The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1942-08-13
$4,000 Eggs Per Minute
Being Layed In This Nation
Egg Production Greatly In
creased. Many Dried And
Frozen For Shipment

The hen does not take a Gov
eminent challenge lightly in war
time.
Demand was made for so bill
| lion eggs in 1912 and the hen
is laying at the rate Of well over
GO billion eggs a year, almost
$4,000 eggs a minute, day and
night.
In May alone, hens on farms in
this country laid 5,769, 600, 600
eggs, record high, exceeding
May, 1941, by Is per cent. Total
egg production during the first
five months of this year has been
exactly that percentage higher
than for the same period in 194t.
The increase is 26 per cent above
the 10-year average for 1931-4O.
17.6 Average Month
While much of the increase has
been due to more layers, indivi-
dual hens are laying more eggs
than ever before. They set new
high of 17.6 eggs per layer for
May, compared with the 10-year
average of 1877 eggs for that
month. The average hen in farm
flocks laid 70.4 eggs during the
first five months of 1912, which
was 3 per cent more. than she
laid during the same period last
year.
Interest incident to egg pro-
duction, feeding problems and
health maintenance centers upon
vitamins, particularly A and D.
Use of dehydrated alfalfa and
shark oil are helping the vitamin
| A poultry situation. There is no
vitamin D problem, because OF
research conducted by Du Point
chemists for more than 10 years.
A chemically standardized source
of vitamin D, known as "Delster-
OF, is satisfactorily filling vita
min feed requirements making
for healthy, productive stock.
DR.. Harry w. Titus, of the u.
S. Bureau of Animal Industry,
stresses the fact that ID" activat-
ed animal sterol is not merely a
partial solution of the problem OF
finding a satisfactory source OF
vitamin D for use in mixed feeds
for poultry, but is "a complete
solution He points out that its
merits have been verified by ex-
periments at several of the State
agricultural experiment stations
and the U. S. Research Center at
Beltsville, and in the labcratcr-
les of numerous feed manutact-
urers, as we'll as by wide use in
commercial feeds during the last
two years.
May High Month
Layers in farm flocks totaled
327 ,157, 900 during May, 1912, the
largest on record for the month
exceeding May of the previous
year by IA per cent and the TO-
year average by IS per cent. Ano
further re-enforcements are or
the way! The number of young
chicks in farm flocks on June
was the largest since 1880 - II
per cent above a year ago and
above the 10-year average.
The reason Government needs
are at the record high level of sc
to so billion is that eggs are a.
mong the foods of highest nutri-
tional value in proportion to their
weight. Expectation of eggs
therefore, fits we'll into the situa-
ton created by the shortage OF
shipping to carry food to Amer
ica's allies.
A considerable portion of all
eggs produced is being dried for
shipment abroad for military and
civilian requirements. Approx
mately 3,430,OO0,000 eggs are be-
ing frozen this year - an all
time high Most of the frozen
eggs are subsequently dried and
shipped abroad for consumption
or used by restaurants and by
bakers and other food manutact-
urers.
When increased egg production
was first requested by Secretary
of Agriculture Wickard, egg-dry-
ing plant capacity was about Sc
million pounds annually. Actual
ly highest production up to that
time was barely l. million pounds
year. But war demands have
brought about an increase in ia
cilities, so tina today the annual
capacity approaches 300 million
pounds. More than 80 egg-dry-
ing plants, largely in the Mlssip-
pi Valley area, are in operation.
BEAN GROWERS WILL
| MEET NEXT MONDAY