POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 205, 25 May 1940, Page 18

POULTRY NOTES

Shortage Of Supplies Of .Pollard

SUBSTITUTES RECOMMENDED

(By New Law.)

There is a. marked shortage of supplies of pollard in New Zealand at present, largely due to the stoppage of imports from Australia, which in normal years total something like 1000 tons per month. The cessation of imports means that tor lhe time being many poultry-keepers will lind it necessary to supplement the restricted supplies of pollard by using some substitute in such proportion or iu such manner as they think would uiotrt effectively meet the position. Realizing the difficulty of the poultryfarmers, the New Zealand Poultry Hoard referred the problem of the use of substitutes for pollard to the Department of Agriculture and received the following advice from the Director of the Live Stock Division: —

In regard to your inquiry as to a suitable substitute for pollard which could be used by poultry-keepers, I would recommend that wheat meal, barley meal or rice meal be substituted. Any of these preparations, if gradually introduced into the mash feeding, should give good results without having any detrimental effect on egg-production. Wheatmeal and rice meal generally contain more body than pollard, and should be used at the rate of 14 parts, by measure, to one part of bran, with 8 per cent, to 10 per cent, of meat meal included. The percentage would depend a great deal on the grade or quality of these particular meals. However, when the mash is prepared as suggested, it generally forms the right constituency and is more palatable to the birds. Soaked wheat is quite a suitable substitute provided it is prepared and fed in a proper manner. When this method of feeding is practised it is necessary to have a system so that a regular supply is available at least every 24 hours. Sufficient water should be poured over the wheat to enable it to swell to its maximum, and at the end of 24 hours the wheat should be dried off with bran, and about 10 per cent, of meatmeal should be added.

In an editorial review of the shortage of pollard supplies, the official journal of the New Zealand Poultry Board gives the following information: —“ . . . In the manufacture of a ton of flour (20001 b. about 8001 b. of mill offals, pollard and bran, are produced, the yearly output of these products in New Zealand being about 60,000 tons. The figures for last year are not available at the moment, but in 1938 the output of local pollard was approximately 32,000 tons. In the same year it was found necessary to import 14,000 tons of pollard from Australia to meet the requirements of poultrykeepers and other stock-owners. In other words, about 30 per cent, of ,the pollard consumed in New Zealand is imported from Australia. It is dot procurable, economically, from any other country. Australian 1 ' millers have large supplies of pollard and bran when they are supplying big overseas orders for flour, and when at the same time good seasons result in a restricted demand for mill offals. The position is reversed when there are few overseas orders for flour and bad seasons result in abnormal demands for pollard and bran to feed starving sheep and cattle.

From the above figures and facts it is quite obvious that, under certain unfavourable conditions, New Zealand poultrykeepers must be prepared to carry on with less than their normal supplies of pollard. There is no alternative. This fact is emphasized because, when there was a shortage of pollard about a year ago, poultrykeepers let loose a bombardment of questions: What is the Poultry

Board doing? What is the heat Committee doing? What is the Government doing about this shortage of pollard. Actually, there was no surplus pollard iu Australia for export for a time, and very little for a further period owing to the prevalence of heat waves and other exceptional conditions. The present position in regard to imports of pollard is as bad, if not worse, than it was a year ago. , The Wheat Committee, the sole importer of pollard, advised the Poultry Board on March 12, in response to an inquiry, as follows: “Owing to the failure of the Australian export market, due to drought conditions, we are unable to supplement local pollard and consequently it. has been found necessary to strictly ration supplies.” The committee stated that steps had been taken to give preference to poultryfarmers, because other stock owners can use substitutes. The New South Wales Flourmillers’ Produce Company, in a letter to the Wheat Committee, stated: “It is a long time since the pollard and bran position was as acute as it is just now. The shortage is causing considerable inconvenience to the poultry industry iu particular. The millers are unable to meet the demand notwithstanding that local prices have advanced to £5/10/- a ton ex mills.” The Millers’ Produce Company stated that no improvement in the situation could be expected for so long as the three main factors responsible for the shortage of mill offals continue to dominate the position, namely, the drought, the falling-off in overseas orders for flour, and the difficulty in obtaining shipping space for flour."

EGG-LAYING CONTEST

Massey College Results The ‘results to the end of the seventh week la the egg-'laylng contest being conducted at Massey Agricultural College, are: — SINGLE PENIS. Section A. —F. P. Lougbortom, W.L., (6) 37: S. D. Morris, W.L., No. 1 (4) 38: J. A. Annan, W.L., (5) 35; A. J. Shaller, W.L., No. 1 (.1) 33: A. G. Mumb-v, W.L., No. 4 (I) 32; G. Clark, W,L„ No. 2 (3) 31; A. G. Mumby, W.L., No. 1 (4) 30: H. A. Lucas. W.L., No. 1 (5) 29; B. E. Wilkinson, W.L., No. 2 (4) 29: Argyle P.F., IV.L., (5) 28; R. E. Boyd, W.L., (5) 2S; 11. A. Lucas, W.L., No. 2 (5) 27; B. E. Wilkinson, W.L.. No. 1 (51 26; G. Clark, W.L., No. 1 (1) 25; A. J. 'Sliniler, IV.L., No. 2 (5) 22; A. Hoare, W.L., (4) 21; S. O. Morris, W,L., No. 2 (1) 20: V. .1. Billington, W.L., (0) 7; A. G. Mumby, W.L., No. 2 (1) 4; B. Pimm, W.L'. (0) 4; A. G. Mumby, A. 0., No. 3 (0) 1. Section B.—F. 'Mouchau, A. 0., (5) -10; Mrs. R. Willers, A. 0.. No. 1 (4) 40; W. A. Larson, A. 0., No. 1 (6) 38; L. Mason, R.1.R., No. 2 (3) 36 J. D. Wealleans, A. 0., (0) 29; E. ,O. Collier, Lang., .(0) 25; K, Mullins, R.IJR., (5) 25; T. B. Iloldaway, R.1.R., (5) 23: S. Street, R.1.R., No. 2 (4) 23: Mrs. K. Willers, A. 0., No. 2 (6) 16; L. Mason, R.1.R., No. 1 (0) 15; P. Mummery, R.1.R., (1) 12; W. A. Larsen, A. 0., No. 2 (6) 11; A. A. Hoaro, R.1.R., (5) 10; iS. Street, R.1.R.. No. 1 (2) 6; B. Pimm, A. 0., (5) 5. 'OKA,Mg’ RESULTS. Section C. 3. Wilson, W.L.: 34, 34 , 31, 42, 37, -12, 38, (35) 250. B. E. Wilkinson, W.L.: 36, 31, 36, 27, 38, 26, 16. (28 ) 213. W. F. Stent, W.L.: 8,0, 34, 39, 15, 8, 13, (22) 117. Section D. W. A. Larsen, A. 0.: 34, 37, 18, 24, 9, 34, 39, (40) 195. J. D. Wealleans, A. 0.: 3. 34, 32, 10, 0, 43. 41. (21) 169. E. W. Stephenson, A. 0.: 9,5, 15, O 19, 24, 33, (13) 105.