1034 Ministry's Exhibit at Utility Poultry Show. TFeb., 



The Annual Show of the National Utility Poultry Society, held 

 at the Horticultural Hall, Westminster, on December 6th-8th last, 



Ministry's Exhibit was opened by the Ministl 7' s Permanent 



. ..j* - t . . Secretary, Sir Francis Floud. 



at the National ml \l. . , , -.. • -, 



_ .... _ . The Ministry s exhibits were divided 



& ' * • ■ «u into three sections, devoted mainly to 

 Society's Show. , . , ' .. J 



f educational propaganda m connection with 



poultry, rabbits and goats. They attracted a constant stream 

 of visitors, and two technical officers of the Ministry who were 

 in constant attendance at the stand throughout the show dealt 

 with a large number of inquiries on various matters in connec- 

 tion with the keeping of poultry and small live stock. Sir Stewart 

 Stockman, M.E.C.V.S., the Ministry's Chief Veterinary Officer, 

 attended at intervals for the purpose of consultation by poultry 

 keepers on questions of disease, and also gave an address on the 

 same subject to a large audience in the Lecture Hall. 



Among the exhibits {see Fig. 1), were charts giving particulars 

 of:— 



(1) Imports of Eggs and Poultry into the United Kingdom, 



(2) Exports of Eggs and Poultry from Ireland (mainly to England), 



(3) The Ministry's Egg and Day-old Chick Distribution Scheme. 



An exhibit of exceptional interest, which was kindly lent by 

 Principal Foulkes of Harper- Adams College, consisted of two 

 live Wyandotte hens, in separate cages. These birds had given 

 actual egg records of 285 and 91 respectively at the Harper- Adams 

 College Laying Trials in 1919, and the object of the exhibit was 

 to enable visitors to compare the visible characteristics of a 

 typical good layer with those of a bad one. The difference 

 between the two types shown was very noticeable, and provided 

 a useful object lesson. 



Egg and Day-old Chich Distribution Scheme* — By means of a map 

 showing the situation of Egg and Day-old Chick Distributing Stations in 

 England and Wales during the season 1921, visitors were able to note the 

 extent to which different counties had adopted the scheme. One of the 

 conditions of the scheme is that a poultry instructor must be employed 1 >y 

 the County Education Authority in order to ensure that the conditions of the 

 scheme are duly observed. Tables were also displayed showing the number 

 of stations, and eggs and chicks distributed, in 1919, 1920 and 1921. 



Early Elimination of Surplus Cockerels. — A very interesting exhibit showed 

 the results of Professor Punnett's research work into sex inheritance. By 

 crossing certain pure breeds of poultry which carry known Mendelian factors 

 the sex of the chicks may be identified at the date of hatching. 



* Particulars of the Egg and Chick Distribution Scheme are contained in 

 Leaflet 374/T.E. Copies may be obtained on application to the Publications 

 Branch, Ministry of Agriculture, 10, Whitehall Place, London, S.W.I. 



