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[...] During the spring of 1945, many thousands of baby chicks and poults were imported by plane from Pacific Coast states. What effect this new method of shipping chicks into Hawaii will have on the poultry industry remains to be seen.
Commercial feed manufacturers have played a major role in the development of our local poultry industry. Hawaii is dependent upon the Mainland for its poultry feeds because the scarcity of suitable land, together with high land values, makes the growing of grains unprofitable. Feeds are imported as ready-mixed poultry feeds or as ingredients which are mixes by local feed manufacturers. [...]
The advent of World War II brought about a decide decrease in the poultry population in the Hawaiian Island. Lack of shipping space, together with priorities, reduced the total tonnage of feeds and feedstuffs shipped into the Territory during the war. Hawaii's poultry industry survived the war, but the postwar feed situation was even more serious. A shortage of grains and high protein feeds on the Mainland had a direct effect upon feed supplies coming to the Hawaiian Islands. Many flocks were greatly reduced because of the shortage and uncertainty of the availability of adequate amounts of feed. At the time this chapter was written, poultry feeds were available in amounts to meet the demand; however, the possibility of shipping strikes brings a feeling of uncertainty to the poultry producer.
Locally produced feedstuffs, such as koa haole seed meal, koa haole leaf meal, cull sweetpotatoes, cull taro, cull avocados, cull bananas, cull papayas, and coral sand or coral rock, may be used to supplement commercial feeds. Fresh green feeds are relished by all classes of poultry and help to reduce feed costs and add variety to the rations.
[...] The above rations should be fed to birds which are housed so that the sunlight shines directly on them for at least 1 hour daily. Otherwise add 1/4 pound fortified oil per 100 pounds of feed. These rations should be supplemented daily with some kind of green feed such as honohono grass, sweetpotato fines, fresh green koa haole leaves, pigeonpea leaves, Mexican grass, lawn clippings, lettuce, and cabbage at the rate of 5 to 7 pounds per 100 birds.
Other local feedstuffs that can be used are coconuts, fish meal, milo maize, peanut meal, pineapple bran, prickly pear, and table scraps.
For those who do not have commercial feeds on hand, the following "All-Hawaiian Emergency Rations" are recommended if it is possible to obtain the necessary ingredients (table 6).
TABLE 6. ALL-HAWAIIAN EMERGENCY RATION
| Ingredients | Ration 1 | Ration 2 |
|---|---|---|
| pounds | pounds | |
| Fish meal .................... | 15 | ........ |
| Meat scraps ............... | ........ | 17 |
| Red milo maize ........... | 55 | ........ |
| Corn .......................... | ........ | 54 |
| Pigeonpea meal .......... | 7 | ........ |
| Soybean oil meal ........ | ........ | 3 |
| Peanut oil meal ........... | ........ | 3 |
| Algaroba bean meal .... | 15 | ........ |
| Pineapple bran (fine) ... | ........ | 15 |
| Koa haole seed meal .. | 5 | 5 |
| Salt ............................ | 1 | 1 |
| Coral sand ................. | 2 | 2 |
| Total ..................... | 100 | 100 |
Supplements: 5 pounds per 100 birds daily
The birds on the above rations averaged 55 percent production over the duration of the experiment which lasted for a period of 6 months.
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