White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1926-08-27

With an increase of So per cent in
the number of chickens in Washing
ton in the last five years; an increase
of 21.4 eggs in the production per
and a yearly sale of eggs amounting
to $12,60000, the poultry industry has
become an important one in this
state.
These advances in the industry
have brought forth new problems in
both production and marketing. Con-
sideration of these problems will be
the purpose of an economic conference
on poultry which will be held at the
Hotel Winthrop in Tacoma, August 80
and 81. The conference is one of
series being arranged by the State Col
terested in the industry are urged to
attend.
The 1926 census figures show that
Washington has 5,393,262 chickens,
while in 1920 the state had 3,547,604
This represents an increase of So per
cent in five years. Poultry are now
found on 80 per cent of the farms In
Washington, besides the thousands of
small back yard flocks in towns and
cities which are not included in the
census figures.
Many thousands of dollars of addi-
tional wealth will be brought to this
state by the increased efficiency of
the individual hen. Census figures for
1925 show that the Washington hen
produces an average of 1876 eggs as
compared to 1872 eggs in 1920.
Chicken mortality in this state has
decreased steadily over four-year
period. In 1922 the per cent mortality
was 23.4, while in 1925 1t had gone
down to 1865. The figures on this NOR
tality cover only a small proportion of
the chicks brooded however, for only
those could be counted on which def
mite records Of results were available.
A large part of the $4,000 900 year
ly sale of eggs are marketed outside of
the state. Our great success has been
due to our ability to produce eggs
economically and to market them with
a satisfactory profit in the great con
suming cities of the East.
The twelve leading counties of
Washington in the number of poultry
are King, Whatcom, Pierce, Snohom-
ish, Spokane, Lewis, Yakima, Kitsap,
Clark, Skagit, Whitman and Island
approximately one-third of the chick
ems owned in the state are in Eastern
Washington and two-thirds are in
Western Washington.
With the increase in poultry popu-
lation, the problem of disease becomes
more prominent. The spread and in
tensity Of disease runs almost parallel
to the density Of poultry. The farm
of from two to five acres Is finding 1t
increasingly difficult to raise young
chicks.
Coccidiosis and intestinal round
worms are found everywhere, but are
more serious on the West side. They
require sanitary soil for their elimina-
ton. Prior to last year chicken pox
was confined almost exclusively to
the West side, but is now found in
nearly every East side county. Tuber-
culosis is more prevalent among the
farm flocks of the East side. Bacillary
white diarrhea is everywhere
Turning to marketing, Pacific Coast
extra eggs are about equal in price in
New York to Nearby Hennery White
Extras. The cost of shipping eggs by
freight from Washington to points
east of Chicago is 4.6 cents per dozen,
as compared to cents dozen from
Iowa. This shipping disadvantage is
Offset however, by larger yearly egg
lay in commercial flocks in Washing
ton.
These facts are part of the data
which will be submitted to the con-
oh, Daddy, when In Seattle bring