ENG-1956 — Page 120

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HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT

principal food animals reared. The hill country is too steep and too small in area to support grazing animals such as beef-cattle or sheep. The local cattle (used for draft and beef, but not for milk) are small hardy animals, suited for work in the small terraced fields typical of a large part of the Colony's cultivated area.

Recent estimates of the animal population of the Colony, which are more accurate than those published in previous

years, are:

Cattle and buffalo (working animals) Dairy cattle

Pigs (breeding stock)

Fowl

Ducks

Quail

Pigeons

Geese

Turkeys

Goats

Rabbits

18,000

2,600

20,000

500,000

100,000

20,000

30,000

1,000

500

300

1,000

There is one large dairy farm, and several smaller ones. Dairy cattle are mainly Holstein, Ayrshire, and Shorthorns, originally imported from Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada, and revived from time to time by the importa- tion of fresh stock. The animals are stall-fed and rarely leave their byres. Production is maintained by the feeding of imported fodder and concentrates, supplemented by locally- grown guinea grass. All dairy animals are tested for freedom from tuberculosis. Under an amendment, made in September 1956, to the Public Health (Animals & Birds) Ordinance, (Chapter 139), 271 animals, which were positive reactors to the test, were slaughtered. Generous compensation was paid by Government to the owners of these animals.

Specialist breeders are responsible for most of the pig and poultry raising, which is on the intensive system. There is

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