C3o—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 16,1981
Hatching e gg s
(Continued from Page C 29) Another researcher, Joseph
cooperating land-grant colleges Soares, Jr., of the University of iSfl/ftS iV/>ni pL hit linn flfl/litinn fll
country, Roland is Maryland, is looking closely at the J FU,U ° OOOUWnm
experimenting —in the laboratory relationship of vitamin Dto the , • » ~ > j, ,
and with a control flock -to find female hormone, estrogen. e gS s 'WOUltt TlOt 06 CIUCKen feed
Recent findings prompted researcher
to recommend change in feeding time
ways of improving eggshell
quality.
Recent findings prompted him to
recommend that producers change
the usual feeding time for layer
hens from morning to evening,
when the hen naturally starts
producing calcium for eggshells.
“It occured to me that if feed
goes in the hen’s body as the
calcification process is beginning,
ail the food nutrients would go
directly into the bloodstream and
possibly produce a stronger
eggshell,” Roland says. ,
Ideas of that sort quickly work
themselves into practice r ac
cording to Mountney, because
researchers are in constant con
tact and continually publish their
findings.
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“Vitamin D is changed into
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 seems to have proved
out Soares’ theory In experiments
under the guidance of Edward
Buss, selected lines of hens that
thicker than average
eggshells showed a much higher
percentage of natural estrogen
levels in their bodies than other
breeds of hens that usually
produce a thinner than normal
shell. So, vitamins and hormones
for hens may be part of the answer.
Other researchers are studying
the influences' of housing and
environment, marketing channels, e BB s would not be chicken fed,
and disease control on the eggshell even in the multibillion dollar egg
- problem. industry.
The importance of solving the Average returns dipped into the
problem is demonstrated by the S- red for egg producers last vear.
131 research, which indicates that
7.7 of every 100 eggs won’t reach
collection points because of weak
or missing shells.
Roland estimates that, in ad
dition to the 69.7 billion marketable
eggs produced last year, about 5
billion unusable eggs were
produced eggs that could have
brought additional retail sales of
about $6O million, based on 1980
prices.
Of course, economists are quick
to point out that such an increase in
production might have lowered
retail prices also lowering the
$6O million estimate for additional
sales.
But within the industry, 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
industry, and the increased need
for eggs in fast food chains.
Sales from 5 billion additional
They lost an average 3.2 cents at
the wholesale level for every dozen
eggs sold, down from a 3-cent
profit per dozen in 1979.
This year, producers face cost
increases for all inputs, par
ticularly feed. In 1980, the egg-feed
price ratio dropped to 6.0 (the sale
of one dozen eggs would buy only 6
pounds of feed), a contrast with
1979’s ratio of 6.9 and 1978’s of 7.0.
Early this year, economists
predicted possible further drops
for 1981. All producers will be
lookiqg for ways to increase their
yields and run their' operations
more efficiently.
“It’s logical,” according to Dave
Roland. “I! we can improve
eggshell quality and reduce
breakage, producers could market
something they already have.”
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