IMPROVEMENT PLAN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21755, 3 July 1945, Page 4

IMPROVEMENT PLAN

N.Z. POULTRY FLOCK

VISITING SPEAKER’S TALK

The New Zealand poultry flock improvement plan was the subject of an address by the New Zealand Poultry Board’s instructor, Mr. E. Jarrett, at the latest meeting -of the Poverty Bay Poultry-keepers' Association.

Mr. Jarrett, accompanied by Mr. W. L. Mclver, paid a visit to the district to inspect two poultry farms, the owners of which had applied for accreditation in the new flock improvement plan. In his lecture Mr. Jarrett explained the working of the plan, outlining its main objects, which were: (A) To maintain and improve the health and constitutional vigour of tfie poultry stock of New Zealand; (B) the maintaining of a reasonable standard ot bleed type, quality and size- in the poultry ’of the Dominion; (C) the maintaining and improvement of the average egg-production of the flocks, thereby improving the economic standard of poultry-farming. Mr. Jarrett said that the plan was conceived ias a long-term policy, and those interested in it must not. anticipate that it would immediately eliminate throughout the Dominion either the presence or the sale ot poultry lacking in quality and health. The raising of the standard ot poultry stock must be. of necessity, a comparatively slow process. Circumstances would not permit making it a compulsory scheme. Poultry farmeis with the good of the industry at heait were convinced that no time should be lost in giving the industry the opportunity of assisting in the maintenance of health and quality m the poultry stock in the Dominion. At the start those responsible for administering the plan would concentrate 'on the health and constitution of the birds, with close attention , to quality and. reasonable typo and ivnprovement in average production.

Conditions of Membership

Membership, Mr. Jarrett explained, was on a voluntary basis and did not entail a fee. Those becoming accredited under the plan, however, would be under definite obligations. Any poultry farmer owning a Hock ot not less than 50 breeding females for each breed accredited, whether fowls or ducks, which satisfied the committee responsible for the administration ot the plan, would be open for membership. Other conditions for membership covered persons with hatcheries and those who carried on poultry farming in addition to conducting a hatchery.

Mr. Jarrett warned producers against providing their poultry with undesirable feed, such as hemlock seeds, flowers, clippings and green potatoes. He urged them to endeavoui to grow their own partridge peas where possible.

It was reported at the meeting that a chicken sexer had been engaged and would visit the district during the coming season, arriving on August 1. He would carry out the work on Thursday and Friday of each week until the season was over. This was in an endeavour to conserve poultry foods. Depots had been arranged to be'set up in town and country districts where poultry-keepers large and small would be able to take their chickens to be sexed if desired. For any information in regard to this matter producers were referred to the association’s secretary, Mrs. D. C. Watts.

It was mentioned that the producers’ egg floor had been asked to consider the handling of table poultry ancl so make it available to the consumer as an everyday commodity at a reasonable price. Members were advised that, on behalf of the registered poultrykeepers, the New Zealand Poultry Board had been requested to take the matter ot the distribution of bran and pollard in this district up with the Minister of Marketing, the Hon. B. Roberts. The meeting was presided over by Mr. J. A. Watts, and Mr. J. Middleton was elected vice-president of the association to replace Mr. W. V. Nicholls. Mr. J. Vita was elected to the committee, and Mr. R. Pearce was appointed to replace Mrs. J. Middleton as trustee, .Mrs. Middleton being an inmate of the Cook Hospital. A hearty vote of thanks to the visitors was recorded.