A GROWING INDUSTRY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14686, 20 November 1909, Page 5

A GROWING INDUSTRY

NEW ZEALAND'S ANNUAL EGG AND

POULTRY BILL,

Bv Tiios. F. I.Einr.'

"How many eggs, fowls, ducks, turkeys, mill arc consumed in our Dominion in

a ycarV" and " How much do we pay for them?" arc questions lhat should interest not only on- 346 male and 44 female poultry farmers and oin- inmitiicrtlblo small brooders, hut also our housewives and "Ihe man in the street."

According to the last census there were 2.784,270 fowls and 282,000 ducks in the Dominion—and, incidentally, 390 professional poultry-farmers.

It. has been computed that of the annual average population of the, world's poultry yards only 60 per cent, are egg-producers, the remainder being classed as males and non-layers. Considering, however, that New Zealand's breeders get rid of practically all their surplus birds before tho 29th of April, the date on which the census was taken, 40 per cent, is much too high an estimate of the number of unproductive birds on cur hands at that date.

In order to reduce Ihe amount of guesswork in this connection to a minimum and to make this article of some practical vniuc, I investigated a, series of reliable records relating to the poultry sales of the Dominion. These records dealt with, on an average, 50,000 birds annually for a period of six years, H'o2-1907, and the analysis showed that 90 per cent, of our young ducks and fowls wore marketed by tho end of April in each year,

An allowance, therefore, of 10 per cent, for .'io:r-produeiug fowls and ducks would probably be adequate;-but to remove tho possible suspicion that tho importance of tho poultry industry is being exaggerated the substantial margin of 20 per cent, will bo deducted from the census totals of fowls and ducks; and from that of turkeys and geeso 40 per cent. The ultimate totals may be somewhat under tho mark; they certainly will not be exaggerated, and will, I venture to say, astonish even our ultrapoultry enthusiasts. Tho deduction of 20 per cent, will leave us with 2,227.416 fowls and 220,000 ducks as actual egg-producers These laying fowls and ducks are estimated to produce an average of 80 eggs iier bird per annum. Possessors of 200-cg«e-a-ycar hens will consider this estimate absurdly low. but it must bo remembered that Die 200-egg-a-year hen is not found in every yard nor in every flock.

11l 13 egg-laying; oompclitions held in Australia, anil New Zealand 4000 birds competed, ami (lie average, from those picked birds was 156 eggs par lien. At the Maine lixporiincnt Station, where scientific breedlug for egg-production lias been practised continuously (or tlio past nine years, the aveage is 113 eggs per lien. In Canada the oßicial average for llie oiglit provinces was 63 eggs per hen. It must also be remembered that I am including ducks in my average, and that 1 inn dealing with the whole of the fowls and ducks in New Zealand, the great bull; of which are neither bred nor fed for egg production.

for these reasons, then, backed by a fair amount of practical experience. I will take 80 eggs as the average annual production of our fowls and ducks, and will base these calculations accordingly. ] estimate, therefore, that tho egg-production of the Dominion amounts to 196,241,280—178,193,280 hen ea'gs and 18,048,000 duck eggs,-and their total value, at Id each, £817.672.

A fair number of these aro required for hatching purposes and a few for sundry manufactures. Authorities differ ius to the number used for hatching, but in. my opinion 10 per cent, is a reasonable estimate. ■ It represeril-3 17,819,328 hen egsfsawl 1,804,800 duck eggs. The balance, it. may bo fairly assumed, gees into consumption, and reaches the imposing lota I of 176,617,152 eggs, which, at Id each,, are worth £735,904. Estimating our imputation at one million, the number of egg's for each man, woman, and child in the ..Dominion would be 143 dozens per year, or about 3i eggs per week.'

The number of fowls and ducks hatched and reared ~ut of the 10 per cent, allowed for hatching may be fairly estimated as 6,541,376, calculating one such bird' for every three eggs sot. If we deduct from this total the original census estimate, 2,781,270 fowls and 228,000 ducks-our breeding slock as it- wcro.-lho balance, 3,475,106, may be taken as representing the number of fowls and ducks carved un for our consumption during the year. Their total value, at 3s each,,would lie £521.260. Tho numbers of turkeys and geese are given in tin census as 77,101 and 44,300 respectively. Deducting 40 per cent. (48,560) from these totuls for males ami non-layers, and assuming that from each remaining turkey or goose (72,841) six hulelied and reared birds are obtain°d gives us a total of 437,046 turkeys and geese Fr,;m this total subtract tho equivalent of the original breeding stock as given m the census (77,101' turkeys and 44,300 geese), and we have 315,645 turkey? and geese with which to furnish oiir Christinn dinner tables. Valued at 5s eiieh, they would be worth £78,911. Our annual egg and poultry bill, there Tore, according to these calculations, is as lollovvs:—

Description. • Value tggs, 176,617,152 at Id £735 901 Fowls and Ducks, 3,475,10G at 3s S'lZGo Turkeys and Geese, .121.905 at 5s .. 7s!<m Total .. £i 7 33G,080 The following table shows the most important of New Zealand industries, van"ed according lo their annual value. It show die wtal values of all the manufactures or products of each industry, and the estimated value of tho poultry and' egg., producod and consumed.— Wool exported and manufactured £ 3,777 541 Meat, freezing and preserving . jW^ Gram Wheat, Oats, Barley "and ' ' Maize produced .. .. o<rio.-<M Butter and Cheese manufactured ?K limber-Saw Mills, Sash and Door Factories .. .. -, ,„, ~<.. Poultry and Eggs produced (D. of A. estimate) .... ~..„„ OoM-Qmrt, a ' nd All „ v ' ial " ;; f ™. ? Leather-Tanneries and Fell- ' ic'lo mongenes ... T'm?,J„ Grain— milled and exported" .'.' 333 £ Poultry and Eggs consumed {'Km Ccal produced ... v,i„lr Ftaxmilb, Rope and Twine Works C 55561 SrinL^" 1 <« A* GAME BANTAMS. „}}'fr ]li '~ Xa ' " c ° c,! «el not more than 20oz 1101 - im ns a c ° ck - Den, oqoz; pniie" 2l •Value of Points Befools. M ; ,cf Defect, in head and neck .. "in" "»« eyes .... ' ■*" Selects in body and wing,' \ " " , Defects m legs and feet .. ..' ' " io Defects in tail .. 'in Want of symmetry .. ~ „ \Unt of condition .. .""",,, 1 ad colour of feather . .. k 100 much feather ... " " , . Defects in size .. '.. \\ [\ \\ " • • A l !Crtc =' bird (0 count .. .."100 ~" 1I; . ,r^1 '- 11 '" °, f tho Adelaide ObserU'l, iw-iwug 011 the question, "Is (ho ™,. W f :, ' ; i" connection with IoL r !o ' lld ?'' S CTC ' ; wW ' l ' fl » "inning \nTl t *?*, I,av ? " ,udc > """'J' WOPIO ..no wondered l : „ w long it would go 0,1. ltobably there, is , w more debated que ! on among poultry-breeds than this'ono l.ont. A study „f the various coinpeti-..oibshow-s every tune (liat there was a "ir' P , 'I aoon ;,s l!l " bre «leM got Som-if, and then came a lull. Take South inwioM ! ii« c « rc tllfl win,,i,| S SMms = 002, 1251, 1343, 1531, 1117. Take Ilawke.y 0"?,«'!', ' South Walcs-1113, 1308, 12* 1411, 1481, 1474, 1379. Take Subiaco in Western Australia-1494. 1411. Tako Qjiceiii-laml-1311, 1480, 1535, and 1374.Iho scores this year in (he scries of cont?<U give no strong indication that 1500 will oc got anywhere; there is less hope or establishing any fresh record--. If tho above figures mean nnylhii.KMl.ov moan Ihat the limit ha:; boil reached umh- pre?cut toiKlifions and methods of breeding. J akin,; I ho .vr!,-,, ~f ,-,.,„■, tl.-, position is the Mine in every ,*tale: „ rocket-liko flight to the lop, „ : .|„p, (hen (he decline. I'l-oni the point ..f vi,MV of value as shown by figures «,. „•.■:;, to |ii,. u > reached the '~>: w-e li-iv.. bad all sorts ,f feeding, setter hmiMiij:. diiVcveiil climales, different ■ reed. a, ; ,| M-v.-ml years' run, and for tho I'ist (wo yciii'4 \m have either remained i-l:itmiiary or iiclually gone back. . The strain 0:1 e.ieh of the .six winning hens in putting 11 „ln.|l „n live eggs for everv week in (be year i.-i very great, and apparentlv tin birds ,;,;i: go further. In the writer's opinion it is ovarian troubles lliat Invo called the halt. It is a coinmcn thing nowadays for & pullet to go wrong m the oia.nt? after putting up 270 to 300 in the first year, and one after another the best bens go. Here and tlraro a man gets six champion pullets together and wins with a huge fcoro, hut huge scores don't come twice tothoHmom?,>i. It is comparatively easy to maintain about a 240 strain, but it is apparently impossible to keep up a 260 gait. It is tho little bit on tho (op

that Hows the strain out, and then you Imvo to begin again and work up to tbo top. This, of course, is part of Mie game; while one follow is down the other fellow is tip, and so tlio ganio goes on, giving every good man a cliunce on tho ball. Whether it, will bo possible by using fresh feeding methods or finding out better breeding mot hods to put up bigger records remains (or tire future to decide.