RUSH TO MAKE PENS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19365, 1 July 1937, Page 13

RUSH TO MAKE PENS

POULTRY SHOW DILEMMA STORIES FROM THE PAST MODERN PLANT NOW HELD When the Poverty Bay Poultry, Pigeon and Cage Bird Association had no plant of its own, members frequently felt great concern at the efficiency of their arrangements. One year there was a last-minute rush to gather 140 benzine boxes from all over the town and a frenzed ripping, tearing, sawing and hammering throughout the night to prepare sufficient pens of wire and wood for the next day’s show. That was when the Onehunga Poultry Association’s plant had been borrowed for the occasion. On the night before the show, it was found that the boat could not reach Gisborne in time, and for awhile many thought there would be no show. They held the show, but only after a hectic night’s work. Members Help To Buy Plant For a long time, the association was without proper plant, but now it has the most modern in the Dominion. The poultry people first drew on the A. and P. Association for 250 pens. Nineteen years ago two members advanced £GO for the purchase of plant from Onehunga, and took a mortgage over the pens. This mortgage was paid off within two years and bit by bit the plant was added to. The finance:; of the association wore so bad 20 years ago that there was insufllr’ent money in the funds to pay the affiliation fee to the parent body. It was two years in arrears then. Members of the committee paid 10s each out of their own pockets to pay the subscription. Wartime Effort War time helped to keep the association poor. All the profits went to the Women’s National Reserve, which also established a refreshment stall at the show in order to raise funds for patriotic work. Later, to raise money for plant, members of the association gave birds to be sold for the funds, and entertainments were held. Most of the money, however, came from donations of birds for sale. The Garrison Hall fire was a severe blow to the association, for £BO worth of plant, including some of the old improvised pens of benzine boxes and wire, was destroyed. The property was insured, but the association had just purchased £6O worth of plant, and all that was saved was a small portion at the A. and P. Showgrounds where it had been stored for the spring show. Hard Work Kcwarded Through the hard work of members, the association is now in the best position of any kindred body in the Dominion, with the most up-to-date plant and the biggest trophy schedule. Forty trophies on the schedule are valued at from £l5O to £2OO. The largest show was about 10 years ago, when there were nearly 1000 entries. One of the greatest advances was in pigeons, which had increased from two to 200 within about 1G years. The fancy section in the show has dropped back, but the utility entries have improved. For a time, about two-thirds of the birds in the show were of the fancy type, but now the fancy and utility are in about equal numbers. Production of Eggs In Gisborne, egg production is carried out on only a small scale, compared with what is done in the cities. With the coming of the railway, however, producers will be able to get their eggs away more quickly, and perhaps open up valuable markets in outside districts. However, there are a few breeders and egg producers in a fairly large way. One has 300 laying hens, and an incubator capacity of 1800 eggs at a time, while some of the others are building up flocks in anticipation of a fairly large demand in the near future.