The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-12-20
keep THE HEN At WORK
DON'T ALLOW EGG.PR0DUCER
TO DEMOBILIZE
Soldiers May GO Their Way,
Seek Other Labor, Not So
With Chicken

While other branches of the govern
ment's war service are being de-
modified the food administration is
calling for a still greater mobiliza
ton of laying hens. This is no time
say the experts, for layers to muster
out. There is an urgent and i'm
mediate need for record breaking
output of winter eggs. 1t is noted that
the stock of storage eggs late in No
vember was about twenty one per cent
less than a year ago. The United
States is sharing these storage eggs
with the allies, whose production of
poultry products is low and owing to
the fact that importation of Chinese
dried eggs was stopped in February,
1918, packers have since been using
shell eggs. Another feature entering
into the shortage has been the in
creased domestic demand for eggs
which is attributed to the noticeable
Improvement in quality as result OF
compulsory Gambling
The Stock of PuIlets.
1t is believed that the stock of pull
lets and hens in producing areas is
larger than in any previous year, at
least, receipts of poultry at the mar
kets consists chiefly of cockerels and
laying hens rarely are found. Still an
other feature being considered in the
demand for increased egg production
is the lessened cost of commercial
poultry feed over a year ago.
There is both national and world
need for more eggs" says A. D. Will
son, federal food administrator for
Minnesota, "and the ultimate aim, so
the food administration believes,
should be to make every farm poultry
house an egg factory rather than a
fattening pen. Persons unfamiliar
with best practices to keep the hens
laying during the winter are urged to
write to the state experiment station
or the United States department of
agriculture for literature on the feed
ing, housing, and general care of poul
try or apply to the county agent and
farmers institute workers who will be
glad to give personal assistance Poul-
try and poultry products have reached
a price of real Importance in the food
program for world relief, for while
poultry is not as we'll adapted to ex-
port as pork or beef. nevertheless it
can be shipped in frozen condition.
Chickens are used to a considerable
extent by military hospitals and the
American navy likewise is a large
purchaser of poultry
The Meat Demand
''Tne principal demard, however, for
domestic consumption will be to re-
place in a measure the meats needed
for export Poultry flocks can be in
creased rapidly ard they are adapted
readily to home consumption at any
time of the year. The period between
production and marketing also is
relatively short Much of the labor
can be performed by the woman if
necessary. Under the average farm
conditions the food required for poul-
try largely is a by product which may
not be marketed readily. In fact, the
American hen practices conservation
by instinct and during the period of
reconstruction all of these features are
going to make poultry branch Of
agriculture which has minimum mar
ket risks.
"The government has put the need
ed increase of fresh eggs this winter
up to every farmer ard poultryman as
a challenge to his skill and resource
fitness. During the last year Mime
sofa was one of six states to go lover
the top" in increased poultry produc-
tion. Don't let the hen army de-
mobilize"