Poultry Keeping May be Revived on Taranaki's Dairy Farms

Taranaki Daily News, 30 September 1940, Page 17 (Supplement)

Poultry Keeping May be Revived on Taranaki's Dairy Farms

Three reasons were recently advanced by a thoughtful Taranaki farmer for the opinion that the future of the poultry industry may well pass largely into the hands of the dairy or general farmer. These were: The fact that home-grown foods such as cereals, roots and vegetable crops can be produced so cheaply and turned to such good profit with poultry, that fresh pasture is available as run-outs for hens thus tending to reduce the risk of disease, and, that, on many farms, buildings are already in existence and may be converted at a minimum of expense for housing many head of stock. He added, that, because of the attention drawn to the value of poultry as a side-line to dairying through the war effort, it was reasonable to suppose that the families of farmers would not lightly forego Ihe extra pocket money they would derive this vear through having kept a flock of good layers, where no hens had been kept before. The farmer went on to discuss the advisability of introducing a few ducks to the farm's carrying capacity. He believed, once the average farmer realised what a good money-maker the duck was, and the family .came to appreciate how easily they could be managed, the homely bird would become immensely popular. Ducks, he said, were able to do most of their own fending, and in their perpetual search for sustenance made | good use of all sorts of land.