The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-07-27
TURKEY GROWING
AND EGG MARKETING
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FUR
NlSHED iDAHoANS BY FARM
MARKETS DEPARTMENT.
Have Your Turkeys Crooked Breast
Bones? II So You Are Losing Money.
The Proper Way to Gather
Eggs for the Market.

Boise, Idaho.-Farm Markets Bull /
letin, No. 10, by Harvey Alfred, d.
rector of the Department of Farm /
Markets, contains the following of in 1
terest TO the Gem State farmer:
In meeting with the dealers in
poultry products, I find that many To-
Gated at Portland, Seattle, and Spo.
Kane, make large purchases Of tur-
keys, poultry and eggs in Idaho. and
that prices being paid for Idaho tur-
keys are generally much less than for
Washington or Oregon birds. When |
asked for the reasons they had in
paying less for Idaho turkeys, / was
Informed that it was because large
percentage Of our birds have crooked
breast bones. The growth and condi-
ton of the Idaho turkey, with this eX-
ception, was as good, if not better,
than those grown in Oregon or Wash
ington. But when the turkey with d
crooked breast was placed on the re-
tail market, it had to be sold at from
16 to 20 per cent less than birds that
We're otherwise in no better condition.
The turkey with crooked breast
bone cannot be carved nearly so we'll
and has not the attractive appearance
that the best market demands.
From information we have at hand.
we estimate that within a seventy-five
mile radius of Caldwell, there will be
placed on the market this season,
100000 worth of turkeys, and judg-
ing from past experience, a large per
cent of these will have crooked breast
bones unless something is done TO re
move the cause. This loss to the grow
er is enormous. For example: On
each turkey weighing twelve pounds,
commanding, in good condition, price
of "a cents per pound dressed, Or
| 50 So, If sold at a loss of 16 per cent,
would amount TO SO cents on each
| turkey, or $4,000 on the turkeys that
| will be placed on the market this year
| in the vicinity of Caldwell alone.
We are informed that the crooked
breast bone is caused by the young
turkeys roosting on small perch on
which they must rest their breasts TO
balance well during the hours Of
roosting, and this could be overcome
by providing a round perch of suf'
ficient size that the easy resting OF
the foot, with slight ma aral grip OF
the toes when the leg bent, would
permit the body to balance without
using the breast as a prop. DO not
permit your turkeys to roost on the
ground. but prepare suitable perches
If a medium sized round pole or a
two-by-four plank with edge we'll
rounded and smooth.
We find that eggs reaching the local
and general market are in bad con-
dition, due in many instances to the
lack of proper gathering and care on
the part of the grower. Eggs should,
during the warmer weather, be gath
cred at least twice each day ana
then placed in a cool room until they
can be taken to market. Growers, 90
not overlook this. Your carelessness
in this matter is clearly reducing the
price you would otherwise obtain Tor
your eggs.
Some growers are placing their
duck and hen eggs together on the
market This will lower your values,
because the market for duck eggs IS
limited to a certain small trade.
These eggs weigh much more than
hen eggs do and one dozen duck
eggs in a case is easily detected by
the dealer acquainted with his bust
ness, and the price offered is made
loss. In fact, one dozen duck eggs
riaced in a case with good hen eggs
will reduce the value OF that case
as much as though the duck eggs nae
been thrown away and the case con
tanned one dozen less hen eggs. PacE
your duck eggs separate and sell then
as such. They will nearly always mt
a market as everything else VIII u
sold strictly on its merits.