J'eb. 2, 1920.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 137 



Poultry Notes, 



Pebruary. 



JAMES HADLINGTON, Poultry Expert. 



In last month's notes the high prices and scarcity of poultry food ware 

 commented upon, but the rise that took place on 2nd January was not 

 then in view. That rise has considerably changed the outlook for 1920, and 

 it has to be realised that, as a result, the poultry industry is likely to 

 receive a considerable set-back. 



The gradual rise that had taken place up to the end of last year had been 

 rather more than equalised by the higher prices received for eggs, which 

 almost any gradual rise would bring about ; but the big jump mentioned will, 

 as it were, carry poultry men off their feet, particularly as it has occurred 

 when production has commenced to decline, owing to the approach of the 

 moulting season. In the ordinary course of events on a poultry farm, 

 February to July is the most trying period over which the poultry farmer 

 has to finance himself, and it is difficult to see how, under present conditions, 

 many will be able to " weather the storm." It is, however, just as well to 

 realise that this trouble is one of a reciirring nature, although it is, perhaps, 

 little comfort for the poultry farmer to be told that similar trouble has 

 occurred before, and will occur again — ^if not through the agency of a price- 

 fixing board, then in some other way. 



As an example of this we might take the drought years of 1888-9, 1901-2, 

 and again 1914-15. There was no Necessary Commodities Commission in 

 those days, but wheat reached 7s. per bushel, and pollard and bran 2s. per 

 bushel, with eggs and table poultry at very much lower levels than at the 

 present time. The inevitable result followed, and from one-third to one-half 

 the hens in the State were sacrificed, simply because their owners could not 

 Jeed them- 



This was followed by a contraction of supplies and a rise in the price of 

 eggs, and the poultry farmer who had baen able to hold on benefited 

 largely in the succeeding years. Not only were the prices received for his 

 products higher, but the cost of feeding was much lower, simply because 

 the consumption of poaltry feed had been reduced. A perusal of the 

 figures given in the Poultry Notes last August will furnish ample 

 confirmation of these statements. 



Poultry farmars should therefore consider the whole situation very 

 -car af ally b afore abandoning the bosiness or reducing their profitable stock. 



