POULTRY FLOCKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21804, 19 May 1934, Page 15

POULTRY FLOCKS

REGISTRATION REQUIRED PAYING LICENCE FEE ACT OPERATIVE FROM JUNE 1 The Poultry Runs Registration Act, which was passed during the last session of Parliament, will come into operation on June 1. Tinder its provisions people who keep more than 24 head of poultry and who sell eggs for human consumption will be required to register their premises and pay a licence fee. For legislation purposes, "poultry" means hens and ducks of not less than six months old. In cases where a total flock numbers more than 24 birds and under 100 the fee will be 2s 6d. A similar charge will be made for each additional hundred birds or fraction of a hundred. A month will be allowed for registration and the necessary forms will be provided at all post offices. The New Zealand Poultry Board, which will control the funds, has arranged to have 50,000 of these forms printed, together with an equal number of receipt forms. Poultrvkeepers who sell eggs for incubation purpose* only will not be liable to pay a fee. Although accurate figures are not available, it is estimated that in the Auckland Province there aro considerably more than 30,000 poultrvkeepers, but many of these keep only a few birds and will not have to pay any fee. It is probable that in the metropolitan area only a few hundred poultrykeepers will be directly affected by the new legislation. V Many farmers throughout the province have numerous hens and ducks running about their yards, and probably do not know how many they own, their principal interest in the past being the collection of eggs from under hedges and other favoured laying places. They will now have to take a census of the hens and ducks on their farms in order to comply with the Act.