No. 5. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 331 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON POULTRY 



By W. THEO. WITTMAN 



Gentlemen: It would appear that some quite radical changes have 

 occurred in the poultry situation in the State within the last twelve 

 months. The most outstanding of these is the slump in the fancy 

 poultry business. Of the some hundred and ten poultry associations 

 in the State, something like one-third dropped their annual poultry 

 show this year. And while it is difficult to arrive at exact figures, 

 it is very likely that at least an equal per cent, or about one-third 

 of the entire number of poultry people terming themselves "fanciers" 

 have quit as such. Also those associations that did hold their an- 

 nual shows found, with very few exceptions, it is even more difficult 

 than usual to come out on the right side of the balance sheet. This 

 condition of affairs is due to several causes, the details of which 

 would consume more time than is allowed this report. Summed 

 up, and in its final analysis: 



THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS MORE AND MORE INTERESTED 

 IN POULTRY ONLY SO FAR AS IT WILL LAY EGGS AND 

 GROW POUNDS OF MEAT AND ONLY A COMPARATIVELY 

 SMALL NUMBER WISH TO KEEP AND BREED POULTRY AS 

 A "FANCY." 



The more progressive of the poultry associations have introduced 

 monthly lectures and demonstrations and others have had them 

 every afternoon and evening during show week and have found that 

 they are well attended and a great deal of interest shoTVTi. As an 

 example: At Pittsburgh Show last week with lectures every after- 

 noon and evening the hall was crowded every session. The next 

 big change in the poultry situation is as a result of the European 

 war. This war has removed all fear that, with the tariff taken off 

 eggs, our markets would be flooded with foreign eggs; for even after 

 a few months of war the big European poultry growing nations, 

 Belgium, France, England, Germany, etc., have practically wiped 

 out their enormous poultry stocks and with the end of the war, 

 Europe for a while at least, must be an importer of poultry and 

 eggs instead of as formerly, as exporter. 



Another change in our poultry situation is the rapidly growing 

 acceptance of the fact that poultry, just like other farm animals, 

 can be bred for production. In consequence, a^ big demand has 

 sprung up for stock that has avowedly been bred to lay eggs. Penn- 

 sylvania breeders of this kind of poultry have found trade very brisk, 

 and in some instances, at least, es:ii; farmers carrying thousands of 

 hens have already sold in advance every egg for hatching, their 

 flocks can possibly lay this season. 



Again, the poultry people of the State feel that at last perhaps 

 they are in a situation, where they can introduce a bill before the 

 Legislature creating a Bureau of Poultry Husbandry as part of the 



