TABLE POULTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 202, 26 August 1919, Page 9

TABLE POULTRY.

Pouitrykeeping in Xew Zealand is confined almost entirely to the production of eajrs. Fattening of the surplus cockerels— which constitute nearly half the annual number of birds piodiiced— is quite neglected. In only a few ease? 1 come attempt is made to prime the birds properly. In the early days of the State endeavour to improve the position of the poultry industry, depots were established at Christehurch, Wellington, and Auckland. Experts were imported from Australia, to fatten and prepare o!» birds for market. This was done under the policy of the then Secretary ci Agriculture. Mr. J. D. Ritchie, Who took a keen interest in the -mailer industries of the soil. The depots failed, nut because they were not required, but be;auise of inefficient control and the heavy financial loss which' resulted from the bad management. Since then little has been done to stimulate this much bram-n of primary production. Certainly, the poultry instructors of the Department of Agriculture have insi-v tenrly directed attention to the money poultrykeepere were losin" by failure to market poirltry in a proper condition. And a couple of scai-on~ ago a demonstration was made by the Department to illustrate the monetary returns in properly fattening the store birds which formed the great bulk of the offering in city markets. A number of birds "ere pur.-haeei in the ordinary way of bii-inos at a weekly auction sale of poultry at Christerhurcb. They werf fed properly for a month, and then put back in the same market and re-sold. Tin; rc.u.n showed a of DO per cent, in valiip. Thus the experts demonstrated the trutli of their statements. At the Chamber of Commerce la*t evening, Mr. F. (.'. Brown, the Chiet Poultry Instructor, gave a most inter-adi!re-s to Auckland poultrykeeper.- on prepr-rinjj birds for market. Ju~l :ii the farmer would not think "' sending a stort» pis t" a fat stock or a lean bullock or a ptmrlyfinishotl -o poultrvmen must realise the al>>urdiiy of ftoro bird-* to market and expect detent prictw tor them. The Hiali Comniis-iiom-:- had recently sent a communication to the Government tint there was a l>i<r demand for table poultry in Kn<r'.and at Jiijrh prices, bu. Mr. P.ro-wn pointed out that the price* ruling in New Zeu!an:l for weH-nn»hed birds would probably pive lietter net returns. ActUaHy, ho said, nt the present time, up to 2 a II) Wit, beintj paid for propiTlv-Hni.-iuvl fowl*. Even if the cost of feed wa , h:ph the pjontable return f'.om a properly fattened bird wa.i tin loubted. Hγ did not favoui or cramming., hut merely the feeiling of the Coikorpl well, and thus be able to market it at from tour to four and a-ha.!f months old. Mr. Brown gave some valuaHe hints r.,1 feeding and managing the covkerel as well as on the primdrg of the rull fowl, which will in due course appear in the olumns of the "New Zealand Farm.'r." Tic v:ilur- of co-opera-tive etTor , in marketing was eniphasiie'.lMγ. Brown was thanked for hi* very inetructiv Vture. and wa~ subseiquentlj bombarded with 'luestions by many ol the poultrjmen present.