The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-05-24
POULTRY PRODUCE
FOR FARM FAMILY
Housewife May Feed Twice as
Many Eggs as Usual and Still
Realize Profit.
CONSUMPTION IS NOT LARGE
More Liberal Use Would Be Beneficial
to People by Affording Greater
Variety of Diet-PIans to
Preserve Eggs.

If sny American family is genuinely
entitled to the luxury of eating liber-
ally of poultry and eggs, that family
is the farm family. Yet the fact re-
mains that farm families are not and
have never been liberal consumers Of
either poultry or eggs. a
For the whole country the average
yearly consumption of eggs per farm
is only 1874 dozen, which would be
about 21a dozen a week. The average
yearly consumption of poultry per
farm is 60 head, about one bird a
week. In few states, Of course, the
average consumption runs above these
averages. The highest average con-
sumption of eggs in any state is four
dozen per week per family, and the
highest consumption of poultry in any
state is about three birds a week per
family.
When the fact is taken into consid-
Grafton that many farm families eat
practically no eggs and very little poul-
try, 1t is apparent that some families
must necessarily eat much more freely
of both poultry and eggs than is indi-
Gated by even these highest averages.
The maximum consumption of eggs for
individual families would run from six
to ten dozen week, and of poultry
from four to six head a week. These
are not excessive quantities of poul-
try and eggs for good-siZed farm fam
lily, and a general adoption of such
ho 81 90
pie who live on farms, because 1t
would give them greater variety of
diet than they are accustomed to,
would insure fresh meat for at least
half the meals, and would make the
basic cured meat diet of the average
farm family less monotonous and,
therefore, more beneficial.
More Money for Fewer Eggs.
The consumption of eggs on farms
may be greatly increased, while the
farm housewife may still receive the
benefit of good prices for fresh eggs
In the season Of scant production.
Indeed, such system can be worked
out in a way that will net the farm
woman more clear money on her eggs
for the year than IL she sold them on
the generally slipshod false economy
system, without consuming any consid-
cradle quantity of them at home. That
would be true because the entire home
consumption would be from eggs laid
during the period of heavy production
and low prices, while all of the eggs
laid during periods of scant production
and high prices would be sold. Such
a system would work advantageously
not only for farm families, but for city
people as well, because it would give
them larger supply mt possibly more
moderate prices during the months
when the production Of eggs Is not
abundant. The means to that end are
not in any sense difficult. The trouble
incurred Is not commensurate with the
money benefit derived, to say nothing
of the possibly greater benefit of
more liberal egg ration for the family.
All that has to be done Is to save some
OF the eggs that are laid during pc
RODS of heavy production for con-
sumption during periods Of scant pro-
duction. This does not mean, either,
that the farm family must eat all of
the stored eggs and give the city fam
lily all Of the luxury Of fresh eggs.