Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1913-03-27
PULLETS ARE
WINTER. LAYERS
The Coming Winter Fresh Eggs
Will Be Abnormal
ly High
EGGS AT SEVENTY FIVE CENTS
Farmers Should Form Egg Circles
Stamp Their Eggs, and Have One
Person For Sales Agent.

chickens which they have raised this
season. In former years large num-
bers Of pullets have been disposed Of
at practically the same price as cock,
erels. This year every vigorous.
healthy. well grown pullet in West
Virginia should be retained on the
farm for the purpose of producing mar
ket eggs, and in place of selling these
pullets the old hens should be dis
posed of. Early Matched pullets make
better winter layers than old hens
The most profitable period of egg pro
duction is during the first year.
During the coming winter eggs will
be abnormally high in price, due to va
rious factors. At present large, clean,
fresh, white eggs are being sold al
wholesale in New York City for as
high as forty-four cents per dozen, and
it is confidently predicted by those who
are in close touch with the egg mar
ket, that the highest grade of fresh
eggs will wholesale for seventy-fve
cents per dozen before they are low,
er. So instead of selling OIL the pull
let's at the relatively low prices thai
they will bring now, they should be
made to produce these high priced
eggs.
Many Of those who have small flocks
OF fowls may say that they do not pro
duce enough eggs to justify their ship
ment to big market, but if the farm
ers in a certain locality combine to
gether and form little marketing as
ISOLATION. selling their eggs co-opera
lively, they can be shipped in case lots
and sold to advantage.
There is no better poultry country
in the world than West Virginia Ou
winters are mild and almost ideally
adapted to winter egg production, and
In place of eggs being shipped into
our cities during the winter, the farm
ers of the state could, with great profit
not only supply the local demands, but
thousands of car loads should be ship
ped into the great consuming centers
The express rate from practically
any section of West Virginia is only
about seventy-seven cents per case OF
thirty dozen, or practically 2.6 cents
per dozen. This small charge will de
liver eggs to any hotel, restaurant
club, or private dwelling in New Yorl
City.
There is no form of farm activity
that pays better in West Virginia thar
the keeping of good flock of hens FOL
the production of eggs. On the farm
the feed, even at the high prices which
now prevail for grain, will not cos
more than $1.00 per fowl per year. l.
pullets are given reasonable care anc
attention, one can expect at least ter
dozen eggs per fowl for the season
These should net the farmer, if thel
are marketed intelligently and to bes
advantage, at least thirty cents a doz
en-, or an average of $500 per fowl fol
the eggs. Deducting the cost for feed
there remains profit of $500 pei
fowl, and the farmer has the fowl left
at the end of the year.
Our farmers should build more and
better poultry houses. They should
keep more and better fowls, and they
should feed more literally and intelli
gently, for there is money in it.
There are being organized now in
certain sections of West Virginia what
are known as egg circles. The pur
pose of these organizations is to mar
ket the eggs of the members to better
o. 81
elected and a sales agent appointed
Each farmer Is provided with small
rubber stamp. This stamp contains
the name of the egg circle, and the
stamps are numbered consecutively
All eggs sent out are stamped by the
farmer who produces them, so that ev
cry egg can be traced back to the orig
inal producer. The sales agent, then
is in position to guarantee every egg
to the retailer, and the retailer in turn
can guarantee every egg to the con
sumner. If the consumer finds any bad
eggs they can be traced back to tn,
original producer, and he can be fneo
according to the rules Of his local egs
circle. The very fact that all eggs car
be traced back to the original producer
causes each producer to be more care
full in gathering them. If nest Of
eggs which has been overlooked Il
found, these eggs in a majority Of
cases, VIII be consumed on the farm
and will not enter into the regular
shipment Each farmer is provided
by the sales agent with cardboard car
tons, all Of the same style. These are
packed in the ordinary thirty dozer
egg cases, and then shipped away.
Egg circles have seen in operatioI
in certain parts Of Canada for the pass
two or three years, and they have beer
the means of increasing the produc
ton and getting more money for thu
eggs.
The Station will be glad TO assist in
the formation Of egg circles in West
Virginia HORACE ATWOOD.
West Virginia Agricultural Expert
mauf Station