THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18153, 27 July 1922, Page 3

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

$i r —\ s a poultry farmer I would like to replv to Mr. C* A. House's «*Vmem« made at the reception tendered hiro by. the Poultry Association as regards "'whoa' he -was a'bov he saw eggs from Franca sold at Southampton 50 for a -&inUm&, and in New Zealand w© thought 2d each) too little." Nw, I don't know anyttung about the cost of production of French, ecg», hut to mv sorrow I do know th* cost of production of New Zealand eggs-. At the laying competition at. Mount Albert last year" according to their balance-sheet, it cost nearly 6d per week per fowl foe food alone. Under these ideal condition* that fowl could only lay seven eggs per week, which shows how ridiculous it « to make comparisons of the prioe of an article, without going further to csiplaia the cost of the production of both. According to last year's balance -sheet, of the egg-laying competition each low! paid a profit over her expenses of about be in the year. Now this fowl was senl to the competition &« the pick of the owners" stock. Charge up her "oust from when ■he went an egg into the incubator, until she was nine montlss old, and she works out. » total loss for the first 36 mouths of her life, according to competition resulU. Of course, poultry farming has to be run on slightly more economical lines than competitions, but for these last- few years -with moire 32s 6d per bushel, wh*a* 10k 6d. and oat* 7s od, mo*, eg** duced in New Zealand have been produced at a k»s to the farmer, aad unless things improve for this next few yeans. New Zealand perhaps will be depending on French eggs. Majtcbxwa.