938 Eevival of Sussex Table Poultry Industry. [Jan., 



A fattener whose output before the War was among the 

 largest in the trade fears that there is not much prospect of 

 improvement while the cost of production remains at its present 

 level, but that under more normal conditions " there is no 

 reason why fattening on a large scale should not work again." 

 He suggests that there is plenty of room for the breeding of 

 birds that will market in good meaty condition without full 

 fattening, and urges the encouragement of " the breeding of 

 good Light or Eed Sussex birds to get the stock up in the 

 country " — this in view of the increase of laying stock and the 

 consequent bigger proportion of cockerels that are quite 

 unsuitable for preparation for table purposes. 



Again, a local appliance maker who supplies the fatteners 

 reports a recent activity; " many fatteners," he says, " are 

 recommencing in a small way, and they are quite hopeful of 

 another year seeing the fattening industry back a good way 

 towards its former position." 



Suggested Possibilities. — As a result of direct personal 

 observation and investigation in the Sussex districts the writer 

 is of opinion that there exists a good workable nucleus of 

 both skilled labour and plant for further development, but that 

 progress is likely to be very gradual. It may, perhaps, be 

 doubted whether there is any possibility of the full recovery 

 of the industry in the more immediate future, in the form in 

 which it existed previously. It is more probable that there 

 will be eventually a somewhat smaller trade of the highly 

 specialized description, so far as concerns full fattening, but 

 that as regards the industry as a whole it should be possible, 

 with a reasonable amount of encouragement, to effect a much 

 more general and widespread extension in a modified form. 

 This should certainly be possible within the county itself, and 

 it is all to the good that at the training centres for ex-service 

 men conducted by the East Sussex Agricultural Education 

 Authority the principles and practice of this branch of poultry 

 keeping are being taught. Such instruction should in any 

 case enable a proportion of the new settlers on the land to 

 participate in the revival of the industry in whatever direction 

 development is found to be most economical, in view of changed 

 conditions and values. 



It may be found suitable to encourage the reproduction 

 of this industry in a modified form in other centres, outside 

 the county of its origin, but in this event it would be desirable 

 to commence operations in connection with groups of small 



