The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1921-04-28
EGG FUTURES
TROUBLE MANY
PROSPECTS OF OVER.PRO.
DUCTlON OF HEN FRUIT
WORRY POULTRY.
Experts Differ as to Outcome
Cheaper Eggs and Cheaper
Feed Forecast With Larger
Consumption.

is Dotherlng a great mayn people in
this. state-and incidentally in the
united States-both among the pro.
ducers, the brokers and the packers
This is the time of the year when
producers are Matching, or buying
baby chicks for fall and winter pro-
auction and it is also the time of
surplus in production, the time when
the packer generally puts away his
storage eggs to sell along in the fall
and winter when hens are not laying
as bountifully as they are now.
Some eggs have already been
packed, were packed at as high as AZ
cents, and on those the packers have
already taken loss. More eggs are
being packed even now, in the face
of overproduction and probable cheap
eggs in the fall. Packers have taken
loss in storage eggs before and
seem to feel that this is to be one of
the poor years. They feel that it is
better to stand loss than to have
storage eggs entirely off the market
and the buying public dependent on
the fresh egg supply.
Egg production in the northwest
has reached state of organization
where it is independent of the gen.
eral economic influences that have
affected it in the past, is the opin-
ion of Charles E. Hunt, commercial
editorof the Post-Intelligencer. In
other words, hen production has gone
beyond the barnyard flock stage and
has become an industry. Egg men
are now in position to buy their
feed in large lots and take their dis
counts. They know to reasonable
certainty how many eggs they will
be producing at any one time and
just how much it will cost to turn
them out Marketing has become
matter of carload lots for world con-
sumption instead of basketful for
the corner grocer and the poultryman
is sitting on the world with a COM
modify which needs no advertising
beyond its price.
Chinese eggs are not coming into
the market at the present time in any
quantities because of the low price of
locals. There is question before
CoHSI COS VI pultAh6 a hAShOi toAAAA VA
\ Chinese eggs to keep them out OF
the country altogether. That will
tend to strengthen the market some
what for storage eggs and in turn
for fresh eggs. Chinese eggs are
used only in bakeries and restaurants
as the home consumer will not toler-
ate them If he Knows it,
The number of hens in this country
has increased from 10 to so per cent
in the last couple of years. Some
states have run as high as so per
cent, but none lower than 10, accord
ing to Mr. Hunt, who sees in this In
crease greater consumption and
cheaper hen fruit and surer market.
While the price of eggs has come
down, he says, the cost Of producing
them has lowered also and the bust
ness, as a business, has been estab-
lished on a surer basis.
at would be good thing IL the
poultrymen would forget the June
hatch altogether this year. We Will
have hens enough without the June
chickens and they start laying so
late, anyway, that their eggs are
worth less than those OF the mems
Matched out earlier" is the opinion
of John L. Crab, manager OF the
Washington Cooperative Egg & Poui
try association.
There is large over-production OIL
eggs at the present time, condition
which the increase in the number OF
hens will only aggravate. according
to Mr.. Crab, and it will be better II
/ the number of hens is curtailed. Inc
people of Seattle are not eating oo
eggs now where they ate 100 two
wears ago and the same condition eX
lists throughout the country, aus
largely to the economic conditions
Mr.. Crab believes. More than 81
per cent of the Washington eggs are
shipped east and business cohdltiohs
have been such that people could not
afford to eat eggs.
On the contrary, the farmer Is get
ting more for his eggs now than ne
was a year ago, according 10 inau
Perry. of Perry Brothers, VINO says
that while the cost Of eggs mas drop.
ned about 32 per cent, the cost OF
hen feed has dropped 40 per cent anu
that everything points to cheaper
grain this winter with corresponu-
ing margin in eggs. :.
The laying season this year Is at
least a month ahead and there Is 'me
question of whether the hens VIII,
stop laying a month earlier, or VIII
they keep on laying to the usuai tlnie
in the summer. An expert OF lowe
State college recently stated that the
hens would lay until their usua'
time of stopping and if they DO MT
Perry things that will help ncreas.
the already large over-supply OF eggs
And then again. if they stop laying
early, will they start early a,tei
their usual moulting period Oh lay
off? .,,
Egg men all along the line are Tan