POULTRY POPULATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 11 September 1937, Page 9

POULTRY POPULATION

7200 FLOCKS IN NELSON SUMMARY OF STATISTICS The total number of fowls, ducks, geese and turkeys in the Nelson province in March 1936 was 144,082, according to statistical tables produced by the Census and Statistics Department on the basis of the census taken at that time.

The returns which have now been released, show that fowls form the greater portion of the Nelson poultry population the return showing a total of 127,728, as against 11,056 ducks, 2661 geese, and 2580 turkeys. There are 7200 flocks of fowls and ducks in the province, the average number of birds in each flock being 19.4. There is only one flock of over 1000 birds. The actual division is as follows, flocks of under 12, 2824; 12 to 24, 3227: 25 to 49, 778; 50 to 74, 186; 75 to 99, 72; 100 to 149, 38; 150 to 199, 17; 200 to 299, 13; 300 to 399, 9; 400 to 499, 2; 500 to 749, 7; 750 to 999, 1; 1000 and over, 1. DETAILS OF DOMINION FIGURES The last New Zealand poultry census was taken in 1926 and in the 10 years to the latest census the total poultry has increased by 3.45 per cent. Fowls increased by 3.25 per cent., but ducks dropped .12 per cent. Geese jumped up by 39.97 per cent, and turkeys increased by 7.80 per cent. Of the 166,354 households recorded as keeping poultry at the 1936 Census were “European” households and 7,256 were “Maori” households. In 1926 there were 158.856 “European” households keeping poultry, thus recording the very small increase of 242. The number of households with fowls or ducks in 1936 was 165,949, the remaining 405 being cases where geese or turkeys were kept, but not fowls or ducks. The average number of birds (fowls or ducks) in flocks was 23.3 for New Zealand, although this figure was exceeded in Canterbury * (30.4), Otago (29.5). and Marlborough (26.5) Westland had the lowest average, with 17.5. The average flock in rural districts numbered 27.8, as compared with 16.5 in urban districts. Over 80 per cent, of the flocks were returned for households where less than 24 birds were kept, while only 2 per cent, of flocks contained 100 or more birds. There were 194 flocks of 1,000 or over fowls and ducks, and of these. 62 were situated in Canterbury. 45 each in Auckland and Wellington and 23 in Otago. Canterbury is the centre of the wheatgrowing industry, and this fact doubtless acocunts in part for the number of large flocks and the high average number of birds in flocks.