scarcely less than 21s per head and the demand for table birds was never greater. Twelvo months ago both eggs and birds sold at cheaper rates, a.ndi the breeder was faced with an enormous cost for feeding his stock. Thus he not only paid iawy more in maintenance, but Actually received smaller returns. As an instance, one Murrumiheena farmer last paid 2s 4d per Bushel for pollard, 2s 3d for bran and 7s 9d for inferior wheat; this year he can buy the same foodstuffs for Is 4d. Is 3d and 5s 5d respectively, and ell are of better quality. Many "hack yard" poultry growers went out of the business last. 6eason for this very reason, and their larger brethren regarded the evacuation a 8 a blessing in disguise. The former type ie more or less despised by the legitimate poultry farmer, who looks upon him as only a dealer in mongrel birds. Stock han been cleaner in consequence of tfie dirought, but now. in the prerenal return of prosperity, the small men are again coming into the industry, and the number of poultry raisers is increasing monthly. Only the existent of Stringent municipal regulations agninst the keeping of poultry in lees than a prescribed area prevents a. greater growth in some of the inner suburbs. One of the best criterions of the expansion i 6 the large demands for incubators. A few years ago this method of breeding was almost unknown in Victoria, but • the machine-hatched chicken is almost universal. Certainly, with the legitimate breeders and fanciers, whoso hatchings each season run to many thousands, no other system prevails. Hundreds, if not thousands, of incubators are told I annually by Melbourne firms, and the majority have a capacity of from 50 to 100 eggs which is evidence of the extent poultry is roTicd upon as a means of meeting the household bils. It is also an indication of the present boom tha«t inquiries about incubators come

The Wellington Drapery Company (next to Mr R,. E. Lucas bookseller) is holding its last weelf's pjrewt sale of drapery, mercery, clothing, ek-. Some of the barga/ins' ever offered in Levin «ro to Tie had and it is a chanco ■that perhaps wili not occur again for somo time. There is a most comprehensive stock of first-class goods to choose from and the prices are very reasonable. The saJo clones on Saturday next.—Advt.

chiefly from women, tiome experts assert that women melee tho best poultry farmers, but at most they cannot manage individually more than 100 birds without assistance. Such is tho demand lor laying and breeding stook and eggs that farms with 500 birds aro returning £5 per week net ali the year I'ound. Hundreds in the suburbs are making from 20s to 30 per week from 70 birds, and there is an actual case at Brighton where a city business man who started four years ago has now inortiased the number to 70, and clears, witli scarcely an effort, an average of 2os iper week. This result is accomplished on an area of ground 50 feet by 8 feet. In a larger way a Murrumbeena fanner who went into the industry fivo yeairs ago with six AVhito Leghorn liens and a roostor, on an acre and throe-quarters of land, is row tho possessor of 2000 birds, and giows sufficient corn for their maintenance. His grass return for the last twelve months was £1200, and' lie states that his is by no means an exceptional case. Any man, ho says, with 1000 laying pullets can moke £250 per annum from the eggs alone in a normal market. Two women, on an allotment 120 feet by 128 feet, at Murrunibeeiifl, l'nst season sold 1000 Jioad otf poultry and made £'150 profit. They •stiil possess 100 laying birds. These women insist that a man on the same area would practically double their returns. There is another case at Preston where 20,000 chickens aro being hatched this season on a farm of four acres. Tlie proprietor reckons on an average return of 5s per bird, and he says his feed bill only costs ljd per week for each full-grown hen, and Jd per chicken.

At Moorabbin last season one grower hatched 50.000 chickens from Iris incubators, ami he disposed of the majority before they were many weeks old. Iheee are typical not exceptional instances, and they serve to allow not only the extent of this growing suburban industry, but how the right men can earn independent incomes in a pleasant occupation. Provided ho lias tFe land 1 , tho Agricultural Department will start him in the industry and care for his stock until he feels he can manage for himself.