Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-04-27
THE POULTRY YARD
TIE BUYER AND SELLER.
BY Ed Weber

In the buying and selling of pure
bred poultry and eggs for Matching. the
most cases OF dissatisfaction rise from
misunderstanding between the buyer
aud the seller. Most dealers of poul
try and eggs want to deal honestly. as
do most buyers but the trouble comes
when they endeavor to come to an .un-
derstanding as TO what is fair treat
ment. and here differences result for
various reasons.
Custom determines largely what is
fair and square. one of the more
common instances of dissatisfaction
comes in buying eggs for Matching 1t
should he remembered that the hatch
ing of eggs is an uncertain PROPOSE
ton which has passed into the pro-
verb. Never count your chickens un-
Ill they are Matched" If you ask "A
fancier how many eggs should hatch
from certain number OF eggs, he can
only answer, Il do not know" There
are so many conditions TO meet. and
every one with poultry experience rec
ognizes this fact, but apparently this
Is forgotten by some buyers of eggs for
Matching. They have poor matches with
their own eggs. but expect eggs for
which they have paid good price to
hatch better than their own.
This is often an unreasonable expec-
tation. for most likely the cause of
the poor Matching is exactly the same
in both cases, and no fault due the
seller. OF course it is assumed with
out argument that the seller is to ship
eggs that he knows to be fresh, true
to name. and that he believes should
possess fertility. Also IT is assumed
the seller will not misrepresent the
quality of the stock from which the
eggs come. and he should know and
study his breeds. Many causes may
operate to cause poor Matching of eggs
that left the seller in excellent condi-
ton, and that were from the same
stock as other eggs that are Matching
well. Some of these causes are the
handling in the shipping. failure to
sell eggs promptly. or too soon after
receiving. or faulty incubation. in the
pen or in the incubator. Now can the
seller be held responsible for these
causes? He should make good the non
fertile or broken eggs, but should not
be held responsible for the other
causes if he has carefully packed the
eggs.
Give Customers Square Deal.
Many thousands, yes. millions of eggs
for Matching will be sold this month
and next. What do you sell and what
does your customer buy in eggs for
Matching? Do you advertise from your
best matinss? Do you deliver the
goods, or does the temptation of many
more orders than YOU can possibly fiji
lead you to substitute eggs from other
pens and from other breeders yards
1t pays to deal honestly and to give
yOnr customers square deal If you
do not deliver the goods as advertis-
ed when your customer has paid your
price, then you are not dealing hon
estly. We know that a good many
buyers expect too much, and some of
them are unreasonable. while others
would resort to unfair means to take
advantage of the seller, but that does
not Justify failure on your part to
keep the pledge you make in your ad-
vertisement.
A man who buys eggs for Matching
from certain pens is entitled to eggs
from those pens. If he gets eggs from
the matings agreed upon and gets a
fair hatch he has no reasonable ground
for complaint later, provided the breed
ers were sound and vigorous when the
eggs were laid and the eggs were fresh
when shipped. The customer simply
buys the breeders chances in those
eggs at a price made by the breeder.
If he gets the eggs he buys and
matches say five chicks from sit
ting, there Is no ground for complaint
| if the chicks show good breeding back
of them. But the buyer should not ex-
pect every chick to be a prize win
ner or even an exhibition specimen.
If he buys eggs from prize winners.
maled to prize winners, the chances
are that he will be disappointed in
the chicks, for such matings seldom
| yield more than small percentage OF
chicks that are the equal of the par
en:s.
Honesty, Helps Poultry 1usiness.
| What is needed then, broadly speak
ing. in the poultry business. as in ev-
cry other business is more conscience.
both in buying and selling. A consci-
entious person will neither deceive you
nor will he make you a subject OF
graft. Honesty in dealing not only
helps you but it also helps the whole
poultry industry. 1t is the very best
policy in everything. If you represent
your stock exactly as it is to the buyer,
and engage in a transaction with him
| in the same fair way you not only
make him friend of yours and your
stock, but you make him friend of the
poultry industry. or, otherwise. You
cannot foist birds of 81 value upon an
unsuspecting public at exorbitant
prices. and hope, to prosper or con-
Itinue long in the poultry business.