POULTRY INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18942, 13 February 1925, Page 15

POULTRY INDUSTRY.

THE EXPORT OF EGGS. ENCOURAGING REPORTS. SUCCESSFUL SHIPMENTS. BY S.H.S. The reports on the shipments of eggs made to England this past season are now coming to hand, there are still one or two due, but what have been received are highly satisfactory as to prices and the condition in which the eggs arrived on the London market, and, best of all, the extra good quality of the eggs shipped. This year two grades were tried, which wore called first and second grade, according to the average weight of the eggs, not as regards quality, because both grades were of first-class quality, and had j to pass the Government graders as such. I Also, in the later shipments, it was decided by the Auckland Co-operative Egg Society, which body of poultry-keepers had control of, the export from Auckland, that a trial shipment or two of duck eggs should be sent to test the market. I understand a shipment of duck eggs was sent from Christchurch, but I have not seen the reports on this lot, but the Auckland shipment turned out highly satisfactory. The poultry-keepers of the Dominion that are organised are determined to do their best for the industry, and will exploit, every avenue whereby the quantity of our exports might be increased. They are also determined that the quality is to be up to the mark, with the Government grader's guarantee. When we review the prices received this season, wo find the first-grade eggs brought better prices than the previous year's shipments. becond grado white eggs brought the lowest pi ice, while the duck eggs brought a price equal to that obtained for the first-grade hen eggs in our first year's shipments. Ibe ! prices obtained compared more than favourably with prices paid per dozen for other countries' eggs on the London market. In fact, according to the latest report, out first-grade eggs equalled, and even beat, the prices obtained for English, Irish and Danish first-grades. The poul- * try-keepers of this Dominion have great cause to rejoice over these results, and to look forward to a very large export trade in eggs being built up in the near future. Buck Eggs in London. Duck breeders have cause to appreciate tho enterprise of the organisations m Auckland and Christchurch in sending trial shipments of duck eggs to London this season. Personally, I have for some time contended it was possible to make such shipments a success especially after tho experience the Auckland Co-operative Em Society had with chilled duck eggs held in the chilling chambers for over two months. Two shipments have been made from Auckland, certainly not large ones, but quite enough to test the marke* for further and larger shipments during next flush season. The report on the first shipment by tho London agent on tho Auckland duck eggs stated that on examination of two crates the wastage onij amounted to five or six eggs per crate of 30 dozen each, which was highly satisfactory considering that duck eggs received from Ireland showed a wastage somewnat similar. When the distance from New Zealand to London is considered and time taken on journey compared with eggs shipped from Ireland surely we have cau3o for gratification. London Market for Duck Eggs. Another cause for congratulation is the fact that the agents in London consider ! a very large trade can be done in duck eces and, seeing thutr the Auckland province produces so , many, great _ relief should be given to duck breeders in the flush season and prices obtained locally should be more satisfactory. _ It will a so give an impetus to duck rearing especially so, as in many districts ducks can be fed and kept far cheaper than hens. lhe prices obtained, according to th « ff port for both grades of hen eggs and duck eggs shipped from Auckland, are . follows: First Grade, brown eggs, <£=> hi, dozen; Second Grade, orown eggs, 2s 6d, per dozen; First grade, white eggs, 2s 6d, per dozen: Second Grade, white eggs, 2s lid. Duck eggs 2s 3d PP r J™®"It will be seen from these prices that tl e 2s 3d obtained for the duck eggs and he fact that it is the first shipment is satisfactory. It may happen to how the whole shipments turn out, that, tne average prices obtained for future shipments will be better as in the case of hen eggs this season. Brown Eggs in Favour. One very noticeable feature of the shipments this past season as in previous shii)ments, is the preference foi the blown egg on the English market noticc that first grade "browns bring Id pci dozen more than first grade w r ' and second grade "browns 2,d more than second grade whites. I can understand, our first giade "brown" brought more than the famous Danish "brown" of the same grade. There is no doubt about the fact, that our brown eggs were a lovely sample, and when packed in the crates used for export, put up a fine appearance, and I can quite imagine how attractive they must have appeared to the London buvers. The brown egg has built up the Danish egg trade in London, and this will materially help us. The fact that there is onlv a difference of Id per dozen between first and second grade brown eggs, whiio v>e see a difference of in the two grades of "whites" speaks tor itself, and should give an impetus to the production of breeds and birds that lay the popular brown eggs. Tho results above enumerated, go to show that we have cause for congratulation on the success of our two years in the export trade. Certainly, thero may have been reasons for the higher prices obtained this past season, in fact, from reports I had received, I expected even higher prices, but, evidently, the depression in England kept tho prices down, lower than they would have been in prosperous times. The greatest cause for congratulation, in my opinion, is the fact that we at this long diatanco can hold our own in both quality and prices with the best qualities on the London market, a buying centre that is exploited to its fullest extent by the English, Irish and Danish poultry-keepers, who know how to produce tho best of new-laid eggs. It is truly a great accomplishment for us, and for an industry to gain for its products tho splendid reputation we have, in so short a time, is a great feat, and with proper encouragement by the Government, the industry should grow enormously in the near future. Lessons to ba Learned. A lesson to be taken from the past year's shipments, is the need of producing the best variety of eggs, and more first grades, with less second grades in the "whites." More attention should be paid to the breeds that produce the white eggs, so that the average size may be larger, and so get more of that extra 2£d paid for first grade "whites." The "browns" appear to do better for both grades covering the two years' experience, and this should encourage the breeding of birds that lav the bvown shade of eggs. Seeing that this class of egg usually comes from the general purpose breeds, it will not only encourage the breeding of this class of' bird, but good first-class table poultry will become more plentiful with tho largo increase of heavy cockerels and prime heavy hens. The better price we , can get, on the average, for the eggs we export, th more cash will be distributed among those egg producers that support the organisations that do the exporting. File problem of an over supply of duck sggs can be solved and our markets in !bs flush season so regulated that all will benefit.