Poultry Notes.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 2, 4 January 1904, Page 4

Poultry Notes.

THE SOUTH AFRICAN MARKET. Tlie statement has been made, emainattog from a South African correspondent, that Russian and American poultry exporters have secured the control of tlie South African markets, and that their goods are preferred to those of New Zealand. As New Zealand has opened up a trade in poultry with South Africa by means of State subsidised steamers, some information on the subject was obtained by a New Zealand Times reporter from the Government Poultry Expert. The poultry expert ridiculed the statement, so far as it affected New Zealand exports. He pointed out that there were South African orders at the present time in the colony for the supply of over a million head of poultry. Letters in the possession of the department from South African produce firms showed that New Zealand poultry was considered the best of any placed on the South African market. The real fact of the matter was that New Zealand was unable to supply the enormous demand. Another thing, when we could supply it, our exports would always find a ready sale, because the seasons of the exporting countries varied so. Our supplies commenced when others ceased. The New season dad not bogin until January. Breeders were being impressed with the fact that it is a sad mistake to sell their biids before they had finished laying 1 , in orriy-r that they may derive the profits from the season's egg supply before parting with the carcase, especially as the eggs paid better than the carcase. When the young stock had finished laying, after Christmas, then was the time, said the expert, to kill them oil for export. The fact that there were so few birds available just now for export showed that the advice of the department was being acted upon ty breeders. In proof he mentioned that last year the department had orders for eggs from the State poultry farms right up to February. This year breeders, recognising that it was useless to send for eggs so late in the season, had adopted more systematic methods. They now brought, out their chickens in July, August and September, instead of later on in the season, when the time was not so favourable for producing good stock. Eggs are not at present shipped to South Africa from this country, said Mr Hyde. Wo could not satisfy the local demand. Eggs had of late gone up very much in price—!ul)y fifty per cenjt. on that ruling four years ago. There are now in tho cooling chambers in Wellington fully 100,000 eggs, held for a rise in the market, and there were also very large quantities in the cold stores at Lyttelton and Port Chalmers. One Wellington merchaat, by holding on to his purchases, had ance putting the eggs in the stores, made fully twenty-five per cent, on his bargain. The Government expert is advising the brooders to send t/heir eggs to the stores themselves and so save the middleman's profits. Present indications are that large luantities of poultry will be shippod from here to South Africa in January next. Curiously enough, the local demand has increased enormously, as tlie demand from outside has gone up. Mr Hyde was informed by the grader in Auckland that birds were now as high as 3s 3d each and 6s Od per pair, and the price was somewhat similar in Wellington. He attributes this rise largely to the fact that the quality of our poultry has greatly improved of late.

At Momohaki, twenty-five miles from WaDganui, there are now ever 1000 head of young birds, and COO at Hamilton, with corresponding numbers at Burnham ajrud Milton. The season has been a splendid one m all the State farms, Last year's output of eggs from the State farms and also the surplus stock supplied t0 breeders, has gone up, people evidently realising that there is money to bo made out of poultryraising. "In this they are adopting ip-to-date methods and culling out 'he bad stock, just as sheep and cat-tle-breeders do.