THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 146, 21 June 1916, Page 14

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

EGGS BY THE THOUSAND.

A PROFITABLE SIDE LINE.

„ When Mr. A. Salisbury, the Government poultry expert, was questioned regarding the suitability for poultry of the district within -the- bounds of these articles he. replied: "It is probably the best locality for poultry-in the Wellington district."' He referred particularly' to' that area ■ between Paraparaumu and Levin, and proceeded to state his reasons. The country mentioned had a salubrious climate, and the ground was a sandy loam. The two conditions combined made the land ideal for the raising cf poultry and the production of the golden egg. , A BIG EGG RANCH. Some people have already realised the trulh of what Air. Salisbury said, and have established* extensive poultry farms within the district. The biggest of •these is at Rangiura, a few miles out of Otaki, where a very large area, is taken up by numerous pens. The proprietor (Mr. Hopkins) endorsed all that Mr. Salisbury said about the district, and judging by the extensive scale on which he is established he has ample faith in his judgment. In the '• summer he runs • 4000 birds, and collects as many as 3000 eggs per day. .Of course,'he rears his own chickens, and in the proper season the birds are to. be seen in all. stages. Everything is done'on a scientific, plan, and that is the only, way to make poultry pay. The. only "birds kept-.at this huge farm aTe White Leghorns, and in, ■that fact alone. there is a good hint for the.farmer, who, as a rule, regards poul-try-farming merely as a side line. White Leghorns ■are', birds that can. be profitably. kept' on a commercial basis. , The thousands >of pure white birds at Rangiura; are a worth seeing. Last .year Mr.. ■ Hopkins .won the Canadian Crrand. International ;Egg-laying Competition,- when;, six of the birds reared .atOtaki laid-1350 eggs in eleven months. In the spring- the collection, washing, and marking of the ', _eggs\ is no mean task, and^ keeps one.man.going all day. : ;■.; THE FARMER'S SIDE LUpI.' ■:, ... ■ However, the city markets do not "depend solely ,on big ranches ■ like the one described above. As a matter of fact the proportion of eggs contributed by these concerns is compax-atively small.. Egg production is l-eally the farnier' s most profitable side line, or, rather, it should lie, if managed properjy. The farmer has yet to learn many things before he can produce eggs 'to.'advantage!.'. He,has to learn how to market the eggs, after his- fowls have produced them. It is foolish of him,•;too, with, the extensive area -usually at his command, to keep fowls merely to eat the scraps. If he keeps the birds at all he should keep good ones, and he should send the resultant eggs to the best market. Farmers in the Otaki district do" not look upon their, fowls very seriously. * THE IDEAL COMBINATION. ■Sir. Salisbury stated that he regarded fruit-growing and poultry-farming as the idea] combination for the man on the land. The trees provided the necessary shelter: for the birds, and they in turn provided excellent manure for the trees. In. an orchard, too, there i'vas also much parasitical life which' the birds would help to get rid of. They were, for instance, invaluable for codlin and the like. Further than that, the fowls will eat waste vegetable matter and waste fruits boiled,down,:to a mash. As; with, fruit-growing:,.shelter, was es.sential, and the systematic planting of shelter tree's'all., along',the. coast 'would ,ibe!: invaluably,V.,'.especially- as far as the poultry • industry was . concerned. special ;aptitxjjde;;:necessaey. ... : '■'•■'■lf -a." man--is. to. make;'a-, success of .poultry-raising,/, in;: Otaki. or. anywhere else lie must ba,ve a special aptitude for the work," ' said ..Mr: Salisbury, i "He 'ib'usVliks it so'much.'that, he will be pre- • pared to devoterhis'. whole lime-' to : the -.birds*--' That is, of course,' if he wishes to make a success;. of'the .undertaking iron) a commercial viewpoint.'" The inexperienced man -should start in a small way, "say^witli 20'j30, 40, /and' up to 100 birds, and he should .increase liis flock gradually as he, conies W understand the intricacies of .thebuainfefis. -: .'Poultry-raising -riewled o'ftrefui,study., and, expert 'atteni'tipn.. . 'Itvwas -necesßary also/ that he should rear .his-own- chicks,_' andl .thereby gain a thor.ough.grounding in Hiswork.