Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-10
CARING FOR THE HOME FLOCK
By II. W. RICKEY,
Poultry Specialist. Marylana STATE College.

There are certain complex prob
- lens connected with the profitable
=. r'nrketing OF eggs that requires bust
So ability on the part Of the
sogltryman a. well as the ability to
y. oduos flrst-ciass products In too
many cases the difference between
sIccess and failure is representa- by
= ,.;c lack Of business acumen and fail
to study and to take advantage
O.. the better methods now employed
81 our most up-to-date poultrymen.
n other words the producer should
:. both a good salesman and fnan-
Ger. With eggs. as with poultry, the
/, eatest profits are secured through
Individual sales made direct to the
.. ,...sumer. but as available customers
:. {. often scattered and limited In
- TIMBER, an undue amount OF time
labor Is required in the soliciting
purchasers and in the distribution
.. the products, but with this taken axe,
z, S. attractive from the standpoint
profit. .;... nav ~ .s,,
rm products of any description Is TO
= nd 1t in bulk to the G comm ION
m,cwest prices, less the usual commits
u. on and drayage charges, but in
= ,nsideration of the fact tnat the
,ultry products can be handled and
- arketed in ouch large quantities at
lowest possible expense to the
upper, the larger growers make use
-, this method; but while the larger
overs occupy a conspicuous ana
- ,portant place in the poultry IN
istry they are in the minority.
= The farm fiocks, made up OF units
from sixty-five to two hundred lay
a g fowls, with the somewhat larger
,cks of the smaller producers, COM
Use the bulk of the poultry kept IN
- ,,iis country and furnish by iar tne
"a sst part of the eggs produced. IN
atae more rural sections, away from
ansportation, the country stores ana
. ie hucksters who drive from tarH
10 farm buying produce. are the only
eggs can be marketed.
Poultrykeepers who are fortunate
enough to have good shipping aactn.
les seek better and more prontaoie
markets. The city hotels, restau-
-, ants, hospitals. drug stores and other
= etaiI stores furnish profitable out
= It. especially for eggs
strictly guaranteed fresh. frst-grade
eggs, backed up by the good reputa-
- ON of the producer, may be deVeiop-
"a II contracts can be secured Win
- gh-class stores. thus eliminating the
commission and other charges
Sef the commission merchant and In
~ ,ost cases. the storekeeper Will agree
pay higher prices than those given
- Il the wholesale quotations Inc poui,
lyman. however. should be carefui
3 bout getting tied up with contract
hich obligates him to supply stated
- lumber Of eggs at regular Intervals.
:. Several years ago. shortly after the
:arcel post was inaugurated, the snip,
. ing OF eggs by mail was urged ana
-. recommended widely as the panacea
FOR small poultry keepers living at
distance from central markets. Mucn
Experimental work was carried out Dy
-, governmental officials in the shipping
II eggs from different points in this
Country and Canada, including trans
continental shipments. The result OF
- hese trials were quite successful ana
resulted in the Standardization OF suit
~ BILE mailing packages, but all the
-@roblems connected with the shipping
snt eggs by parcel post were not solved
sa,-y any means The big problem OF the
parcel post shipper is to get his egg
Eases returned and prompt payment
>or foods delivered. Customers are
--srs which are most vital to the poul-
Ely keeper. This neglect is discourae-
m to the poultryman and In many
STAGES the parcel post is losing caste
"a % far n the shipping OF eggs d.
rect to the consumer Is concerned, Ger
-zzfnly II 10 not growing in popularity
a. II should. not because of any fault
o1sf the service, but because OF the In
coussderate attitude Of the buyer. The
rules Of the postal service require tnat
-certAin conditions In the packing o,
Eggs 70 b mailed must be compiieo
nth. For detailed information ON this
subject apply to the Post once Do
EpaFtment
= Several years ago it was found by
Messrs Lamon and Opperman Of the
= United States bureau Of animal In
: dustry that Of all the clean infertile
eggs marketed in warm weather IN
one Of the midwestern states there
twas . loss Of approximately "a per
cent. and IS per cent Of this loss oc-
.seurred before the eggs reached the
atown. with fertile eggs the loss Is
greater, running as high as AZ per
Ecent The losses occur through break
age. shrinkage, liquefaction. germina-
Stion, bacterial and mold infection
and the absorption Of odors. Warm.
moist and poorly ventilated storage
rooms encourage termination and the
growth Of bacteria and molds.
(which varies with the length Of time
the eggs are held. combined with the
stemperature and the humidity OF the
surrounding atmosphere.
Therefore It Is essential that all
eggs be sold as soon as possible after
they have been laid, and when stored
,vprepafatory to being shipped they
should be kept in a cool. well ventf-
&1ated place. A damp cellar without
.suhicient ventilation is favorable to
Ethe growth Of moulds within the egg.
land moisture on tho eggshell permits
both the growth Of bacteria and their
Sentrance through the pores Of the
shell into the egg. Fertile eggs de-
$feriorate more easily than infertiie
eggs. A heated" condition often de-
ssvelops within the fertile egg, due to
the presence and growth OF the en-
Hbryo under high temperature: when
this occurs the color of the yolk Is In
Stensifed and the yolk itself floats
amore freely in q watery white.
. Investigations made several years
Ago disclosed the fact that throughout
Sthe whole country an average loss Of
II per cent OF the eggs marketed could
shave been prevented by the exercise
cpf proper care. Such q loss as this
should be stopped and would be II the
sproducefs could get into their heads
that prices depend largely upon the
Snsmand: that every spoiled egg sold
lessons the desire for eggs, hence de-
sereases the demand and curtails con.
sumption.
As . precautionary measure and one
(which will insure our local producers
almost Q hundred per cent, first grade
u would suggest that, in warm weather