Weekly Farm Price

Weekly Farm Price

Outlook

BROILERS

Look for a little more strength in broiler prices during the next two or three weeks.

Supplies, still below last year, are due for a slight dip as weather warms and demand probably picks up.

But starting about the first week in July, supplies of broilers are scheduled to start upward to a new record high about six per cent above last year's record peak.

By the first week in August, supplies will be about 15 per cent above a year ago and prices probably some below last year’s August price of 15-16. cents.

Broilers were mostly 17 cents in Virginia last week, the same as North Carolina and Georgia, with the DelMarVa area at 18 to 18Vk cents.

EGGS

Whether you produce commercial market eggs or hatching eggs, this isn’t the time to switch from one to the other.

Prospects for both are pretty good come summer and fall, and you will do better by staying in what you are'now in.

For hatching egg producers, this is a good time to start culling flocks hard, even though egg prices are high. Record numbers of broilers are already in the hatching machines, and a slump in the broiler market can’t help but knock down egg prices.

Hen prices .are exceptionally good, but they will drop fast when flock culling gets going.'

In any event, now is the time to put in those replacement chicks. They will come into production around February and be settled down by the time hot weather comes. Chicks placed to come during hot weather have not done so well die last few years.

The commercial egg market has brighter days just ahead, and with the supply of replacement pullets low, there is no surplus of eggs in sighjt. Stay with them, even though they don’t look so good right now.

HOGS

There will probably be more rise in hog prices in the next two or three weeks.

The fall pig crop is about out