THE ADVANTAGES

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 34, 9 February 1935, Page 21

THE ADVANTAGES

It is not difficult to see the advantages of being able to, 'dispose of cockerel chicks at birth. 'It.is reasonable to assume that 85-"p'er*>cent:~*of-the poultry in New Zealand are of the light breed classes, and the cockerels of these breeds are a direct loss to the producers. On most large farms they are destroyed as soon as they can be detected amongst the growing chicks, usually at the age of three to six weeks. During this period they must be brooded and fed, and, being slightly stronger than their sisters, they jostle them and hinder the proper development of the valuable pullets. .Almost the same number of brooders are required, but if sexed, the pullets have the advantage of additional space during the first three weeks, and it is now generally recognised that this is the most important growing period of a chick's life. The saving in feed is a consideration on large plants, though I actually a chick costs very little to feed for the first few weeks. The 'chief advantage, however, is the fact that the surplus cockerels are not reared, for under the old method, once reared to five or six weeks, the owner is loath to destroy them and usually keeps them until they are old enough to sell for .table use. Admittedly there is little or no profit in doing so, but sentimental reasons account for not killing them with many small producers. Under the sexing system the market is-relieved of all these not very meaty cockerels, with the immediate result ■ that values for table poultry increase, and those cockerels that are reared, and the heavy breed cockerels specially saved ..for table.use, become more valuable. Of all countries in the world New Zealand should appreciate this point,-since-table poultry production definitely does not pay here. Several novices have started off with the idea of making table poultry production pay, but in every case they have failed. The trade that is done exists simply because every poultrykeeper has culls to sell.