ONLY QUALITY – EGGS

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 72, Issue 1, 15 January 1946, Page 61

ONLY QUALITY - EGGS

Markets Can be Held With

By

F. C. BOBBY,

Superintendent of Poultry

Husbandry, Wellington.

DURING the war there was an ever-increasing demand for eggs, and poultry producers were induced to increase their flocks and to put every available egg through egg floors. The demand was for quantity; quality, both external and internal, was given secondary consideration. Consumers were forced to take the eggs offered and at a ceiling price, irrespective of quality. Producers must now realise that under normal conditions, when the supply may exceed the demand, quality in eggs is as important as quantity to the majority of consumers. The future success of the poultry industry in New Zealand depends upon a high rate of consumption of eggs per head of population, which will be achieved only if the public are offered a quality egg in an attractive manner. Soiled and dirty eggs heaped in a shop window , are repulsive and unattractive to con-

sumers. Efficient post-war marketing may be achieved, but this will be largely unavailing if the eggs handled are of second quality only. The public demand a quality egg and the future of the poultry industry depends upon meeting this demand.

Bad Habits Formed

During the war poultry producers worked under difficult conditions. Shortage of labour made egg-cleaning operations and all details of management which lead to the production of clean eggs very difficult. Since all eggs sold, whether clean or dirty, brought ceiling prices, there was no inducement to market a quality egg; the tendency was rather to become slack in these matters and bad habits have been formed —habits which have to be rectified and a return made to good marketing practice on the farm.

What is “Good Quality”?

Quality in an egg is somewhat difficult to describe, but may be expressed under two headings: (a) external quality, and (b) internal quality. The consuming public in future will demand both.

' (a) External Quality. To look attractive an egg should be free from dirt and stains. It s should have a natural “bloom” on it. The aim therefore of every producer should be to market a clean egg and not a cleaned egg. A cracked egg, damaged, by even the almost invisible hair cracks, will deteriorate more rapidly than a soundshelled egg. Cracked eggs also do not travel satisfactorily. They may even break in the bag carried by the consumer, and they will certainly ooze white if boiled and thus generally irritate the person upon whom the producer depends for his living. Similar comments apply to soft or weak-shelled eggs, which invariably, irritate tne consumer. It should be remembered always that the consumer judges eggs in the first instance upon their size and external appearance. (b) Internal Quality. The consumer is forced to buy eggs on trust; there is no guarantee that the contents of an egg will be satisfactory in quality. Thus if the egg-consumption rate is to be increased, the poultry industry producer and marketing organisation alikemust build up the public’s confidence in the eggs that are offered for sale. Quantity sales will follow improved quality; there is no sidetracking this fact. Stale eggs are unappetising, bad or tainted eggs nauseating. Internal quality goes further than just freshness and freedom from odour. The white of an egg should be firm, the yolk of a good rich colour, and the latter should stand up boldly in the white. Such eggs will cook satisfactorily in any form, while the whites will whip successfully. It should be remembered also that eggs are today recommended’ for very young children to whom only the finest quality should be given. These are points which count with the housewife, upon whom producers are dependent for their livelihood. How to Ensure Quality Close attention to a number of small details, which are summarised below, is the first essential in the production of quality eggs. (A) External Quality. 1. Clean eggs: (a) Place nest boxes as far as practicable away from popholes leading out on to dirty ground, and keep the litter in the house clean. (b) Check nest box litter constantly to see that it is adequate in quantity and clean. Remove daily any droppings or egg material from broken eggs found in the nest boxes. - (c) Prevent birds roosting in the nest boxes at night. They invariably leave quantities of droppings behind them. 2. Cracked eggs: (a) Lack of litter in a nest box with

a wooden or metal floor will lead to eggs being cracked as they are laid. (b) Over-loading buckets or wire baskets will cause excessive pressure on the lower layers of eggs and cause hair cracks in the shells. (c) Placing large eggs in egg crate fillers which are too small for such eggs leads to the tops of the eggs being broken or the sides cracked. (d) Lack of oyster shell or other suitable minerals rich in lime will starve birds of an . essential material with which to build good shells. Include minerals (2 per cent.) in the laying mash and supply oyster shell or lime grit to the birds at all times. (e) Forcing birds for heavy egg production with an excess of meatmeal will also cause a deterioration in the quality of shells. (f) Never attempt to incubate eggs with poor-quality shellsshell quality is an inherited factor. (B) Internal Quality. The contents of an egg should not only be of good quality when fresh,

but the egg should also have good keeping qualities. Most commerciallyproduced eggs are sold in a more or less distant market, and the time lapse between the laying of the egg and its consumption accentuates the importance of keeping quality.

1. Effect on quality of washing dirty eggs; However careful a producer may be, some dirty eggs will be collected daily, particularly during winter. These eggs must be cleaned, and dry cleaning is best, as it does not affect the keeping qualities. ' At present, however, most eggs are washed with water, either in buckets or on a washing machine, and only those eggs which cannot be cleaned by the easy removal of a small piece of dirt should therefore be washed; never put all eggs—clean and dirtyin the washing bucket or over the machine. An unwashed egg keeps better than a washed one. -

It is essential to keep the tapes on washing machines as clean as possible and free from slime. Dirty washing machines and dirty egg water in a bucket spread germs . and mould spores, which in warm weather cause eggs to go bad very rapidly. 2. Eggs should always be kept cool: (a) Do not pack eggs while they are shell-warm. (b) Do not collect eggs in buckets or baskets and then leave them standing in the hot sunshine, as is often thoughtlessly done. (c) Egg rooms should be well ventilated, in a cool-position, and without a window facing the sun. Deterioration in quality is often started in a hot and stuffy egg room.

3. Eggs for market should be infertile whenever possible: As soon as the breeding season is completed all males should be removed from the flock. Fertile eggs, particularly those which are left in the nest boxes all day and may have a broody hen sitting on them, are most likely to deteriorate rapidly. Often during hot weather the germs in these eggs start to develop, then die, and finally turn the eggs bad.

4. Egg quality and food:

Apart from the part played by minerals in the formation of shell, there is little evidence that food and food quality affect the internal quality of an egg. Poor quality food cannot, therefore, be blamed ■ for poor egg quality.

5. Egg quality and the constitution of the stock: There is ample evidence that egg quality is influenced by the health and constitution of birds. This applies particularly to poor-quality whites, a’ trouble that is much on the increase and evident during the flush season. Eggs with poor-quality or watery whites travel badly and often the yolks run into the whites when the eggs are broken open for cooking purposes. These points again emphasise that stock of good constitution is all important on the successful poultry farm. 6. Blood spots: Eggs containing blood spots should not be marketed. An excess of such eggs means a loss to the producer, but an excess need not be feared unless the birds are forced. CHICK REARING. “Chick Rearing,” Bulletin No. 199, has just been issued by the Department of Agriculture. It is a very comprehensive treatment of a vital aspect of poultry husbandry. Copies are obtainable at 6d. (post free) from offices of the Department at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin.

Complaints about egg quality are most common in the hot weather usual after Christmas and in the New Year. It has been common in the past to warn producers at this season. Today, however, this warning has become of greater importance. With the war over and egg supplies increasing, the public demand for an improvement in the quality of eggs is very real. Producers should bear this in mind, act accordingly, and assist in establishing efficient post-war marketing. It is a clean egg that is required and not a cleaned onean egg in which the buying public can have complete confidence.