Oct., 1937] 



Eggs Under the Hammer 



13 



quality and candling charges were being made in addition to large re- 

 placements of eggs, it might pay for a producer to candle. This would 

 be less applicable to auction sales, however, since producers obtain a 

 statement of the candling of their eggs. 



VOLUME OF AUCTION SALES 



The volume of eggs sold through the New Hampshire Egg Auction 

 increased from 907 cases in the first full month (July, 1934) to 10,052 

 cases in December, 1936. (Fig. 3 shows the volume for each month 

 during 1934, 1935, and 1936.) 



THOUSANDS 

 np CASES 



VOL^JMLOFEGC/^ /^OLE) E/^CH MONTH 

 ON N.H. EGG A^tJCTlOW 



I 



vl F. M. A M. 

 ■ 937 



Figure .3. A steady increase in volume of eggs occurs from July to December 

 inclusive, followed by a more irregular volume in the next six months. 



The peak sales come in December in each year. This is the "off 

 season" for other types of sales, and pullet flocks are in heavy produc- 

 tion by that time. The demand for hatching eggs absorbs large quan- 

 tities beginning in February, and in the summer many eggs are sold 

 direct to consumers or jobbed to peddlers, stores, and summer resorts. 

 In late summer and in the fall the supply of market eggs is short. 

 Some eggs also go to hatcheries for broiler chicks at this time. 



Over a two-year period 56 per cent of all egg sales were made on 

 Thursdays and 44 per cent on Mondays. The percentage sold on 

 Thursday increased in the second year in an amount equal to 6 per cent 

 of total sales. 



In the past two years the December volume of sales has been over 

 three times that of the previous low months of June or July. Growi,h 

 of the auction accounts for over one-fourth of this variation, but various 

 seasonal factors such as changes in production, demand for hatching 



