IMPROVING POULTRY

Press, Volume C, Issue 29510, 11 May 1961, Page 7

IMPROVING POULTRY

Breeding And Feeding

Dr. R. K. Q>le, Professor of poultry genetics at Cornell University, had told him that basically there was nothing wrong with NewZealand poultry and production was quite good, the principal of Canterbury Agricultural College (Dr. M M. Bums), told Hie poultry farmers’ refresher course at Lincoln. But Dr. Cole had also told him that the tendency in New Zealand was to use birds that were too large for efficient conversion of feed to eggs, and that a great deal more could be done on the nutritional side in this country. What could be done at Lincoln about this? asked Dr. Bums. The breeding project -would be costly in staff and facilities, and it seemed if Lincoln was to' make a contribution, it should be on the nutritional side. Rut this sort of work would be designated as field tests, and would not be regarded as research. Thus it could not be financed from university research funds or under the new basis of State-granted research funds. Somewhere the College would have tc secure finance for a technician. In the coming year two biochemists would be coming on to the staff. They would be able to do the basic work, but not the routine work.

“The future of the poultry industry in New Zealand and other parts of the world will depend to a large extent or. what the poultry breeder does with existing knowledge,” said Dr. Cole, who was a speaker at the course. “The scientific approach has resulted in exceptional progress in developing egg and meat stocks, and most of the advances in my country have been made in the last 30 years.

“Those progressive individuals in New Zealand who have the zeal and fortitude to study and work hard, to accept change and new ideas, and to set and' attain high standards and goals should duplicate this advance in a relatively short time. The entire industry in New Zea. land should encourage and support the important work of these few. Given that support they will have the courage and financial strength to develop stocks characterised by levels of performance of which all may be justly proud.”