ations are most likely to be moved through large plants. Small plants not 

 interested in small lots were either growing their own birds or buying re- 

 quirements from live buyers and doing no assembling themselves. 



Pickup Routes 



Few plants have scheduled pickup routes where the farmers with a few 

 birds to sell know that the truck will be in a certain neighborhood on a 

 regular schedule. Those plants having scheduled routes consider them con- 

 tact work rather than an important source of plant volume. 



Processing plants maintain a check on available lots by personal visit 

 or telephone. In some cases birds are inspected at the farm prior to agree- 

 ment on prices or arrival of the pickup crew. Since most arrangements for 

 pickup are made in advance, plants can plan their routes to pick up small 

 lots offered if they want them. 



Growing Programs Related to Procurement 



Contract growing programs and fieldmen play an important part in the 

 procurement plans for some plants, especially the. six plants in Maine which 

 are highly integrated. To assure themselves of the quantity and quality they 

 want, these plants contract for 80-95 percent of their volume. Fieldmen 

 keep in close touch with these flocks and advise the plant of their progress. 



Except for two plants that handle the Rock-Cornish bird exclusively, 

 plants outside of Maine do not utilize direct contract growing to the same 

 extent. Fieldmen for these plants, while doing a certain amount of service 

 work, are primarily buyers. Most plants maintain informal contacts with 

 secondary contractors and independent growers in an attempt to assure 

 themselves of future supplies. They may also participate formally in two- 

 and three-way contracts. In such cases, their role is usually limited to pur- 

 chasing the birds at an agreed time and on a specified pricing basis. 



Delivering Small Orders 



Size of plant, types of outlets serviced, and distances to markets served, 

 influence the plants' policy of handling small deliveries. 



The six large plants in Maine shipped nothing less than truck lots. Six 

 other large plants indicated they would deliver small lots on regular routes. 

 One was willing to deliver orders as small as 10 boxes. One would go a 

 block or two off the route to deliver one box to a regular customer. An- 

 other would go 20 miles to deliver 25 boxes to a regular customer. To make 

 a special trip, two plants said they would go 2 or 3 miles to deliver 2 

 or 3 boxes locally and another would take 5 boxes 20 miles. Other plants 

 put the lower limit for special trips at 25-50 or 100 boxes. 



Four of 11 medium-sized plants made no small deliveries. These plants 

 either sold to one outlet or were remote from any sizeable local markets. 

 Only one plant mentioned regular routes, and would deliver 1-2 boxes. To 

 care for special orders the limit for the remaining 6 plants varied from 

 4 birds on mail orders to 15 boxes up to 20 miles. 



Two of 17 small plants indicated they made no small deliveries. Of these 

 two plants, one made no deliveries and the other delivered all to one place. 

 On regular routes, 4 small operators said they would deliver 1-2 boxes or 

 less. To make a special trip the amount varied from "any amount" locally 



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