SIXTH ANNUAL TRIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2722, 16 May 1906, Page 31

SIXTH ANNUAL TRIP.

(Concluded.)

— The Government Poultry Farm at Milton has been reported upon by me several times with the view, of showing progress mado. since my first description of the farm shortly after its establishment. On every occasion I have remarked upon improvements and extensions, and I have a similar duty on this occasion. Improvements will, no doubt, still go on at the Milton Government Poultry Farm, but as regards extensions, the space which appeared more than ample in the first years is now almost fully availed of. Ihe farm now consists of 39 breeding and laying pens for hens and six for ducks ; a large incubator room, a brooder house, egg room, and feed room ; the lastmentioncc containing, in addition to feed, two boilers, one for cooking meat and vegetables, and the other for steepinp oats and barloy. In an interview with which I was favoured by Mr Hyde, the chief Government poultry expert, he laid great stress on the utility of boiling scrap moat to obtain tho gravy for mixing with the soft food supplied to l>ir<3s, and th*re J*s rto <loubt but that he is right in valuing its highly stimulating effect. The farm covers practically 10 aeros — buildings and yards wired in, and in addition to the stock run for supplying sittings and stud birds, it is intended this year to have 500 laying hens for the supply of eggs for cooking purposes. No roosteis will be run with these birds, as the object is to see what cau be done with birds kept in comparatively large numbers subject to the climatic conditions prevailing in the coastal districts of Otagc and Southland. Feed experiments were carried out during the past year upon two Ict3 of 50 each — Mediterranean and heavy breeds, and these have .so far shown that birds can be kept in good condition for Id a head per week. At one part of the year the cost of feed was slightly less than the penny ; but the final. outcome shows,that nimble coin to be the cost, taking the year round. All the green food' used by Mr Carr, the manager, for the poultry is grown on the farm, and cereals are bought at the market rates. Over an acre is in crop for roots and green stuff generally — viz., turnips, potatoes, onions, cabbages, and beets. All such is boiled and mixed with the soft food in the mornings, am* the soups from scraps and maat are mixed therewith. Several pairs of British pheasants are being reared and bred from on the farm for the Acclimatisation Society of Wanganui. Twenty young birds ha\e been raised there, and were well grown at the time of my visit. It is intended to keep these, and to get fresh cock birds. The birds were very wild on arrival at Milton, and it is highly creditable to Mr Carr that he has been so successful with them, particularly in view of the fact that the secretary of the society sending them failed to raise any young stock.

All utility breeds of poultry are kept at Milton, and from what I saw in respect to quality, I can safely promise to visiting fanciers that they can now 6ee there handsome specimens, from their point of view, in every pen. In Langshans, Wyandottes, and Orpingtons, of every vaiiety, and in Leghorns there are birds fit for the leading show pens, and in wKite rocks there are some wonderful laying strains. All told, there ia now accommodation at Milton for 1000 head of poultry, and in two houses, each with a run of two-thirds of an acre, 300 birds are kept— i.e., 150 in each. This may eeem a bit crowded, but in view of the fact that at laying competitions 600 birds are kept in less than an acre, it will be seen that with proper attention it is not excessive. In conclusion, I may say that the Milton Poultry Farm is now the most attractive of all the farms run by the Government, being — perhaps becatise of its size and evenness of ground — orderliness itself. The trees planted for shelter at the start are now growing luxuriantly, and as they more and more fulfil their purpose, are ako tending *rreatly to beautify the place.