The Ronan pioneer., 1917-04-20
EGG CROP SHORT
RAISE POULTRY
POULTRY GROWERS HAVE REEN
SELLING BIRDS BECAUSE
OF FEED PRICE.
Egg Shortage Running to Hundreds
of Thousands of Dozens Monthly.
Montana Chicks Should Be Hatch.
ed During April; Army Will Need
Eggs.
William F. Schoppe of Agricultural
Experiment Station.

Experiment Station.
1t is common knowledge that there
has been scarcity of eggs through
out the country the past year, the
total shortage running into several
hundred thousand dozen a month.
Contrary to popular opinion, manip-
ulation of the market has not been
| the primary cause, as government
| statistics prove that a genuine short
age exists and that storage plants
| have fewer eggs on hand than for
several years. The reason for the
shortage must then be otherwise ac-
counted for, and many causes, both
direct and indirect, may be cited.
There are two. however, which seem
to be primarily responsible First,
on account of the high price of grain
during the last three years there has
been tendency for the farmers and
their birds or to limit their flocks to
enough to supply their own needs.
AS result, very few surplus eggs
were produced, and storage plants
were unable to secure them even
during the season of high produc-
ton. Second, owing to the war,
there has been a great demand for
eggs to supply the armies, and in
place of the former 1mportations,
large shipments have been made to
England and France.
Army Needs Eggs.
With the continuance of the war
and the prospect of the United
States having a large army in the
field in the near future, the demand |
for food stuffs will increase and |
prices will undoubtedly be higher
than ever unless people generally
rise to the situation. We cannot all
go to war, but every one can do
something toward the support of the
government by preventing a shortage
of food stuffs during the next year.
In order to help the egg situation
and overcome the shortage of poul
try products it will be necessary to
start early, as unless pullets are we'll
matured before the cold weather of
the fall there will be very little
chance of their laying before spring
For Montana conditions, chicks
should be Matched during April and
he first of May. Our experience at
,he experiment station would indi-
cate that chickens do not mature as
rapidly under our climate conditions
as they do in the central and eastern
states where the season is longer and
The nights are warmer. During the
1eXt six weeks the farmer and poul-
ry man should set every hen that
wants to set and endeavor to secure
flock of we'll matured pullets for ,,
lext fall. If the hens fail to set it
would be better to buy an incubator !,
ather than wait and use setting
lens later in the season, for unless
lis young birds are fully grown the
'oultryman will have a flock of
'oarders instead of producers on his
lands for next winter.
The solution of the problem
should not be left entirely to the far
ner, however. The town and city peo-
lie with few feet of lawn in the back
5ard should endeavor to do their
part. Secure two or three setting
lens and some eggs or some baby
chicks from reliable breeder and
'aise Is or 20 pullets this summer.
Furnish them with a small, inexpen-
sive but we'll constructed house next
winter and they will pay we'll for the
srouble they have caused and in ad-
lition the owner will have the salts
faction of knowing that he is doing
at least a little towards keeping up
he food supply.
The poultry department at the ex-
pertinent station will be glad to help
those interested, to furnish through
letters and circulars information on
the feeding, housing, ETC., of poultry,
and to furnish addresses of reliable
poultry breeders.