A22—Lancaster Farming. Saturday, July 30,1983
Computers & precision in Egg Basket operation
BY DICK ANGLESTEIN
MOUNT JOY - A laying
complex of four 81,000-bird houses,
complete with mini-computers to
control and monitor the egg
processing lines, is nearing final
completion near Mount Joy.
The Egg Basket, owned by J.
Richard Myer, of R 7 Manheim,
actually began operation with the
opening of the first house three
years ago. Now, with construction
done m three more phases, the
entire complex is nearing com
pletion with an open house planned
on August 10.
The Egg Basket has several
operational innovations built into
the complex.
Most apparent as you walk from
the office and reception area into
the large egg room are the Radio
Shack TRS-80 mini-computers
installed on the processing line.
The egg room is equipped with
two Seymour processing
machines, which are capable of
handling 70 cases an hour. The
computers, which were just in
stalled last month, monitor and
control the processing of the eggs.
Each egg is electronically
weighed eight different times and
an average is instantaneously
computed and recorded. The
different weights for the seven
grades of eggs are punched into the
computer and the processor
directs the eggs into the proper
channel according to the weight
grade.
The computer screen con
tinuously monitors and updates the
number of eggs in each grade.
"The electronic weighing and
the averaging of the eight readings
that are taken are much more
accurate,” explains Larry Meyers,
son-in-law who is married to
Grace, one of the Myer daughters.
Another daughter Rachel, Myer
and Meyers form a family
operational partnership for the
complex. The partnership suffered
a tragic loss early last year when
son, Joseph, was killed in an auto
accident.
“We can take a daily readout of
the eggs processed,” Meyers
explains.
"This can be compared to our
feed consumption records and a
continuing feed conversion rate
per dozen of eggs can be quickly
computed.”
Eggs are packaged for shipment to egg dealer R. W. Sauder,
Inc. at Lititz.
a long way from one end of an 81,000-bird chicken
house to the other more than 500 feet. Installation of
The complex, when in full
operation, with some 324,000 birds,
will turn out some 20,000 dozen of
eggs per day.
Most of the eggs are processed to
R.W. Sauder, Inc., egg dealer, at
Lititz.
Another newer innovation is one
of the first large-scale installations
of a watering system by a Lan
caster County firm, which is not
traditionally known for poultry
equipment.
The watering system is designed
and marketed by Val-Products,
Inc., division of the Vallorbs Jewel
Co., jewel bearing firm of Bird-in-
Hand. The company traditionally
has specialized in jewel bearings
and other precision parts.
The watering system, according
to Meyers, features all stainless
steel valves and seats. As they
wear, the valves should seat
themselves better, much as in an
automobile, he said.
"Since there are no rubber or
plastic parts m the watering
It’s a long way
system,” Meyer said, "there
should be less water going down
into the manure pits."
The final two houses have the
Val system and the first two are to
be converted to the system.
Favorite feeding equipment is in
the first two houses and Diamond
in the last two.
Following the opening of the first
house at the K 2 Mount Joy location
in August of 1980, the second house
went into operation in March of
1981. The third started up in May
and the fourth will be filled
following the August 10 open house.
A mix mill, with a capacity of 4
to 5 tons an hour, services the
entire complex. Some 40,000
bushels of corn and 115 tons of
soybean meal are binned at the
site. Concentrate storage includes
32,000 lbs. per house, each more
than 500 feet long. Limestone and
oyster shells round out the ration.
The location is the former Joe
Greiner farm, along Risser Mill
Road. No gram is farmed and all of
the feed is purchased for the
operation.
Meyers, who hails from a dairy
farm family in Franklin County,
handles the day-to-day operation;
Vhile Rachel is in charge of the
office.
Egg processing equipment at the Egg Basket. R 2 Mount ~ is equipped with com
puters, which monitor and control movement and weighing of eggs.
equipment is nearing com{
Basket at R 2 Mount Joy.
Family partnership
Involved in family partnership of Egg Basket are Rachel
Myer and her brother-in-law Larry Meyers.
Computer-controlled
v- y** * *■*-■»■ v «•
ition on fourth
ise of Egg