6-7 EDWARD VII. 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



A. 1907 



REPORT OF THE POULTRY MANAGER. 



A. G. GILBERT. 



Dr. Wm. Saunders^ C.M.G. 



Director Dominion Experimental Earms, 

 Ottawa. 



Ottawa, March 31st, 1906. 



Sir, — I have the pleasure of transmitting to you an interim report covering a 

 period of four months "from ^November 30 to March 31. 



In this report methods of feeding and management, which many years of expsrieiice 

 have proved to be effective in the obtaining of eggs and poultry, at the best paying 

 seasons of the year, are described and discussed. 



It .is hoped that the more general practice of these methods by the farmers of the 

 country will enable them to successfully cater to the requirements of a rapidly grow- 

 ing market for the better quality of poultry and eggs. 



I have the honour to be, sir, 



Your obedient servant, 



A. G. GILBERT. 



THE WORK OF. THE POULTRY DIVISION. 



Since the date of the first annual report of the poultry divison of the Central 

 Experimental Earm, nineteen years ago, there has been a marked and gratifying 

 change in the attitude of the farmers of the country to the poultry branch of their 

 farms. It is not very long ago that the fowls on the farm were looked upon as a non- 

 paying quantity and received scant attention. If the adult birds received little atten- 

 tion, the newly hatched chickens, when they came, usually late in the season, received 

 still less. They were allowed to ' pick up their own living ' and to thrive as best they 

 could. As a result, the lean, sinewy and scraggy chicken was the rule, rather than the 

 exception, on the markets. New laid eggs were scarce and high in price. They are 

 yet high in value, but from a different cause. Then they were high in price because 

 scarce. To-day they are equally high for the reason that the demand for them is 

 greater than the supply, although the latter has greatly increased. The scraggy 

 chicken has, to a great extent, given place to the well fed and cared for specimen of 

 correct niarl^ct type. Customers arc more inclined to pay a bettor price for a Iicttor 

 quality, and producers find it most profitable to cater to the more exacting demand 

 with articles of the be,st quality. Indeed the best class of customers to-day will have 

 none other. 



INCREASING DEMAND FOR NEW LAID EGGS IX WINTER. 



Another feature of poultry development worth noting is the increasing demand 

 for strictly fresh eggs in winter. This was strikingly shown by the high prices which 

 prevailed in this and other cities of the Dominion during the months of November, 

 December, January and Eebruary last, wdien from 35 to 50 cents per dozen was paid 



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