MARKETING EGGS FOR HUMAN FOOD 437 



that he can be on the outlook for it, and thus prevent delay 

 at the receiving end. 



Preventable Losses in Market Eggs.* — It is estimated that 

 seventeen per cent of all eggs shipped to wholesale markets have 

 no commercial value, hence are a total loss; and that these losses 

 could be almost wholly prevented by better management, grading, 

 and methods of marketing. These preventable losses are: 



Dirty eggs 2 per cent. 



Breakage 2 per cent. 



Chicks developed 5 per cent. 



Shrunken or "held" 5 per cent. 



Rotten 2J^ per cent. 



Moldy, bad flavor y^ per cent. 



Total 17 per cent. 



Of course, this loss, resulting in decreased wholesale prices 

 and heavy commissions, must be paid for by the poultryman. 



Freveniion of Such Losses. — The following conditions, if ad- 

 hered to, will almost entirely eliminate the possibility of loss, and 

 even increase the profits from the production of market eggs. 

 Eggs for market should weigh from one and one-half to two 

 pounds per dozen; be uniform in size; be free from dirt, but not 

 washed; be strong-shelled and sound, be fresh, not over five days 

 old; be infertile. They should be laid in clean nests; be gathered 

 often; never be taken from an incubator; never be taken from 

 stolen nests; and should be kept in a cool, dry place. 



The Value of Infertile Eggs for Market.f — Much of the loss, 

 especially during spring and summer, is due to the development 

 of the germ in fertile eggs. This is brought about by keeping the 

 eggs in too warm a place, such as a warm room near a fire, by ex- 

 posure to the sun while being carried to the shipping point or 

 while en route, by a broody hen sitting on the nest, and by irregular 

 gathering of the eggs. The production of infertile eggs alone for 

 table purposes would eliminate all danger of germ development, 

 and their advantages over fertile eggs can be summed up as fol- 

 lows: They do not hatch; contain no germs to be developed; 

 withstand heat; bear shipment well; are easily preserved; are 

 slow to decay; best for cold storage; less costly than fertile eggs; 

 male birds not required; and are produced just as abundantly as 



* From findings by Poultry Department of Perdue University. 

 t The Federal Government has been instrumental in increasing the pro- 

 duction of infertile eggs for the reasons mentioned above. 



