B4~Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Apri 1 25,1981
Researchers scramble to hatch stronger eggs
ELIZABETHTOWN - The
average U S laying hen produced
a record 243 marketable eggs last
vea r , but the total could have been
as high as 260 per hen if only eggs
had sturdier shells
Shell breaks are a costly
problem
First of all, breakage means a
direct cash loss to producers,”
sa\ s USDA economist Allen Baker.
'However, breakage creates all
kinds of other problems as ueil
\ppearance, for example One
broken egg ip a carton can soil
other eggs, causing them to be
classified as ‘dirties,’ wmch
reduces their market value ”
“Dirties” can’t be sold to con
sumers as edible eggs Instead,
they are diverted to “breakers,”
sold at a lower price for use in
processed foods
“A more serious problem
quality deterioration and possible
bacterial contamination can
leave producers or processors with
a carton of eggs of little or no
market value, ” adds Baker
The danger of breakage begins
as soon as the egg leave the hen In
fact, by some research estimates,
roughly seven percent of the
nation’s eggs never get out of the
chicken house because the shells
are inadequately formed or too
fragile for the mechanized
collection process which has
probably increased the breakage
problem
Fragile shells aren’t likely to
make it througn the mechanical
gathering, washing, and packing
process of modern assembly-line
egg production operations
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Studies on breakage, completed
in California during the early
1970’5, indicated anywhere from
2 3 to 11 8 percent of eggs were
cracked or smashed en route from
the nest to the carton Most
breakage (71 percent) bad already
occured during the initial tran
sport, 13 percent during loading,
washing, and drying, and 16
percent during weighing, grading,
and packing
Just how hard would it be to
make a tougher eggshell 7
“Difficult, but we hope not
impossible,” admits USDA egg
expert Caorge Mountney, who
coordinates an eggshell quality
research program with scientists
at 15 land grant colleges Federally
funded, as well as by some state
sources, the research is called
Project S-131- ‘ Eggshell Quality in
Avian Species.”
One S-131 researcher, David
Roland of Auburn University,
recommends that producers
change the usual feeding tune for
layer hens from morning to
evenmg, when the hen naturally
starts producing calcium for
eggshells
“It occurred to me that if feed
goes m the hen’s body as the
calcification process is beginning,
all the food nutrients would go
directly into the bloodstream and
possibly produce a stronger
eggshell, ’ ’ Roland says
Another researcher, Joseph
Soares, Jr, of the University of
Maryland, is studying the
relationship of vitamin D to the
female hormone, estrogen
“Vitamin D is changed into
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estrogen by the hen’s body, and we
have found conclusive evidence
that hens with more estrogen
produce stronger eggshells,” says
Soares
The ‘ thick and thin” team at
Penn State University seems to
have proved out Soares’ theory In
experiments under the guidance of
Edward Buss, selected items of
hens that produce thicker than
average eggshells showed a much
higher percentage of natural
estrogen levels m their bodies than
other breeds of hens that usually
produce a thinner than normal
shell
Other researchers are studying
the influences of housing and
environment, marketing channels,
Berks
LEESPORT - The Berks
County 4-H Community Center
Building Fund Campaign has
passed the halfway mark with 54 6
percept of the $550,000 goal
reached
Campaign Chairman, Ezekiel S
Ketchum said $300,414 has been
raised thus far in the drive.
‘The key to the success of this
community effort depends on how
aggressively we utilize the
working days remaining before the
final report scheduled for June 4 to
get this job done,” he said
Thus far, the drive’s four fund
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and disease control on the eggshell
problem S-131 research, indicates
that 7 7 of every 100 eggs won’t
reach collection points because of
weak or missing shells
Roland estimates that about five
billion unusable eggs were
produced eggs worth about $6O
million based on 1980 retail prices
Of course, such an mciease in
production might have lowered
retail prices also lowering the
$6O million estimate. But some
producers and processors say that
new markets could absorb the
extra eggs without a serious blow
to prices
They cite additional export
possibilities, the increased
demand in the processed food
4-H building fund
mark
reaches half-way
raising divisions have reported the
following results.
William F. Dietrich, Sr.,
President of Dietrich’s Milk
Products, Inc , and chairman of
the Reading Division, the largest
fund raising unit, a total of $168,490
subscribed for 67 3 percent of its
$250,000 goal; Gail Malsbury,
Chairwoman of the 4-H Family
Division, $82,299 or 102.8 percent of
the units $BO,OOO goal, has been
contributed
Michael J. Kraynyak, Assistant
Vice President, Bank of Penn
sylvania, $17,690 or 14 7 percent for
Berks County; and William D.
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industry, and the increased need
for eggs in fast food chains.
But sales from five billion ad
ditional eggs would not be chicken
feed, even in the multi-billion
dollar egg industry where
producers have generally suffered
losses in the last few years. I,ast
year, producers lost an average 3 2
'cents at the wholesale level for
every dozen eggs solcT-
This year, producers face cost
increases for all inputs, par
ticularly feed Reduced breakage
could give producers a critical
edge “It’s logical," Roland says,
“If we can improve eggshell
quality and reduce breakage,
producers could market something
they already have ”
Angstadt, Vice President, Reading
Bone Fertilizer, $32,035 or 32
percent of the Agri-Business
Division quota of $lOO,OOO.
Clyde A.B. Myers, County Ex
tension Agent, said that ground
breaking for the Community
Building will begin in June with
construction during the summer
and fall months, with scheduled
occupancy for the latter part of the
year.
When completed, the new
facility will have a 10,000 square
foot open area for large meetings,
shows, and recreational activities
with seating for 800 spectators.
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