THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 221, 30 September 1901, Page 2

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

Me Gre?n, geneial manager of the Poultry Department of the Momohaki State Farm, paid Fatea a visit at the invitation of the provisional directors of the Pa'ea Cooperative Poultry Co., and othera interested. The object of his visit was to afford information as to ;ha industry generally. ' Mr. Green said it would be practicable for the to take- birds from the farmer and -fatten them fit For market. There was not much risk bf introducing disease, as the different birds'to be fattened Would need to bo kept separate. luat there whs a market for every class of' bird in the colonjr; though' it Would be necessary to breed 1 specially for . the export tride. These'birds woald also pay better for colonistltrade than' theclass of bird now produced. The cross between th'6'lndian Game and Dorking was the ideal 'ab'e bird. Their progeny could be c.oased with the Bufi Orpington to good effect. Try to breed away the yellow 1-gs and skin as much as possible, A cross hefcwepn the qrdinary fowls no.v grown and a heavy cockerel (say taugehin) v would produce fair poultry until something better turned up. Suitable breeds should be supplied as soon a possible. The Wyandottes were a good seoond to the Game and Dorking as poultry birds. Good results could'be obtained by cios i"g with the p of the Game and Doi ki"g, Ir was advisable to combinu egg and poultry production in one bird, The egg-producers were Leghorns, Micorcaa atd Andalusians. A company of tbe kind indica'ed should pay well if run on proper lines. One essential wgs, goo# ,s'or«gp, .when ggge could be received acd stired when they were plentiful, and sold to advantage when they were scarce. Eggs could he kept at any time at 30 degrees, In fact he ljad himself kept egg? in accol chamber for five months, aud hatched three chicken * out of twelve eggs. It Would be fiiund 'hat trussingwould not be necessary for soma t<mp, as the colonial market, speaking generally, required live birds. For a time it would i be be f t' rto allow the Government to grade ana prepare any birds that, may be forthcqmi,;g fqr the Eforae market, There was, however an uns\tisflol demand in New Ze iland at the present time. All birds should be graded according to quality and size. When that was done a market would be found for each grade. He had no doubt that if the birds were forthcoming the Government would put a grader there. There was nothing ro p-cvent a good start being made. Fowls two years and over could be bought and marketed. It did . not take nmchto fatten a hen. Ducks pay bett-r than fowls, They should be marketed when from ten to twelve weeks old. White ,ducks were preferable to any other. Fattening ducks should not be given too much water—just enough to drink. They could be raised. at'a»;y time. F.ir export purposes l they were best fi;om February, to May. Early hatchings of were the be3t, They did not do well in November, December and January. It was rather late to do much this season, but everything could be prepared for an early stare next season, By beginning now the company WQuldnfltbpstaftinga momept too soon. One ounce of grain was a sufficient meal for a tow}.