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J [ ANHYDROUS AMMONIA J
GROFFTOWN RD.
LANCASTER, PA.
ORGANIC
PLANT
FOOD CO.
Ph. 392-4963 or 392-0374
Forced Molting Is Egg Supply Factor
The following report has been
released by Kermit Birth, Penn
State marketing specialist,
through Max Smith, Lancaster
County agricultural agent:
Although the number of the
eggs available for the table egg
market at a given time can be
influenced by quantity of eggs
for hatching of chicks, exports,
imports, changes in storage
holdings, military use, and
other factors, the chief deter
minant of supply is current egg
production
Monthly egg production, ac
cording to crop reporting es
timates, has averaged above
year-earher levels since May of
1969 Through 1970 there were
about two to three per cent
more layers on farms each
nonth than a year earlier. But
Here’s How
Wayne Egg Feeds Give
More for Your Money
3 “More for Your Money"
Thousands of flock owners have sef these
goals for their own: such as Willie Ster-
ling, Blountsville, Ala., (pictured above)
whose flock averaged 250 eggs, 3.99
lbs. feed per dozen eggs, and 90.1 % livability; or Harold
Hanna, Woden, lowa, whose feed cost ran as low as 12.8^
per dozen.
You can get “More for Your Money” if you’ll fry Wayne;
come in and let us recommend the proper feeding program
for YOUR needs.
•H. JACOB HOOBER
Intercourse, Pa.
HAROLD H. GOOD
Terre Hill
GRUBB SUPPLY CO
Elizabethtown
H. M. STAUFFER
C. E. SAUDER & SONS & 5 ,9,^ S ’ INC *
R.D.I, East Earl Wltmer
HFRSHPV RPftS FOWL’S FEED SERVICE
OS * R D. 1, Quarryville
Remholds R. d. 2, Peach Bottom
WHITE OAK MILL
R. D, 4, Manheim
ROHRER’S MILL
R. D. 1, Ronks
DUTCHMAN FEED
HEISEY FARM SERVICE MILLS, INC.
. Lawn Ph; 964-3444 R. D. 1, Stevens
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 22,1971 —
eggs per layer averaged one to
two per cent below a yeai
earlier for the first seven
months of 1970 with the excep
tion of January, thus keeping
production closer to year-earliei
levels than the number of hens
on farms would indicate
Why the lower rate of lay?
Because of a shortage of pullets
and relatively high egg prices,
hens were kept in production
for longer periods of lay in
1970 than for the previous year.
Thus, a substantially higher pio
portion of hens in the nation’s
laying flock, plus more foiced
molt layers, lesulted in a i educ
ed output per layer. This year
the situation was reversed A
sharp increase m the quantity
of pullets giown for flock re
placements resulted in a sub
stantially lower proportion of
USE WAYNE ANIMAL
HEALTH AIDS TO
KEEP YOUR
LIVESTOCK AND
POULTRY HEALTHY.
STEVENS FEED MILL,
' INC.
Stevens, Pa.
Leola, Fa.
PARADISE SUPPLY
Paradise
MOUNTVILLE
FEED SERVICE
R. D. 2, Columbia
hens in the nation’s laying flock.
An increase in the monthly rate
of lay began in December, 1970.
Rate of lay in March was about
16 per cent above a year earlier
as compaied to a two per cent
decrease in March 1970 Also,
Marek’s vaccine may have play
ed a i ole in rate of lay
Slaughter of light-type hens
under Federal inspection this
year thiough the week ending
April 14, 1971 increased about
16 per cent 6 6 million lay
ers thus aiding in keeping
the number of hens in the na
tion’s laying flock within one
per cent of a year earliei on
April 1
Number of pullet chicks
hatched is an indication of the
potential number of layers on
farms five to six months later
in the year However, a decreas
ed supply of pullets can be off
set by reduced slaughter of
hens
One of the difficulties in es
timating the potential number
of layers on farms in the future
is the number of forced molt
layers and the number of times
hens are molted. Increases in
the number of forced molt lay
ers reduces the number of pul
lets needed to maintain a given
number of hens on farms,
whereas decreases in the num
ber of forced molt layers in
creases the number of pullets
needed.
Data giving the proportions
of forced molt layers on farms
for 17 states are being made
available to the industry In
April 1971 about 9 7 per cent
of the layers on farms had been
through a forced molt as op
posed to 10.4 per cent a year
earlier.
There is, however, consider
able variation among states in
the proportion of the flock
which has been through a forc
ed molt It ranged from a high
of 28 per cent in California to
a low of 1 5 per cent in lowa.
On Apul 1 this year about 5 5
per cent of the layers on farms
in Pennsylvania had been
through a forced molt
Thus, one must keep abreast
of quantities of forced molt
layers to assist in appraising
potential for egg production As
the proportion of foiced molt
layeis increases and pullets de
creases, late of lay for the na
tion’s laying flock is likely to
decrease Also, inci eases in ihe
length of time hens are kept in
production can offset reduction
in the number of pullets.
An unansweied question is
how many of the pullets now in
the laying house will be forced
molted 9 What pioportion of
the nation’s laying flock consists
of foiced molt layers as a nor
mal continuous management
program and how much will be
done to adjust for a shortage or
surplus of pullets 9
At present this is pretty much
a value judgement, one which
is not easy to ascertain. But a
higher proportion of hens in
the nation’s laying flock this
fall and winter can be antici
pated if the current rate of re
duced hatch of chicks for laying
flock replacements continues.
Egg Shells
(Continued fiom Page 1)
shell quality and these factors
will be discussed in detail by
the panelists
Invm also emphasized that
while ihe poultry industry’s
maioi d 'ease, Marek’s, now ap
peal to have been largely ovei
come, pnultiymen cannot afford
to iela< m their efforts to pun
out a quality pioduct
7