Carolina Watchman

241,475 Farms In North State Kept Poultry Last Year
Increase Of 204,772 Hens, Or 4 Per Cent Over Previous Year
Increase In Egg Production In State For 5 Years Phenomenal

Poultry is being kept on 241,475 farms in North Carolina and during the past year the number of hens kept on these farms increased by 204,772 or four per cent over the previous year.

On the other hand, the five-year increase in egg production has been phenomenal. Back in 1925, there were 25,578,169 dozen eggs produced. In 1930, this number had increased to 39,301,116 dozen or an increase of 33 per cent for the five-year period. The increase in chickens during that same period was only 210,855 head.

This gives evidence that poultrymen of the State are not only keeping their better poultry but that they also are following better methods of handling their birds, says C. F. Parrish, poultry extension specialist at State College.

Mr. Parrish says the present demand for assistance in poultry work exceeds that of any previous period. Last year, for instance he wrote 1,325 letters in answers to inquiries from poultry growers. In addition, he held 2,734 conferences, 242 field meetings and gave 283 demonstrations in the interest of improved poultry practices.

He notes a great increase in the number of commercial and semi-commercial poultry plants being built and operated. The interest in disease eradication has been very noticeable as has been the use of pedigreed breeding birds. Mr. Parrish supplied 143 plans for building range shelter houses for pullets and found that 43 such shelters were actually constructed. Reports to him indicate that 877 new brooder, range and laying houses were built by poultrymen during the year.