FARM POULTRY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8366, 28 February 1913, Page 2

FARM POULTRY

THE EXPERT’S VIEWS. In response to an invitation from Johnsonvillo residents the Government expert, Mr F. C. Brown, mot a number of poultry keepers in the public hall on Tuesday evening and discussed in a general way tho best lines to be followed in the breeding and care ox poultry cither as a side-line or as a separate branch of industry. At the outset Mr Brown repeated the statement that has so often been made by! him, both on tho platform and in his writings, that he does not advocate poultry farming, but prefers to see the industry conducted and developed as a supplementary adjunct to some other form of enterprise. He remarked xn| •passing, that so many people were labouring under , the wrong impression that they can easily make a success of poultry-farming when all other business ventures had failed that he was continually advising inquirers to retrain from embarking their capital in a business attended by so many risks of failure unless the would-be investor was well eauipped with practical experience and a fair amount of capital. Unfortunately, he said, too many expect to make a success with poultry without being possessed of those essentials. By this he did not condemn poul-try-farming altogether, because there were numbers of men who were conducting large plants with conspicuous success, but bo warned beginners not to bo too anxious; it was better to gain experience by making a few fowls pay before risking capital in a business that requires exceptional ability before success edn be obtained. If properly conducted, either in a small or a large way, poultry pays, hut the beginner must go slow and extend his operations in proportion to the knowledge gained through experience. . , With regard to the most suitable ■breed to keep, the speaker said his experience had taught that there was no best breed; good and pad were to be found in every breed, and purchasers of stock should always put strain before breeding when making their selection. If ho were asked to make a recommendation he would advise beginners to pay attention to self-colour-ed birds only, such as White Leghorns, White Rocks, Black Orpingtons, and White Orpingtons. It was, he said, a very open question whether specialising for egg supply or for table poultry paid the best; the market, taken the year round, showed a fair margin of profit for either product, and the most profitable bird was the on© that would supply a fair quantity of eggs and a good carcase for the table afterwards. This is tho all-purpose fowl. With a couple of live specimens for illustration purposes Mr Brown demonstrated tho principal characteristics of a high type layer and the points to bo observed when selecting breeding stock. With regard to the future of tho industry tho prospects wore bright, notwithstanding tho large increase of poultry that- had been revealed by tho last census. Prices for eggs and table poultry in New Zealand at the present time were equal to anything in the world, and the indications‘were that as soon as the limits of local consumption were satisfied they could look forward to a profitable outside market to absorb tho surplus during tho flush of the season, therefore there was, in his opinion, no danger of over production. If owners failed to make their fowls pay under present market rates the reason would be found in one of two causes—possibly a combination of both—“bad birds, .or bad management.” The Department of Agriculture was doing all it could to improve the utility qualities of poultry kept by householders and farmers by supplying stock birds, settings of eggs, and literature, besides sending the expert to make personal visits to farms wherever possible. Tho lecturer'then gave details of tho best methods to be followed in the hatching, rearing, housing, feeding and ■ general management of poultry, and at the conclusion replied to several questions not previously dealt with. Mr Brown was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.