pes} QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. {1 Jury, 1902. 
some breeder of, say, a guinea a head, and, in fact, our College advertise their 
cockerels at that price. Now, it should not be necessary for farmers to have to pay 
such a price, and if an expert were placed in charge of this industry he would be able 
to arrange with the high-class breeders all over the States for birds for farmers at, 
say, from 5s. to 10s. each, because purebred poultry-breeders breed huudreds of birds 
which are not fit for the show pens, and which to them are almost valueless ; and these 
birds are just the ones suitable for farmers, because they will produce just as good 
table birds or just as good layers as would be got from a five-guine. stud bird. 
The great need at present is to introduce size into our present class of poultry for 
table purposes, and the best breeds to introduce into our poultry-yards to attain this 
object are Orpingtons, Wyandottes, or Langshans. These could be crossed with 
present stock or kept pure. These are large-framed birds, quick growers, and are ~ 
splendid for the table at from six to twelve months old. Once having got size into 
our table birds, they could be improved by introducing some of the game varieties, 
because the game varieties give a larger proportion of breast meat, besides being a 
better quality of flesh than any other breed; the very best variety of game for 
crossing purposes being the Indian. Now, no bird has yet been bred which can be 
claimed for it that it is the best table bird and also the best layer. So farmers will 
have to choose between table birds and layers which class of birds they will keep. 
The best class of birds for laying purposes are the Minorcas or the Leghorns. Hamburgs 
are also good layers, but their eggs are only small in size compared with the two 
former breeds. There are a large number of other breeds which are claimed by their 
respective breeders to be the best, but the breeds. I have mentioned will suit the 
farmers best, and are the leading varieties in Australia to-day. If farmers will give 
this industry their attention, and go in for it in the same way as they are doing in the 
dairying industry, they will be surprised at the returns and the money to be made, and 
it will become second only to dairying. The labour is light, and the food also abounds 
on every farm even where a pig would starve. I hope this short paper will set every 
farmer thinking, because in these times of drought we must turn our attention to ready 
and sure money-making productions. 
Mr. W. R. Rosryson (Toowoomba): I have taken some trouble to go into 
this matter of exportation, and offered, a short while ago, that if ten farmers 
would send me ten decent fowls each I would send them to South Africa free 
of charge. I knew the price they would realise. After waiting a week I had 
a letter from a lady telling me she could let me have three hens. I think our 
Department could take a leaf out of the New South Wales Department’s book 
in this respect. Mr. Atkinson’s suggestion about crossing Indian game is a 
very good one, and any man, if he once eats Indian game, will never care about 
any other kind of fowl. Itis like eating corn-fed pork as against slaughter- 
house pork. If farmers would only buy some Indian game and put them among 
their pullets they would breed good table birds. 
Mr. J. E. Dean (Maryborough): I have run an incubator for six years, 
and have often kept as many as 500 fowls at once, and, as far as I can see, there 
is money in this business if it is worked on the right lines. There are two 
essentials to success, however ; and these are, that you should be able to com- 
mand the right price, and also have the right kind of poultry. If we come to 
the killing kind, the kind which will bring the highest price and make the most 
weight with the smallest amount of food, we shall have to get the Indian game 
cock and the Dorking hen. In a short time you will get a bird weighing about 
6 lb. with a very fine white flesh. As for laying breeds, you cannot beat the 
Leghorn. The Minorca is not a bad fowl, but it will not lay the number of 
eggs the Leghorn does. The Hamburg lays well, but its egg is rather small. 
The main thing in poultry is the feed, and if you have to pay a high price for 
that the profits in the industry begin to decrease very materially. Wheat, for 
instance, is rather too high at present for feeding fowls with. If people are 
going to keep fowls they will have to make provision to supply them with 
plenty of grit and bone. I imported a machine to cut green bone. These 
green bones supply everything that isin the egg, including the shell. I hope 
to see the industry progress, and Mr. Atkinson deserves to be thanked for the 
very able manner in which he has brought the subject forward. 
/ Mr. W. Arkinson (Danderoo): Farmers who grow wheat and other crops 
are apt to look rather contemptuously at the poultry industry, but it is a thing 
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