Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1912-01-05
COOPERATIVE MARKETING Oh
EGGS.

written by Professor James Dryden,
Poultry, Husbandry DEPARTMENT.
Ore. Agricultural College, Corvallis.
Farmers of this State are losing
thousands of dollars every year by
the present system of marketing
eggs; it is another thing to lose
the profit through faulty methods of
handling and marketing. With more
care in handling and more speed in
marketing the poultry producers of
this State would add about half a
million dollars to their returns each
year. In every case of eggs that
goes to market, there are a number
that are cracked, and there are
number that are stale. 1t is safe to
say that by the time the average
case of eggs reaches the consumer it
has lost at least 25 per cent of it's
real value.
The first trouble is that some farm
ers hold their eggs too long Every
day an egg is kept there is loss in
its quality and value. Sometimes
broody hens are allowed to sit on
them for day or two, and incuba-
tion is started. Sometimes the eggs
are not gathered often enough; they
become stale and are otherwise in
jured. Then, again, after being gath
cred they are frequently stored away
in the pantry or in some place where
1t is warm, and they lose their fresh
ness. Sometimes they are put in a
cellar on the damp floor and they
become musty. Sometimes they are
stored near onions and other vegeta-
bles and absorb a flavor of the
onions and other things. That is all
a question of care and handling and
could easily be obviated by poultry
producers.
The next trouble is in the market.
ing. The eggs are stored away and
sometimes the farmer forgets about
them or he wants to hold them for a
month or so to get a rise in price.
Then he carts them to a store where
he trades them off, good and bad, for
merchandise, and he gets lust what
the eggs are worth. Another farmer.
who carefully gathers his eggs and
carefully handles them and carefully
takes them to market every two or
three days and trades them off at
the same store for merchandise, gets
the same price that the other man
got, though his eggs are of good
quality. They are all dumped into
the same hopper and the store
keeper is unwittingly paying a prem
ium on carelessness in handling, il
not on dishonesty.
The egg Is a perishable product
and 1t cannot be too strongly i'm
pressed on the producers, that the
egg, when it is two or three weeks
old, or month old, has lost large
part of its real value. If the farmers
or producers would club together
and agree on certain system of
handling and marketing the eggs,
they would, make more money than
they are now making on the eggs.
The city consumers are clamoring
for fresh eggs, and it is almost i'm
possible to get them in the city dur
ing the winter. Some Portland
stores are now retailing their best
quality of eggs at 60 cents dozen,
while many other eggs are selling
for as low as 80 cents. That shows
the difference in the quality of the
eggs.
With view to encouraging a little
cooperation among the poultry pro-
ducers, l give the following sugges-
tions as to how to proceed in organ
izing and carrying on a little asso-
citation for marketing:
Suggestions for Forming Egg Circles
or Associations for Marketing
Eggs.
Purpose.-The purpose of organiz-
ing for marketing eggs is, First: to
improve the quality by giving greater
care to the handling of the eggs be-
fore shipping. Second: to get enough
producers together who can furnish
the necessary quantity to make regu-
lar shipments to city markets and
get better prices.
ReguIations.-The first duty of the
members will be to meet together
and decide upon set of regulations
for the grading, packing and shipping
or the eggs. These regulations should
! include specific recommendations as
to handling the eggs before being
brought to the shipping point and as
to the manner or system of grading,
packing and shipping. Poultry yards
d, and nest boxes should be kept clean.
r Eggs should be gathered once day,
!, and in warm weather twice a day,
and be kept in a moderately cool
I place where no vegetables or other
things are kept, that will give them
an undesirable odor. They should
be delivered at the shipping or gath
erl1g point when not over FIVE days
old.
Gradng-It will be well to make
Q at least two grades of eggs, one
Q large and one small. Where the
3 market demands it and there are
+ enough members in the association,
4 another grade could be added: one
q extra large in size. AS to color,
r white eggs should be packed in one
case and brown eggs in another.