Poultry Notes.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 12867, 27 May 1905, Page 6

Poultry Notes.

(I'y ■"iVooder.")

•'l'.i\>v>;l<'i'" will l»c pl<'a*<d at all liim>s I<< an .wit aiv ((motions in rcfiM"t ii* c to poultry matters. At lh" present time the farmer is cxpi'iii'in 'mi!' a ratlior sevcu Unit' tlifoii^li tli' 1 fall in the price of stouk aiul tin- sudden druii in the supply of -rnilik through the dry summer wo have, had. This is the unfortunate effort of haviivoi all your emrs in one basket. Would it not be a good thing if the Toiler an the Land and the hlavu lo 'mil-king, who seems to ha, making a bare cvisli-noe, would put a little of Iheir .surplus energy into some more profitable channel, so as to us" up many of their by-products, which are now wasted and making no return. How woukl it do to turn the •■kiiii milk and spare root crops into cii L )s at 1« (it! per -dozen instead of <>ivin<. r it lo pigs and calves at the prices they are brino'in:; now? There i.i always a market for eggs, y-spoeially ill llii-s time of the year, in fact, moivy t-au s'-arrvly buy fresh coos just iimw. Th<* farmer, I have no doubt, will smile as he rends this, and say to himself : "Whenever 1 bring fgp^ to town I can only in«t al/out sixpence or ejght pence per do/en." And why i* lhi'< V It is simply l,ecauy« you do not take any interest in your birds, (fii'd lhe.\ lay only a few r-ggs in the »-arly si B :Tim<T mot'lli-;. To succeis'l wilii |)on!lry 'n jii-l (lie ;ame as in ;m\ of hi t 'bironr^ — expcrienci' is rcjiiircd;

you must learn the. trade.. This, is. . why iwe have so any failures in the 1 poultry business. Peoplp, and, un- • fortunately, companies, have gone im to it recklessly, without the slightest \ experience. What has been the result? Failure! and of course this is , always thrown in the face of those who try to foster the industry. Taranaki possesses great advantages for the raising of poultry and eggs in | large numbers, and I feel sure, -when j our poultry shows are run on less sel- j fish lines,' when they are nvade jnoro ' instructive, the industry will make wonderful strides. Each individual | can do his or her quota in this matter, if ifc is only in starting to raise a few good birds in a proper manner. feeding them on scientific lines. for poultry raising is a science which, to have profitable results, jmist be well studied and applied, with com/mon sens«. and practical knowled<#>. Birds* must be hatched at a time -;o as they reach -maturity and be sold to advantage. Ag-ain, pullets must bo reared so that they begin to lay in March or April. Tt is no use feeding a lot* of stock during the winter months for nothing, and a hundred and one other things of importance T might mention. About five months ago T warnod all breeders about their young stock to give them every attention, for 00-£s would be very dear this month. We had such a long laying season that the birds have not had sufficient, strength to recover themselves, with the result that not half UlO old bird-* are over their moult. To keep birds profitably certain conditions must bo observed; thd happy -fro-lucky style will not do. Regular attention "m.u.->t. be given if we are to succeed, and each week' as I contribute to the eolufmns of your valuable paper, T shall endeavour to make clear iomy readers the proper methods by which poultry in the various branches can ho profitably kept, anid T maintain if we cannot kee-p them profitably we slioukl not keep them at all. If one man can make it pay another can; and nothfrio- succeed* like success. Next week 1 shall devote to an ar-lir-le on "The evil effects of an insufficient supply of proper grit to fowls."