The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-11-13


In. marketing poultry and eggs there
is an enormous preventable loss in quail
ty and value between the producer and
the consumer. This waste has been
conservatively estimated to aggregate
S120000,000 a year.
The producers loss, caused by decreased
prices, is largely due to spoliage of eggs
and inferior quality. The consumers loss
comes from the added overhead expenses
of the poultry industry, from the handling
of inferior products, or from the expenses
attending spoilage and deterioration.
These factors are important in making
living expenses higher and in forcing
the -you-can ?-eat-for- a-squarter'
lunch farther away than ever from the
public
The logical method of controlling leaks
and losses in the eggmarketing end
of the poultry business. according tc
United States department of agriculture
specialists, is to induce producers to
market only large, clean. fresh eggs on
the quality basis. BY paying a prem
ium for the production of superior pro-
ducts the intermediate handler increases
the profits and minimiZes the losses all
along the line from the farmer to the
consumer. 1t costs the farmer more to
produce large, clean, fresh eggs than
it does to market small, dirty. rotten in
terror prOuuClS, ana, uuteSS the price
is sufficient to induce him to extra ex-
ertion, he will not bother to better the
quality.
Some produce dealers claim that it is
impossible for them to buy eggs on a
graded quality basis because their com
petitors pay a flat rate. Nevertheless,
many firms throughout the country are
buying on the quality basis and realiz-
ing a profit thereby Such operations ne
I,aE he r hon IN
handle and grade the eggs so as to buy
iudieiously, and they must make an
effort to show the people from whom they
buy what the different standards and
grades are. Whenever and wherever this
quality method of buying has been pur-
sued, invariably the quality and guam
tity of eggs produced have rapidly inn
proved and increased Similarly in the
case of poultry different. kinds and
weights bring different prices. AS a
rule, mature fowls Weighing over four
pounds are worth more pound dressed
than birds under this weight. Therefore,
some dealers pay premium price for
the larger fowl. 1t is only fair to the
producer that if the produce dealer sells
produce on a grade basis, he should also
buy on grade basis
One of the best opportunities whereby
the produce dealer may improve the
quality of poultry and eggs in his vi
cinity is by offering prizes and arrang-
ing for demonstrations at poultry shows.
One firm in Iowa, DESTROYS of large fowls
for sale in eastern markets, offered at
local shows prizes of SIS each for the best
pullet pens, consisting of one cockerel
and four pullets of the most popular va
riety of Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes,
Rhode Island Reds and Orpingtons. In
five years the production of pure-bred
birds of these breeds increased enor-
mously and the farmers were able to
pack a much better grade of poultry than
their competitors, and they received
higher prices. Other firms, by offering
prizes on eggs, have increased the guam
tity of pure-bred poultry kept and the
number of eggs produced.
Some dealers have distributed pure
bred males among the farmers who sell
products to them, in order to grade up
the farm flocks. This method improved
the flock from the scrub variety to the
grade status. An entire substitution of
pure blood for scrubs can be accomplished
by Matching eggs from pure-bred stock.