VALUABLE POULTRY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21470, 19 April 1933, Page 7

VALUABLE POULTRY

ARRIVAL AT MELBOURNE DISTURBED SEA VOYAGE For 'a whole month recently the passengers and crew of the Commonwealth and Dominion Line steamer Port Auckland were awakened at dawn by the crowing of ntoro than a score of roosters. When the vessel arrived at Melbourne from London direct the boat deck looked like a farmyard. It contained nearly 100 head of poultry* which is tho largest and most valuable consignment of poultry: to arrive in Australia for more than 20 years. Seventeen years ago Mr. C. W. Gavlor left Melbourne for England to collect pedigreed poultry. He was also commissioned by • other Australian poultry breeders to buy birds on their behalf. The intervention of tho war and tho difficulty in obtaining suitable stock kept Mr. Gaylor in England until February 7, when he at last saw his large collection safely on board the Port Auckland. Valued at more than £SOO, the shijimont includes birds of various breeds for exhibition as well as for utility. Several were obtained from Mr. W. J. Golding, tho champion breeder of England. On the voyage one duck andthreo fowls became seasick and died, but the remainder arrived in excellent condition. Thousands of eggs were laid by the hens, and many of them were given to the crew as compensation for dis» turbed sleep.