REPORT OF THE POULTRY MANAGER 



213 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO MARKETS. 



One of the differences between the British and home market is that our consumers 

 do not object to a large bird, which usually means a later one. Nor do our consumers 

 have such pronounced objection to yellow tinge of flesh, or, leg. The later bird is some- 

 what an easier one to produce, cei'tainly, but it comes when the market is well stocked 

 with similar birds and prices are generally lower. It is obviously better to prod- 

 uce the earlier chickens. As a result of this difference in the phases of the two markets 

 there is a possibility of a twofold opportunity for our farmers to make money by taking 

 advantage of the early demand for export chickens and the later birds for home use. 

 An objection to certain strains of 3 arid 4 months old cockerels of standard breeds, is 

 that of sharp and prominent breast bone with absence of flesh. In numerous cases nol>- 

 iced this has not been such a cause of complaint at 5, or 6 months of age. But we are 

 wai'ned, as already noted, that our birds of either age named and which would probably 

 be of 7 or 8 pounds weight each, are too large for the English consumer. We then fall 

 back on our later home market which (as already reriaarked), offers no such objection, 

 provided the birds have been well fed and cared for and show flesh of good colour and 

 fine grain, as a rule sure indications of tenderness. In no case should quality be of second- 

 ary consideration. It is gratifying to note from Dr. Boultbee's letter that the quality 

 of our birds is rapidly improving. Objection to sharp breast bone and yellow tinge of 

 leg and flesh, the latter more particularly from the English consumer, experience has 

 shov»'n, can be overcome by breeding from selected birds. 



TYPE SUITABLE FOR BOTH MARKETS. 



The following is a type of an English market fowl. In this case it is represented by 

 one of the Dorking varieties. 



SUITABLE TYPE OF MARKET FOWL. 



