442 Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. [June 2. 1920. 



Poultry Notes. 



June. 



JAMES HADLINGTON, Poultry Expert. 



. Perhaps at no time in the history of poultry fanning in this State have the 

 prospects for supplies of poultry food been more precarious than at present. 

 This is only too well known to tnost of those engaged in the industry, and 

 tlfere is, therefore, no necessity to enlarge on that aspect of the situation. 

 However, poultry farmers may be assured that nothing that the Department 

 might do will be left undone in the endeavour to meet the conditions that 

 have arisen and to make whatever provision lies in its power. 



Confidence in the Industry. 



Notwithstanding the gloomy outlook in the matter of food supplies, there 

 is still confidence in the industry amongst those who know it best. Thi.s 

 becomes evident when poultry farmers who have had many years' experience 

 and who run large flocks for egg production are found buying up puDets 

 from less fortunate or less experienced poultry keepers, paying 9s. to lis. 

 per pair for pullets that one can only class as medium to poor prospective 

 producei's. The men who are doing this know their business so well as to 

 leaVe no doubt that they expect to make a good return on their investments. 

 Not only so, but a really good class of pullet is not obtainable from well run 

 farms, except at stud-bird prices. What all this goes to prove is that the 

 men who are financially sound and who have the necessary experience 

 to get the best results from their flocks intend to hang on, knowing they 

 will probably come out on top in the end. It is the small farmer with no 

 capital or insuflicient experience upon whom the present conditions will 

 weigh heavily and who perhaps will be driven out of the industry. 



Self Help. 



There are two ways in which the poultry farmer may endeavour to help 

 himself just now. The first is by carrying only such stock, both in quantity 

 and quality, as he can feed with profit, or at any rate with the minimum 

 of loss ; the second is by the whole of those engaged in the industry using 

 substitutes for the present staple foods wherever possible. Every particle 

 of such substitutes is equivalent to an addition to our limited food supply. 

 Unfortunately tliere appears little or no prospect of cheaper foodstuffs — 

 substitute or otherwise — because all food supplies have a tendency to rise in 

 price in sympathy with the staple foods. But what we appear to be up 

 against is not so much dear feed, as shortage of feed in any form. This, 

 then, is where the use of substitute; articles, although perhaps not cheaper, 

 will not only assist us in tiding over the crisis, but will keep prices from 

 .soaring to the height they might otherwise reach. 



