University of California College of Agricult\u?e Agricultural Experiment Station Berkeley, California An Experiment in Poultry Marketing The Petaluma Live Poultry Auction by J, C. Abbott and E. C. Voorhies June 1951 Contribution from the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics Mimeographed Report No. llU oMivBHsrrr of caupqki«*^ LIBRARY ' OF AGR1CU.TIW DAVM i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Introduction and Background ~ 1 Origin '. - 9 Changes and Developments - - l5 Auction Volume .■ - 17 Period for Analysis 17 Variation in Auction Supplies 18 Weekly Averages 18 Straight Line Trend 20 Seasonality Comparisons with Other Markets 20 Composition of Sales ~ 22 Changes in Proportions of Different Clagses - 2^ Seasonal Changes in the Importance of Different Classes 25 Grading Policy - 28 United States Grades _ 28 Difficulties in Practice 29 Grade Proportions 30 Comparison with Los Angeles Results 33 Seasonal Variations in Grades 3U Prices - 39 Average Prices ho Seasonal Movements ^1 Grade Price Differentials k3 Seasonal Changes in Grade Differentials hh Comparative Price Levels— San Francisco and Petaluma Auction h7 Leghorn Hens - hi Leghorn Broilers 52 Colored Fryers ^2 Colored Hens - • ^3 Sales from the Ranch 5U ii Page Auction Buyers 56 I Desirable Features in Buyers Frequenting a Market 56 Buyer Attendance 56 Locational Factors 57 Character of Auction Buyers 57 Large '/Jholesalers „ 57 San Francisco Retailers 58 Bay Area Retailers 59 Local Hucksters 60 Mature and Volume of Purchases „ 61 Quality Distinctions 63 Smaller Buyers 6k Stability in Buyer Relationships 65 Value of Auction to Buyers 67 Producer Appraisal „ 69 Origin of Auction Poultry 69 Seasonal Variation 72 Producer Opinion 7k Large Uniform Consignments 75 Small Mixed lots 76 Attitudes Toward the Marketing Function 76 "Hard Bargainers" '. 77 Distant Producers 78 Psychology and Personalities 78 Summary and Conclusions 80 Appendices ...„ „ „ 88 iii A cloiowl ed gnien t s Many persons, firms and organizations furnished information and data which enabled the writers to carry out this study. Only a few can be mentioned heree Poultry Producers of Central California made available to the writers all of the data concerning the Petaluma Live Poultry Auction. iVIrs. Alyce W. Lowrie, formerly manager of the Poultry Department of this concern and now Administrative Assistant in the same organization, siippleraented the auction data with pertinent information amassed during her period of close contact with the trade and assisted generously with answers to the numerous questions that arose during the course of the study. Appreciation is expressed for the helpful cooperation of the poultry producers in the area served by the Poultry Producers of Central California. Members of the wholesale and retail poultry trade in the San Francisco Bay area gave generously of their time and were most cooperative in furnishing information which materially contributed to the study. ^- ■ - ■■ ■■^■)i^ci->iJh'r^'^m0 ■ • . ■ Oils , 4, ., - 1. An Experiment in Poultry Marketing: The Petaluma Live Poultry Axiction 1/ ?/ by J. C. Abbott^ and E. C. Voorhies-^ Introduction and Background This study was undertaken as part of a research project in the marketing of farm products. For many years past, producers and others have been concerned about the conditions governing the marketing of poultry in California. Com- plaints by the poultrymen in the Los Angeles area have been especially bitter. These have turned pre-eminently on bargaining weaknesses in the producer position resulting from the absence of any central market place or adequate market information. This constitutes a serious obstacle to the setting up of appropriate price-grade relationships between different ].ocations and different stages of progress from producer to consiimer. Some of the results of work on these problems have already been published. 3/ Likewise, they have been the sub- ject of papers and discussion at meetings of the California Poultry Council, the California Farm Bureau Federation, Poultry Producers of Central California, the VJestern Farm Economics Associationk/ and other bodies. This report offers a treatment of the same basic issues from the aspects most prominent in northern and central California generally and in Sonoma County and the San Francisco Bay area specifically. At the same time, this investigation is closely related to a study by the Western Livestock Marketing Research Technical Committee con- cerning the efficiency and usefulness of livestock auctions. The scope of this report is confined within relatively narrow limits. It is based largely on sales data supplied by Poultry Producers of Central 1/ Research Assistant in Agricultural Economics, University of California. 2/ Professor of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Economist in the Experiment Station and Agricultural Economist on the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics, University of California. 3/ Naden, Kenneth D. Poultry Pricing in the Los Angeles Area . Berkeley, 19^9. 33p. (Calif. Agr. Exp. Sta. Mimeo. Report 101) Naden Kenneth D. and George A. Jackson, Jr. Chicken Receipts and Per- Capita Consiamption in Los Angeles, 19h9 » Berkeley, 1950. 9pT (Calif. Agr. Exp. Sta.) Processed. Naden, Kenneth D. and George A. Jackson, Jr. Techniques and Methods Used in Western Regional Poultry Project W. M,-7; Retailing of C hic kens in the Los Angeles Area . Berkeley, 1950. l6p. "TCalif . Agr. Exp. Sta.") Processed. Naden, Kenneth D. and George A. Jackson, Jr. "Quality of Fresh Chicken Meat. Causes of Dovm-grading of Chickens Handled in the Los Angeles Market Revealed in Representative Survey." Calif. Agr. Exp. Sta. Californi a Agriculture , vol. 5, no. 2, Feb. 1951, p. 10-11, l6. h/ Western Farm Economics Association. Proceedings . Twenty- third annual meeting, June 28, 1950. Pullman, Washington. i 2. California relating to the Petaluma Live Poultry Auction which was in operation from June, 191^8 until April, 1951. The operational procedure and achievements of the auction constitute the core of the study. From this base it approaches tentatively toward both producer and consumer. Leads furnished by the auction records were followed up with personal interviews. An attempt has been made to determine the outlines and limits of the marketing pattern in which the auction constituted an important element and exercised significant influence. This involved some research into types of production and the marketing requirements devolving out of them into significant consumer tastes and demands for poultry meat, and into the means available for their satisfaction. Nevertheless, a detailed study of the wholesale and retail poultry business about the San Francisco Bay is still needed.!/ This report was not undertaken with such an objective. It deals with the San Francisco market, Bay area retailers and the country buyer as environmental to the auction, for the purpose of determining the function of the auction within the wider marketing system and formulating some statements as to the extent of its influence. Conclusions in this latter respect must remain tentative awaiting completion of the second part of the project. The map on page 3 gives some indication of the significajit distances and transportation relationships. The highways are marked together with major cities and towns. Mountain ranges running approximately north and south once constituted important barriers to communications between the Central Valley and the Coast and between the longitudinal valleys north of the Bay. One of Petaluma 's original advantages in location lay in its river outlet permitting easy shipment to San Francisco or to Oakland, the railhead for the East, Hovr- ever, today modern road engineering has made truck travel easy and the highway system transcends most physical barriers to transfer over time and space. The percentages appearing after the names of the cities, towns or geographical divisions represent the proportions of the auction receipts originating in those areas (for exanple, Petaluma, ijS.lj Hayward, 0,h', San Joaquin Valley, 3.7, etc.) during the first year of the auction's operations (see page 3), Climatic controls, such as rainfall and temperature, have not the signif- icance in the San Francisco Bay area and Sonoina County that they might have in some other parts of the coimtry. In the Central Valley periods of extreme heat in the summer result in a certain mortality among poultry and would be an obstacle to long-distance hauls of birds confined in coops during the middle of the day. Natural controls show up most in the type of poultry kept most widely by California egg producers and the traditional preference patterns this has established among consumers. The predondnance of the Leghorn fowl and the popu- larity of the white egg by reason of long usage ovres m^ich to the tendency of the colored breeds to accumulate body fat and go broody early under the stimulus of high spring temperatures, a characteristic from which the Leghorn is virtually immune . 1/ A general discussion of the problems affecting poultry marketing in Cali- fornia was made during the late 1930 's and the results vdll be found in Tinley, J.M. and E,C. Voorhies. Economic Problems Affecting Poultry Marketing in California . Berkeley, 19W. 20l;p, (Calif, Agr. Exp. Sta, Bui. 6U2) i a. Ground conditions vary markedly and do not seem to affect the location of poultry enterprises. At Petaluma large flocks have been concentrated on steep hillsides and heavy adobe soils as well as on sandy loams. Location of production in relation to centers of population with a high rate of consumption is the basic consideration in marketing analysis. In this respect the Bay area stands out for its clear-cut contrasts. The original center of the poultry industry was Petaluma in Sonoma County, much vaunted as "the egg basket of the world." Since the spanning of the Golden Gate, the dis- tance to San Francisco, the largest city in central and northern California, has been cut to hO miles of excellent highway. Large-scale poultry raising has spread more widely in later years and considerable subconcentrations have grown up north of Petaluma, northeast of Sacramento and in the central part of the San Joaquin Valley. The older established areas in the vicinity of Hayward and Santa Cruz have declined in relative importance. On the consumption side, the sharp increase in population during the war years has been the most notable feature. It had a disturbing influence on existing arrangements to equilibrate supply and demand. Additional distortion resulted from the imposition of price ceilings when many were prepared to patronize illegal sources when normal trade channels were unable to satisfy their desires. Nevertheless, although urban- ization has extended into the East San Francisco Bay area and southward from San Francisco on its peninsula, many of the old market relationships still hold. The distributive system still stems from the San Francisco market which has become the price determination point for an urban population of more than three millions . Two features characterize the consumption pattern of San Francisco and, to a lesser extent, the surrounding cities. The first is a very high per-capita consumption of poultry meat, primarily chicken. The second is a special prefer- ence for the fresh killed New York dressed bird with some emphasis on the Leghorn broiler. Such preliminary data as have been collected would indicate that the average consumption of poultry meat in San Francisco households in 19U81/ was 30 pounds per head. That for the whole country was estimated to have been 25. U pounds, and for Los Angeles it was estimated at l6 pounds, 2/ The total movement of poultry into San Francisco in 19hB amounted to 35 million pounds. Of this, approximately half were live and half dressed, 3/ Prices of poultry meat have generally been higher in San Francisco than in other parts of the country. For the characteristic by-products of the Sonoma County egg industry, the Leghorn hen and broiler, it has consistently offered an especially favorable market. Contributory factors in this include the high percentage of the population living in hotels or eating in restaurants and the 1/ U, S, Bureau of Human Nutrition, Eggs and Poultry in City Diets , Washington, D.C, Commodity Summary k, October 19U9, 2/ This estimate may be inaccurate. See Naden, Kenneth D, and George A, Jackson, Jr, Chicken Receipts and Per-Capita Consumption in Los Angeles, 19^9 . Berkeley, 19^0~ 9p, (Calif, Agr, Exp, Sta,) Processed. 3/ Including supplies redirected to other cities, to ships in the harbor and to military establishments. I ■4'-:: • - ' • • ' "\ ' . ■ . ■ ■ ■ • ■ ■■: ^ 5. continuance of European tastes and attitudes in a large proportion of the city's inhabitants. Both favor the purchase of the chicken plucked without eviscera- tion or eviscerated by the store employee at the time of sale. Professional cooks and housewives, accustomed to take a certain amount of trouble in order to prepare a tasty meal, prefer the chicken whole. The restaurateur and the small family find in the broiler and lighter type of hen respectively, a con- venient main course for one meal. However, it is becoming increasingly notice- able that a rather larger type of bird is gaining popularity over the traditional Leghorn broiler. This preference for the New York dressed bird is the more noteworthy in that the general trend for the country points toward increased purchasing of chicken packaged or cut up into parts. Flavor is jeopardized and higher costs are incurred for the sake of personal convenience in preparation, dependable quality and homogeneity of product. This movement has gone much further in Los Angeles and in southern California than in San Francisco, Thus, the Sonoma County poultryman is fortunate in having a natural market as well adapted to the type of bird he normally sells. Up to the last decade or so, the chief emphasis here was on eggs. Pre-eminent in this enterprise was the White Leghorn. Its freedom from broodiness is a trait originally developed by the Romans — their maricets were the first to be supplied with large white eggs in bulk and for two thousand years the Leghorn remained the only breed with a consistently good laying record. This popular breed of Mediter- ranean origin found a new home in the comparable climate of California. Even after the last half century of scientific advance in poultry breeding, egg pro- ducers of Sonoma County, California, are still overwhelmingly loyal to the Leghorn with its high egg yield proportionate to its feed intake. Producers have become more conscious of this advantage as local feed requirements outran supplies and California grain and feed resources had to be supplemented via the long haul from the Middle West and elsewhere. Second only to his interest in egg sales, the Petaluma poultryman looks for an opportiinity to dispose of the associated by-products, young Leghorn cockerels, and hens culled from the laying flock. Fryer production as a specialized industry is fairly new to California. Only during recent years has any considerable proportion of the poultry commun- ity in the North Bay area looked to the meat bird as a principal source of income. High meat prices, during the war when supplies were limited, and high incomes favored the development locally of an industry which had been estab- lished much earlier on the East Coast and in southern California where the urban population had grown rapidly and poultry specialists were not confined to egg production. New Hanpshires, Barred Rocks and Cornish Crosses are among the favored meat bird breeds and, together with the dual-purpose Austra Tlhite, have given a new aspect to the range of poultry marketed in the Bay area. Demand for the heavier meat bird is strong and specialized raisers are still relatively few. More progress has been made in this respect in the Central Valley where the large meat packing houses have made arrangements with producers facilitating in many cases the provision of capital and guaranteed sales outlets. North of the Bay regular marketing procedures for this type of bird have yet to be established. In particular, the egg producer who fills spare houses with broilers and fryers as a supplementary venture continues to seek a suitable market. It is this type of production that has posed the most difficult problems . ■ fi ^rtf- •» .:• -^r- -f '■^ f> ft -','■■1 • fix 6. Existing channels of trade are essentially the children of individual enterprise and historical growth. No attempt has been made to provide special marketing facilities for poultry or to guide the process of natural development beyond the provision of the Federal-State Market News Service and some sanitary regulations at the processing and retail stages. Normally, central California poultrymen with birds for sale would be able to choose between the following outlets. They could sell directly to individual consumers, or to hotels and restaurants so far as such contacts could be estab- lished. However, San Francisco chefs preferred to deal with large wholesalers able to meet precisely formulated demands at the exact convenience of the buyer. Well-known ranches in areas where flocks were fairly concentrated would be approached regularly by local dealers or hucksters who lived in their midst, local retailers who were well acquainted with producers in the district and pro- fessional buyers for the large San Francisco wholesalers. The latter were interested primarily in large, uniform lots of standard quality and, so far as the smaller producers were concerned, preferred to act through hucksters who would assemble full loads and truck them into the city plants. Poultrymen were free to do this themselves, but unless there was some prearranged understanding as to the basis of the sale, they might find themselves in a very weak position for bargaining. In effect, Petaluma poxilrymen were approached regularly by prospective poultry buyers and the ensuing competition for business explains why no organized marketing machinery has yet been established. Sales of live poultry have not constituted a major source of income to the industry in this area where pro- ducers have been preoccupied with the movement of eggs. Hens and broilers were disposed of with a minimiim of trouble, and producer complaint has been directed not so much against the absence of any opportunity to sell but the handicaps fsirmers bore in bargaining over quality and price. Their chief aid lay in recourse to the reports of San Francisco wholesale prices published by the Federal-State Market News Service. In a maelstrom of conflict, producers clung to these for stable guidance. All the prerequisites for an appearance of veracity militated in their favor. In consequence, most of the deals concluded in the area took the San Francisco quotation as a base sub- ject to deductions for conventional margins, transport costs, shrinkage loss and deviations in quality from that described in the San Francisco report. This latter was a frequent source of argument. Having compromised on the base price, dealers generally attempted to downgrade as many birds as possible as part of the bargaining process and to make deductions for inferior quality. It was a frequent observation on the part of producers that this type of grading was purely arbitrary, dependent almost entirely on relative bargaining power on the day of sale. Before the dealer's truck reached the premises of the next inter- mediary the birds graded down at the ranch would be put back with the regular run. The whole process of argument would begin again between hucksters and wholesaler. Hucksters usually claimed 1-^-2 cents per pound for assembly and haulage and tried to pass on as many birds as possible at the going price for the day. The Market News prices for No. 1 quality birds purports to refer to federal grades "AA" and "A". "B" and "C" would be No. 2 quality. In most trans- actions such distinctions were academic. These grades were not part of everyday parlance in the trade, and parties to a deal would have no precise grade descriptions for application to the different classes of birds they handled. 7. Apart from this vagueness in application, which is more the result of entreprenurial neglect than a fault of the Market News Service itself, two other serious obstacles have stood in the way of its becoming a satisfactory base for efficient price making. On the one hand, copies of the Market News Service reports delivered by mail come into producers ' hands one or two days late. The latter are unlikely at the time of sale to be aware of up-to-the- minute trends and have to bargain on the basis of the previous day's dealings. Thfe handicap is most crippling on Monday morning when producers have still only Friday's transactions for reference. Yet, Monday is precisely the day vxhen poultry buyers do most business. The professional buyer generally acquaints himself with the current market feeling either by telephone or personal con- tact with those of like concern. The second weakness lies in the tenuous relationship the published price bears to the real price even on the day the report was made. The situation is superior to that prevailing at Los Angeles, where only a small percentage of the total volume of transactions ever comes within the purview of the reporting service, but some of the inadequacies noted therei/ were present in similar form at San Francisco. Here, too, the prices published only refer to purchases at the plant by large wholesalers and give no information as to the level at which processor-retailers buy though this could be of vital concern to poultrymen dealing with such outlets. Likewise, only a few buyers are contacted each day and some of these are themselves in the habit of buying on agreement with prices based on the reports and new marketing developments and are , thus , in no posi- tion to say what the going price of the day really is. An inportant difference between the San Francisco and Los Angeles poultry markets is that the former is far more concentrated. The bottleneck which is noteworthily absent in the southern California metropolis, ty its very nature a conglomeration of decentralized urban units, is characteristic of the San Francisco market where it is estimated that 90 per cent of the poultry going into consumption there passes through the hands of three or four large processor- wholesalers situated within a few blocks of each other about the produce market. Nevertheless, this situation presents its own difficulties. The Market News report depends on the daily cooperation of three or four firms and calls for rare tact and perseverance on the part of the Market News reporter. In practice he can be as much embarrassed by a politic waiting for his own conclus- ion followed by immediate acceptance of it as the price for the day, as by intentional misquoting for the purpose of deceiving rival buyers. The first leaves him in the invidious position of having to determine the price he should report. The second suffers from the weakness that stated prices have to be discounted according to past experience of trade bias. There are manifest dis- advantages to both. The publication of prices paid at Petaluma and Stockton for poultry sold under the auspices of Poultry Producers of Central California serves as a very valuable supplement to the San Francisco data in providing inland prices for 1/ Nad en, Kenneth D. Poultry Pricing in the Los Angeles Area . Berkeley, 19h9. 33 p. (Calif. Agr. Exp. Sta. Mimeo. Report 101) r . (o 8. comparison.!/ It is, thus, possible to check type and grade price relation- ships even though the equilibrium level may be lower than that attained in San Francisco. The difference between these levels provides some measure of the margin taken out for transport, shrinkage and entrepreneurial risk. In many respects the position occupied by Poultry Producers of Central California, a farmers' cooperative, is quite \inique. Its growth reflected the need for an organization to ship out of the state the eggs produced in Petaluma (and near-by sections) surplus to the requirements of the Pacific Coast populations of years ago. Beginning in 1926 it reinforced this position by shipping in grains and protein supplements necessary to augment local production. Dependence on its assistance in marketing eggs during the flush season especially when large quantities were held in storage, enabled it to achieve a dominant position in the egg market. It has long acted as a price leader for the rest of the trade. The key to this development has lain in the need for an organization to dis- pose of a surplus which could not be marketed locally. 2/ The comparable cooperative in southern California failed to achieve parallel status partly because the increase in egg supplies never outran (except for very short per- iods) the rise in population. Poultrymen in a deficit area did not experience the same difficulties in marketing their produce. Much the same conditions have been experienced by the Poultry Department of Poultry Producers of Central California. Of secondary importance to most members, the type of poultry turned out by an essentially egg producing industry is not such as to warrant extensive transportation and distribution to distant population centers. Most egg producers have, however, felt the need for a con- venient and trustworthy outlet through which they could dispose of cockerels and older hens no longer economical as layers. This feeling gained added weight with the recent turn towards the meat bird as such and recognition that the chicken has become an integral part of the average American's diet. Producers looked to the cooperative for the paternal assistance befitting one which had grown so sturdy on their patronage. In 1926 Poultry Producers set up a poultry department to purchase and process members' poultry. Morally obliged to accept whatever types and qualities of bird members offered for sale, it labored under severe handicaps in competing against more flexible enterprises devoid of such obligations. It was under such circumstances that the auction plan was proposed early in 19^8, Poultry Producers recognized that the current shape of demand for poultry meat in San Francisco was such as to offer higher prices relatively for fresh New York dressed birds than could be expected anywhere else in the country. To ameliorate the conditions under which these special demands and supplies came together. Poultry Producers established the Petaluma Auction. 1/ From November 19U9 the Federal-State Market News Service has published a new series from Fresno, Paying Prices for Live Poultry F.O.B. Ranch , San Joaquin Valley . 2/ This position no longer holds good. From 1938 California has been a net importer of eggs. 9. Origin The institution of an auction market at Petaluma on June iS, 19U8 marked the first significant occasion of the employment of this method of disposal of poultry in America west of the Mississippi. This is the more remarkable in view of the long-standing concentration of commercial poultry in California and the continued association of auction sales with poultry marketing both in the eastern United States and in Europe. Admittedly, specialists in the production of laying stock and meat birds have rarely favored this type of outlet. Sub- stantial businesses of this character have generally preferred to make direct sales through advertisement and personal recommendation. The local auction has, however, in England for instance, provided an established opportunity for ven- dors of small and varied lots to present their produce at markets where buyers foregather at regular intervals and bid against each other corapetitively. These auctions may be found all over England situated in local centers not more then twenty miles apart. Many factors would seem to favor the successful establishment of an auction at Petaluma. It is the geographical and economic center of an extremely dense concentration of poultry flocks specifically directed towards egg production on a large scale. Large quantities of poultry meat are turned out as the natural by-product of the industry. Egg production is dominated by the White Leghorn breed of fowl. There is, therefore, a seasonal outflow of young Leghorn cockerels, known locally as broilers, and a fairly continuous culling of hens. Many years of keen competition have pointed the poultryraan's skill in producing eggs at the minimum cost. Since expenditures on feed supplies and labor con- stitute by far the most weighty element in his cost structure, and since this is a function of the number of birds in the flock, there has been a marked trend towards continuous culling as birds cease to be profitable layers. Albeit that proceeds from the sales of eggs are their major source of income, producers have sought to minimize the depreciation on their working capital equipment, so to speak, by selling culled hens for the highest possible price. The individual rancher absorbed primarily in the business of egg produc- tion is at a disadvantage in his dealings with the traveling huckster "armed" with special contacts and "grapevine" information. Fair marketing conditions under which sources of information and relative bargaining povfer could be more evenly matched demand a central market place where birds could be graded im- partially and buyers could be brought together in open competition. Since Poultry Producers of Central California already bought eggs from and supplied feed to its many members in this area, much pressure was put upon it to provide a suitable outlet for culled hens and broilers. For its own part, a prevailing opinion was that it had some obligation to its members in this respect. Yet, direct purchase from members had not proved satisfactory in the past. The San Francisco market offered good prices for fresh-killed birds of all kinds, but the Association's poultry department was always handicapped by extreme fluc- tuations in the volume of the particular types and grades of bird offered. This impeded the maintenance of appropriate retail outlets and put the Association at a disadvantage in competing with smaller buyers aided by more flexible trading^ policies, low overhead costs, and labor teams in which members of the family did most of the work. There was, too, something of a carry-over from the O.P.A. period when few good birds ever came into the hands of the Association since it observed the regulations more strictly than most private traders at a time when the demand price for poultry far exceeded that set by law. 10. Financial losses during this period resulted in an inquiry and search for a new approach to the Association's problem in marketing its members' poultry. Continued discussion resulted in the commissioning of Mrs, Alyce W. Lowrie, Analyst, to study eastern auction markets and bring forward a new plan. In consequence, the Association proposed the discontinuance of direct buying and the establishment in its place of open purchase through an auction sale held under its own auspices. In this way, members were to obtain the benefits of competitive bidding by dealers who specialized in the handling of warm dressed poultry. In addition, the Association's requirements would be reflected as a demand on the auction and would prevent selling prices going unreasonably low if supplies should exceed outside buyers' normal requirements. It would also permit the Association to acquire chickens for its own distributive trade at the same average prices as were paid by others who bought on the auction. Theoreti- cally, since the auction sales were completely open and the ranges of prices obtaining there were published weekly in the newsletter distributed to all mem- bers, transactions through rival marketing channels in this area should tend to approximate to the same scale of prices. The auction certainly had the full advantage of Poultry Producers of Central California's organizational machinery behind it during the period of inception. Members' meetings were held. It was publicized in the press, and the Weekly News Letter of the Association, buyers were contacted individually and a num- ber of firms, including one of the leading San Francisco wholesale houses, jiLedged their support. Some opposition from local hucksters and nonmembers was only to be expected. Furthermore, the Association arranged for the assembly of birds at outlying branches and for their transporation to the auction premises. Coops were supplied to members by the Association and trucking facil- ities were arranged for points as distant as Ukiah, 78 miles north of Petaluma, Storage and feed facilities i^ere available for birds delivered on the day previous to the auction. Method of Operation: The actual process of selling birds presented diffi- culties if buyers were to obtain a fair njnpression of the quality offered in particular lots mthout having to spend a lengthy period of time away from their business. Chickens offered for sale in English auction markets are usually set up in open wire cages where buyers can see and feel them before making their bids. This does, however, involve considerable labor in making transfers between coops and becomes impracticable where very large numbers are involved. At Peta- iToma all buyers had an opportunity to inspect birds already present prior to the sale and lots were arranged so as to permit access to the coops at that time. During the actual sale, the class and grade were announced by the auctioneer. It was left to buyers to associate the lot number with their previous obsenra- tions. Because birds in coops were difficult to evaluate and fear of unevenness in quality might have been an effective deterrent to speedy sale at maximum prices, the Association undertook to grade all lots before they were offered for sale. This was carried out by its own employees, either at the point of loading when the birds were picked up by the Association's trucks or upon arrival at the auction when they were delivered in producers' ovm vehicles. Three grades were established~"good," "fair," and "as is." "Rejects" (birds with tumors, water on the abdomen, etc.) were removed from coops graded "good" and "fair." Birds obviously unfit for human consumption were removed 11. from coops graded "as is."i/ Suffice it to say here with regard to auction practice that whereas birds arriving well before the tirae of the auction could be graded fairly effectively. The same thorough attention could not be given to crates arriving just before or during the actual sale. This operated to the disadvantage of both buyer and seller. A tag listing the class j grade, ajcid weight was attached to each coop. On this, vspace was also provided for recording the final bid and the name of the buyer. Each member's poultry was sold as a separate lot but in contradistinction to practice at auctions laying emphasis on quality, no publicity was given to the name of the producer. From some points of view, this might well be regretted since the highest prices at auction sales are generally paid for lots dispatched by producers whose names have been associated with unfailing quality and dependa- bility in the past. Lots normally consisted of from one to five coops, with a maximum of twelve since small quantities were likely to appeal to the largest number of buyers. All sales took place on a cents per pound basis and the coops were weighed immediately after the final bid on scales located at the side of the auctioneer's rostrum. Undoubtedly, some shrinlcage was inevitable especially in the younger birds, and producers were anxious that buyers should take into account in their bidding this loss of weight since leaving the ranch. One test showed that a sample of colored fryers lost 1^1 per cent of their weight between leaving the ranch at 9:00 a.m. and going onto the scales at 11:00 a.m. This lapse of time would not be a matter of serious concern but undoubtedly many birds spent a much longer period after their last timo of feeding. Bidding was very rapid and lots were dealt with apace. Frequently, U00-500 coops were disposed of in less than two hours. The auctioneer followed the usual methods of stimulating the bidding and was aided by a r epresentative from the Association, but there was no specific provision for the acceptance of re- serve prices below which producers would not sell. Whereas, abuse of this safeguard may lead to buyers deserting a market altogether, as when the vendor and his friends waste time i^unning up bids, yet, do not allow their birds to be sold, nevertheless most auctions allow the owner the assurance of one bid made either in person or by arrangement with the auctioneer. Presumably, pro- ducers might attend the auction and buy back their own birds subject to paying the auction charges. At any rate, numerous comments from producers indicate that the absence of any definite reserve policy deterred them from offering their best quality birds. They preferred not to shoulder the risk of a sudden drop in a market from which there v:as no convenient withdrawal. Clearly, a sale at which no transactions take place because of high reserves would be self- destructive iJi the long run, but even the additional expense of moving birds back to the ranch ajid offering them for sale again would prevent too irrespon- sible a use of this safeguard. Some recognition was bestovred on the need for a way of determining the minimum price at which lots would be sold when the Association experimented with a blackboard in the auction room on which bids and offers might be posted. According to this plan, producers with flocks of good quality, colored fryers 1/ Instruction to members of Poultry Producers of Central California, Weekley News Lettex- , June 9, 19li8, 12. for exajnple, who might be chary of entrusting them to the day- by-day vagaries of the auction, might describe them on a blackboard and state the price they sought. Buyers present at the auction could then append their bids and it was hoped that sales could be transacted upon this basis under the supervision of the Association, A commission was payable so that the auction itself should not be prejudiced by unfair competition. The scheme did not attract continuous support and little use was made of it. That little scope was envisaged for the placing of reserve bids may be attributable to the role which the Association saw for itself as support buyer on behalf of its members. Though always regarded as auxiliary to its egg business, once its poultry department had established outlets to retailers, there was a continuous need for a fairly even flow of produce to keep them open. It was hoped that the majjitenance of this trade could be coordinated smoothly with a buying policy of leveling out price movements at the auction consequent to sharp changes in the supply of particular qualities and grades. Since the Association had access to cold storage facilities and would, thus, be able to buy on days of over supply and refrain therefrom when offerings were short, this had all the promise of being a very satisfactory arrangement. Undoubtedly a part of the auction's early success may be attributed to it. Much of the risk, however, of buyers withholding bids until they secured birds at unwarrant- ably low prices was precluded by the practice of the Association in buying at every auction a quantity roughly proportionate to the supply, "Although the producer cannot be assu.red of a specific price on poultry consigned to the auc- tion the presence of the Association's representative bidding on the floor will prevent any unfair practices."!/ Similarly, on days when auction receipts vrere restricted in volume, the Association limited its purchases accordingly in order that other buyers might not be discouraged from attendance at the sale by their inability to purchase at least a proportion of their poultry requirements for that day, ^As a further insurance against the price depressing effect of an exception- ally large supply upon a group of buyers whose needs were relatively constant, the Association took pains to secure the attendance at the auction of at least one direct representative of the large San Francisco wholesalers. It was im- portant to have present buyers able to absorb varying quantities of produce, A great deal of the initial success of the auction was due to support of this kind and even after this buyer ceased to attend regularly the Association still bought on behalf of his firra on days when it seemed unlikely that the buyers present could cope with the volume on offer. Choice of the most appropriate days of the week for the sale raised issues interesting in themselves for the light they cast on trading conditions in the area, Tuesday and Thursday were selected originally but were opposed by the main body of buyers attending the auction. Thursday was considered too late in the week for the purchase of large stocks since they would not arrive in San Fran- cisco until late that afternoon. This left only Friday, a busy day, in which to kill and dress the birds if they were not to be held over the week end. Smaller dealers most numerous in attendance at Petaluma had not the facilities for hold- ing birds any length of time and would be obliged to purchase lightly on 1/ Poultry Producers of Central California, Weekly News Letter , June l6, 19UH, 13. Thursday. This would mean that Monday would find them out of birds altogether and eager to buy. It was common knowledge that large quantities of poultry were trucked out of the Petaluma district every Monday morning. Producers' evidence is available that buyers were keenest to take birds early in the week whenever they could do so. Poultrymen, on the other hand, disliked Monday. Delivery of birds at an auction by the middle of the morning entailed preparation the previous day, Sunday, or very early rising on Monday, or both. They felt themselves at a disadvantage since trends in the market situation maturing over the week-end would not be known to them. Information either from the Market News Service reports, newspapers or other sources was rarely available to the rancher until later in the day or even the one following, whereas buyers, specialists in their profession of poultry dealing, made it their business to know of any changes in the price situation which had taken place before they set out in the raoi'ning. Thus, producers' decisions on whether or not to sell were based perforce on observation of price and demand relationships obtaining several days earlier than those governing buyers' decisions whether or not to buy. If hens had to be culled from a large flock immediately before loading, and this is quite customary since poultrymen do not wish to handle birds tv;ice, then delivery to the auction on Monday morning was inconvenient. If there was a further factor of transportation over relatively long distances, then it be- came impossible. When Monday and Wednesday were adopted as the sale days, the quantity received on the second day was generally double that received on the first. Important elements in the total quantity sold, particularly in terms of quality, were the shipments from Poultry Producers of Central California branches in northern Sonoma and Mendocino counties and the Napa valley. (See map, page 3, for percentages furnished.) The mere problem of distance precluded the arrival of much of this produce on Monday. Buyers complained in consequence that Monday, the day when they most needed to buy, offered little opportunity of doing so. By and large, prices ran higher at Monday markets, especially in the lower grades most sensitive to the pressure of demand. All through the year those sponsoring the auction were urging local producers to send their birds to the Monday market so they might take advantage of the demand situation then prevailing and mitigate the danger of oversupply on the Wednesday sale to which birds from more remote areas were consigned by necessity. Sale through the auction was confined to members of Poultry Producers of Central California. This limitation may have excluded some poultrymen who would otherwise have availed themselves of the auction's facilities. As a major feed supplier, however, and outlet for half the eggs sold off farms in central California, the Association certainly claimed the allegiance of most egg pro- ducers within range of Petaluma although the specialized meat bird raisers saw less to gain in such ties. No restrictions were imposed on either the quantity or type of poultry handled. Members were warned, however, against offering for sale miscellaneous produce—ducks, geese, squab, etc. The Association's protective buyj-ng policy was confined to poultry for which the Association had ready outlets and did not apply to miscellaneous varieties. These, it advised, should be marketed through other channels. The financial procedures of the auction were established as follovrs: The majority of sales were conducted on a cash basis. Strict credit regulations ; lit. requiring pronpt pajment were in force. Buyers paid or signed at the auction office before removing their purchases. Producers received a check from the Association by mail withjn a day or two of each sale. This amounted to the buyer's price less a deduction of two cents per pound. No charge was made to buyers. Of the two cents, one-half cent was credited to the Poultry Capital Fund of the Association, Against this, members received certificates bearing interest at h per cent per annura. The remaining one-and-a-half cents was used to defray the operating expenses of the auction. Most of it was absorbed in payment for services provided by the Association, The auctioneer, an experi- enced member of a local livestock firm, vras remunerated from this margin accord- ing to agreed percentages of the gross turnover. Members availing themselves of the Association's transport facilities for picking up and conveyjjig birds to the auction were charged for this separately at the customary rates. At one time, poult rymen in the vicinity of Ukiah brought their birds into Poultry Producers of Central California branch there on Tuesday whence they were hauled to Petaluma and fed overnight for the Wednesday sale. One-half cent per pound was charged for this additional service. Small lots assembled at branches other than at Petaluma and involving local branch handling instead of merely direct shipment to the auction also bore an additional charge of one -quarter cent. 1/ 1/ From February' 23, 19k9 15. Changes and Developments The first auction started with splendid support from producers. Five hundred and eighty coops holding up to 100 pounds of poultry each were sent in for sale on June 15, 19)48. This was publicized as the largest quantity of poultry handled at any auction in the nation. Changes after the first few weeks turned on the choice of day and size of lot. Buyer intervention led to the substitution of Monday and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. for Tuesday and Thursday. Lots were not to be larger than would suit the convenience of small retailers who were frequently responsible for the best bids. Active buyers numbered ten to twelve during the late summer of 19U8j others attended in order to obtain the "feel of the market." They were increasingly aware of the part the auction played in determining poultry prices in the Bay area. Even those interested in buying few if any birds at the auction found it to their advantage to be present. Criticism during the first six months was directed in the main against the prices received for colored fryers. These tended to come forward in large lots and on such occasions supply exceeded demand at expected prices. Thus, bids for early and later lots of the same type of bird showed a disconcerting width of range. This led to the suggestion that offers and bids should be posted for meat birds. The Association defended its support policy saying that large quantities of broilers were already being bought for current sales and that colored fryers were a type of poultry which it was unwise to freeze and put into storage. Purchases, therefore, could only be made at prices com- patible with resale without loss through available current outlets. In an attempt to deal with this situation the Association planned to operate an eviscerating and freezing plant on its San Francisco premises. In response to discussion at the Association's annual district membership meetings, price ranges at the auction were compared x^ith those published by the Market News Service in San Francisco for birds of comparable quality. Evidently, the range was considerably wider and there was disappointment that the competition of buyers in open auction did not tend to focus the price at or near a given level as had been anticipated. Part of this price range may be attributed to differences in quality within a given grade either because hurried grading had left some inferior birds in an otherwise good lot or because of too inclusive an interpretation of the boundary of the higher grade. The average weight per head might also become a differential between two lots of birds of comparable quality. Much prominence was given in the Association's vjeekly and monthly publi- cations to the need for a steady supply of good quality birds at the auction so as to maintain a keen buyer interest. But, clearly, egg producers selling only cull hens or pullets could not conform to this. All through it seems that the vendors of off -grade birds benefited most, often obtaining relatively higher prices at the auction than had been received through a private bargain for the better grade birds at the ranch. All these factors were part of, and helped to further the trend toward concentration on hens and broilers with a diversion of the better meat birds into other channels. Yet, on March 2, 19lj.9 at a meeting in Haytjard, (see map, p. 3), 85 Poultry Producer 'members asked for help in solving their poultry marketing problems. _ Their request was for specific action either by the establishment of an auction ■jci 16. or direct purchase and dressing by the Association in their area. Committee members^ however, advised against the setting up of a second auction and pro- posed that poultry should be dressed in the vicinity but only with the support of a long-term exclusive contract, the enforcement of which would be a local responsibility. The auction at Petaluma continued to provide an excellent outlet for Leghorn fowls, broilers and such colored hens as were forthcoming, but for colored fryers it seems to have been unreliable. From March 1, 19U9 on, the Association made it known that it would make direct purchases of lots offered by members, a course which had been in abeyance since its inception. Throughout, the Poultry Department was endeavoring to serve the Association's members as well as possible and to try whatever methods offered most promise of affording them satisfaction. Prices during June 19li8 were much higher in California than in the rest of the country and the auction continued to attract an Increasing volume of business. The sale of August 2h, 19hQ when 30,000 pounds of poultry were offered was the heaviest since those immediately preceding and following the winter holiday period. Two old complaints were reiterated about this time, however. Grading practice had again been subjected to criticism. Producers were urged not to send in their birds so late that they arrived during the course of the sale. Timed originally to begin at 10:00 a.m., it had gradually been put off to 10;30 a.m. The major part of the weekly total volume was still being concentrated into the Wednesday sale which was characterized by shipments from the more outlying areas. Receipts from the Petaluiaa district were falling off relative to those of the same season in the previous year. This geographi- cal difference in appreciation of the facilities provided by the auction was natural enough. In the Petaluraa area, situated wj.thin two hours trucking time of San Francisco, producers had numerous outlets for their birds among locally known hucksters and the Bay area retailers themselves. In other areas, where poultry ranches were more scattered, buyers were scarcer and the bargaining power of the producer considerably less. The Association provided, moreover, a convenient transport service to the auction point and protected the sale of birds when they arrived there. Undoubtedly, this was much appreciated in Mendocino and northern Sonoma County. From the fall of 19U9 business at the auction declined. Since the Association handled 3.6 million pounds of poultry in 19ii9 as against 3.7 million pounds the Drevious year, it must be assumed that direct purchases from members were stepped up proportionately so that the total volume of purchases by the Association remained at a fairly constant level. On March l5 the Weekly News Letter announced that, whereas members were not all fully aware of the Associ- ation's direct buying policy, it was actually only buying at the auction the minimum quantity necessary to support it and the dressed poultry operations at Petaluma depended upon direct purchases. A further reduction in the volume of sales at the auction was noted during the winter and attributed to seasonal circumstances, but when it never picked up again, it was decided that the auction should be held once a week on Tuesday only. Auction Volume At the first auction held on June 15^ l9hQ ^ a total of hi, $62 pounds of live poultry was sold. Subsequent offerings did not exceed this until late in September but ranged from an upper limit of some 35,000 pounds down to 15,000, with a tendency towards stability at 30,000. The arithr;ietical average over the first three months of operation, covering 28 auctions, was 28,223 pounds per day of sale. If producer attraction cari be measured in tMs way, then the auction was a success from its very outset. Excluding auctions influenced by the holiday periods of Thanksgiving and Christmas, the volume of sale per auction continued on much the same level through to the end of January, 19^0. On January 12, 19h9 over 55,000 pounds of poultry were disposed of through the Petaluma auction, an all-time peak. Sales fell off during the spring months. This period was, nevertheless, one of continued success for the auction's sponsors and average sales during the six months, September through March, v;ere maintained at well over 2}; ,000 pounds per auction. Total sales for this period run to approximately 1.2 million pounds . Through the summer of 19h9 the trend was dox-mward. Sales of 25,000 pounds came to be regarded as substantial and the total for the period April to Sep- tember, 191^9, did not reach one million pounds. During these months the average sale was only 17,000 pounds. Though total sales of poultry in California in 19ii9 showed no marked decline from 19lt8 levels, the auction business continued along a lower level. Reduced offerings during the winter of 1950 were attri- buted to seasonal influences, but when early summer witnessed no significant revival it was decided that only one auction should be held each week. Total auction sales for 19ii9 amounted to l,8lii,l52 pounds as compared with l,li87,lU3 pounds during the six-and-a-half months from its inauguration in June 19U8 to the end of the year. Handlings for the first quarter of 1950 totaled 275,575 pounds, averaging 12,000 pounds for each of 23 sales, only half the volume of the previous year. Period for Analysis . — The cooperation of Poultry Producers of Central California made it possible to study the workings of the auction more compre- hensively and in greater detail than is normally practicable. Careful records were kept by the Association's poultry department and proved to be an invaluable source of information. Mainly technical features determined the selection for analysis of the twe].ve months following September 27, 19U8. During this period, auction records were kept in the form most suitable for careful analysis. Only for this period were transactions in the different class grades carefully distinguished. Pre- viously reports centered mainly on prd.ces obtained for the best birds in each class. From September 27, separate price ranges were quoted regularly for grades "good," "fair," and "as is" in each of the major classes, Leghorn hens, Leghorn broilers, colored fryers, and colored hens. This practice continued until the following September when efforts to distinguish clearly between three grades were relaxed and intermediate categories "good and fair," "fair and as is," "poor," etc., appeared on the records. One hundred consecutive auctions representing a complete year, inclusive of all the different seasons, were reported imder one standard procedure. 18. These data comprehend the class, quality grade, net weight, price per pound, the name of the purchaser and the location of the branch of which the vendor of each lot was a member. The number of coops in each lot is available but not the number of birds in each coop. Little can be done, therefore, in the way of analysis in terms of poultry numbers or of average weight per bird. It is, therefore, all the more important that volume and price by weight can be studied with such exactness. Figure 2 gives visual expression to the gross turnover per auction sale over the twelve-month period. It varied sharply from auction to auction through most of the year and fluctuated violently during the holiday periods of Thanks- giving and Christmas. Much of this variability, together with the unfortunate consequences it had for buyer and seller alike, must be attributed to the practice of holding two auctions per week under circumstances which led to one's being patronized more intensively than the other. These factors were discussed previously (p. 16). The extent of their influence is reflected in the number and size of the breaks in the sales curve. Variation in Auction Supplies .— The mean quantity sold per auction was 20,621 pounds. The average deviation from this mean over the whole year vras 6,kS8 poxinds, amounting to 31.3 per cent of the mean quantity sold. That the quantity sold at each should fluctuate by one-third seems significant with reference to the matching of supply with demand. The range of deviation was much more. On December 20, 19l|8, 32,000 pounds of poultry were offered, on the sale following only 2,000. By this latter date producers had dispatched whatever they intended to send to the auction before Christmas and were occupied with other interests, n.uctuations at other seasons of the year are less easily explained but were almost as disturbing, nevertheless. Sales on March 10, 19U9 amounted to l6,609 pounds, on March 21 to 0,^27, and then jumped to 30,765 on March 23. The tendency was, however, for the fluctuations to become less severe during the summer. During this part of the year, producers tended to offer birds for sale more as a regular matter of course than in response to special temporary changes in the demand price for poultry or eggs. VJhereas the average deviation from the annual mean was 3h.6 per cent during the months September to March, it was only 26.2 per cent for the svimmer period, April to September, Weekly Averages .— Since the practice of holding two auctions per week was subject to recognized difficulties and may be regarded as an institutional ex- periment rather than a constant factor wliich could not be changed, an attempt has been made to consider the supply situations which might have arisen if only one auction had been held per week. Sales volume for xjeeks carrying twin auctions were summed and halved as averages per auction week. Those weeks in which only one auction was held owing to interruption by legal holidays (for example, those containing November 21;, February 22, May 30, and July h) con- tinued to carry the volume for the auction actually held. The purpose of this maneuver is to remove the intraweekly variation and distinguish fluctuations resulting from external supply conditions from those brought about by details in the institutional setting. The resultant figures appear in table 1 and are reflected as the broken line in figure 2. The fluctuations are still considerable albeit not quite so extreme as they were previously. Those experienced during the late spring would probably not be unduly upsetting to buyers' and sellers' expectationsj those of the winter period still appear severe. The average deviation from the mean computed ■>1 FIGURE 2 PETALUMA POULTRY AUCTION TOTAL VOLUME HANDLED 1948-49 20. on this weekly basis was 2)4,9 per cent. This is still considerable but markedly- less than that existing where auctions were held tv;ice weekly. Much of this must be attributed to the six siwimer months, lilhereas from March to September deviation from the annual mean averaged 20,1 per cent, during the previous six months it amounted to 29.8 per cent. This latter figure is of the same order as that obtained for the weekly auction system and suggests that the concen- tration of business on one day per week would have done little to iron out the fluctuations in supplies during that period of the year. Blame for this must still be laid on the disruption of the marketing pattern brought about by the special marketing conditions associated with Thanksgiving and Christmas. Straight Line Trend . — A straight line was fitted to the graph of average weekly auction sales for the period September 27, 19U8 to September 21, 19ii9 by means of the "least squares" method and has been reproduced in figure 2. The trend is steadily downward according to the formula; Y » 28.65 - .31^8 X where Y = average weekly auction sales in thousands of pounds and X = a time unit of one week commencing September 27, 19U8. This may be interpreted as indicative that from an initial turnover of 28,6^0 pounds, auction handlings tended to decline by rather more than 300 pounds each week of operation. This did not happen regularly. The fluctuations above and belov; the straight line stand out very clearly in the figure. Subject to occasional exceptions the chart does indicate the existence of definite periodvS when auction receipts tended to rise above, or fall below, the trend line. From mid-November to the second week in January they were below except for three consecutive auctions terminating six days before Christmas. Through January, receipts stood well above the trend. From February 2 until the end of May they remained steady, somewhat below it. Thence, to the end of the twelve-month period they lay above it, except on very few occasions. Diminish- ing support for the auction is perceptible in the small sales towards the end of September, since this had been a peak marketing period in the previous year. The last reading on the trend line is 12,000 pounds, a decline of over $0 per cent from the level at which it began. Seasonality Comparisons with Other Markets .— The validity of such com- parisons is limited by the different character of the markets and more speci- ■ fically by the types of birds sold therein. The Petaluma data can be set beside that published for middle western primary markets, since both represent offer- ings at the producer Ir/el. Yet, whereas the former reflects production con- ditions in one specific geographical area, the other is a composite of purchases over all the middle western states. Few other markets would carry such a high proportion of Leghorn hens as wood Petaluma, San Francisco figures are also available but these refer to wholesalers' purchases for sales to retailers in a market especially noteworthy for its pre-eminent interest in fresh poultry. If due allowance is made for these influences, it should be illuminating to com- pare sales variations at Petaluma with those in the middle western series. Table 2 demonstrates that the monthly variation in supplies to the Petaluma auction was of the same order as the weekly variation. The difference between the two Petaluma coefficients, 26.2 per cent and 22.8 per cent, is insignificant by comparison with the difference between these and the other series. Clearly, the seasonal variation at the middle western primary markets •1 : TABLE 1 Total Sales Adjusted to Weekly Averages Per Auction: Petaluma Live Poultry Auction September 27, 1948-September 21, 1949 Sale dates 1948 Average per auction per week Sale dates 1949 Average Average Average per auction Sale dates per auction Sale dates per auction per week 1949 per week 1949 per week 1,000 pounds 1,000 pounds 1,000 pounds 16.25 Mar. 28, 30 19.1 July 6 18.1 40.3 Apr. 4, 6 22.55 11, 13 13.2 30.35 11, 13 19.0 18, 20 13.0 27.15 18, 20 12.6 25, 27 24.55 22.8 25, 27 13.65 Aug. 1, 3 16.95 18.4 May 2, 4 17.55 8, 10 12.65 18.1 9, 11 15.35 15, 17 14.7 23.3 16, 18 14.7 22, 24 16.8 13.1 23, 25 19.55 29, 31 15.65 15.15 June 1 26.2 Sept. 7 19.2 18.05 6, 8 18.85 12, 14 20.95 19.65 13, 15 20.55 19, 21 9.5 19.1 20, 22 15.65 27, 29 20.95 1,000 pounds Sept. 27, 29 Oct. 4, 6 11, 13 IS, 20 25, 27 Nov. 1, 3 8, 10 15, 17 22 29, 1 Dec. 6, 8 13, 15 20, 22 27, 29 35.9 29.0 28.9 30.25 23.55 28.85 26.65 27.8 15.0 22.1 1B.75 34.95 17.4 15.25 Jan. 3, 5 10, 12 17, 19 24, 26 31, 2 Feb. 7, 9 14, 16 23 25, 2 Mar. 7, 9 14, 16 21, 23 28, 30 ... , , ^ t. ■, 1 ' J' ■' ♦ - ■- ' ' ' 'j ■ . 1 22. was nearly double that at Petaluma, but at the sane time more symmetrical in its development through the year. It would be the easier to predict. The steady increase in marketings through the middle western primaries, from a low point in March to a pealc in September, and the subsequent steady decline reflect the hatching and development cycle of the chicken bred under "natural" condi- tions. The irregular movements between months at Petaluma reflect the pressure of factors not influencing the former series. A high proportion of laying hens introduces the economic ratios as on egg to feed prices and egg yield to main- tenance cost as factors determining the times when egg producers step up their rate of culling. The Petaluma data lack the smoothness of a series compiled by averaging the returns of a number of plants and some of the sharp contrasts between months (for example, January- February , June- July,) may be attributable- to purely local or accidental circumstances. October and November were peak months in both series, but whereas receipts at middle western primary markets fell off sharply through December and January, handlings at Petaluma continued to rise. The San Francisco series provides a salutary contrast in that it represents the seasonal distribution of consumer demand insofar as poultry meat wholesalers were able to anticipate it from their experience of the market. The regularity and evenness of the San Francisco wholesale series are all the more striking in that they refer only to fresh birds. Thus, periods of deficit have been supplemented but little by drawings on frozen stocks. Offerings of fresh birds have been so high during the months of short supply (for example, January to March as shown in the middle western primary markets series) that current demand could still be met from fresh stocks. The corollary to this is that during the seasons of ample supply, the San Francisco vfholesalers can only have kept receipts down to the level of consuaaer desaand they anticipated by refusing to accept a large proportion of the live birds offered. This observation would still be relevant if the Petaluma series were characteristic of the California, supply situation and there are few grounds for assuming that it is. This has implications with respect to selling conditions at Petaluina, ;^hich will be discussed more fully later (p. 56). Suffice it to say that during substantial periods of the year, buyers who planned to satisfy a fairly constant retail demand were faced with much larger offerings of birds than they could absorb, even if they had relied upon the auction for a definite portion of their requirements . Composition of Sales .— The conclusions of the preceding section pointed to the desirability of ironing out week-to-week, month-to-month fluctuations in the volume of poultry offered at Petaluma. Further insight into the funda- mental causes of this situation may follow an examination of the proportions of the total supply to the auction contributed by the major classes of poultry and the way in which they varied seasonally over the twelve-month period. In table 3 the total sale of chickens has been broken down into classes so far as this was profitable. Leghorn fowls constituted the greatest proportion It cannot be overemphasized that the Petaluma auction represented first and foremost an attempt to facilitate the disposal of older birds after they had ceased to be profitable layers, Leghorn broilers stood next in importance, amounting to rather less than one-quarter of the gross turnover. This also is probably a unique feature. Some practical method of introducing to the meat market the young cocks which are the natural by-product of breeding Leghorn hens has been a dire need in this area. Even so, only a part of the flow of young male chicks from the hatcheries was fed for meat. Leghorn broilers are i 23. TABLE 2 Seasonality In the Marketing of Poultry: October 19U8 -September 19h9 By Months Month October November December January February March April May June July August September Total by weight Petaluma monthly totals San Francisco raonth].y receipts 223 199 199 2^1 123 171 130 126 179 120 16U 100 1,000 pounds Central Western primary markets, weekly average per plant l,it00 1,392 1,525 1,620 1,295 l,6Ul 1,519 1,U62 1,578 l,Uh2 1,6U7 1,663 30.3 20.1 13.).; 8.1i 10.0 8.5 10.1 11.8 17.6 20.5 29.5 35.5 Coefficient of variation (per cent) Index 100 = monthly average for year Petaluma 135 120 120 151 77 103 79 76 108 72 99 60 22.8 San Francisco 92 92 101 107 86 108 100 96 loU 95 109 110 6.5 Central Western primary markets 168 112 7h U7 56 kQ 56 66 98 llU I6ii 197 U2.5 Sources; Petaluma monthly totals: sales at Petaluma Live Poultry Auction. San Francisco monthly receipts: Federal-State Market News Service. Summary of Egg and Poultry Markets. VJeekly. San Francisco, California, Processed. The receipts represent live chickens of California origin. Central Western primary markets. U.S. Bureau of Agricultural ii^conomics. Poultry and Egg Situation. Washington, D.C. Eight times per year. Processed. The receipts represent live chickens, weekly average per plant. TABLE 3 Composition of Total Sales: Petaluma Live Poultry Auction September 27, 19U8-September 26, 19h9 Class of bird Total vxeight Percentage of total sales by weight by value 1,000 pounds per cent Leghorn hens 765.8 37.1 35.0 Leghorn broilers U61.9 22. ii 23.1 Colored fryers 365.3 17.7 19. ii Colored hens 111.2 5.U 6.7 Roasters ei.ii 3.9 li.3 Crossbreds 19.7 1.0 1.0 Other classesV Unclassified^ 173. U 8.U 7.8 83.7 ii.l 2.7 a/ Roosters, pullets, rejects, etc, h/ Excluded from other classes owing to inadequate data with respect to weight, price, etc. j?* Wl-ia^ ■*-*. * > ■■ . -■ C. ■' :„ * ■ 1 f I ■ ■ I- r ■ p •■ 25. carried to weights of l|-2^ pounds by producers with the facilities to house and feed them. Beyond this age they tend to becone "staggy" and marketing is difficult „ A vital concern to the rancher in this branch of the industry is that broilers attaining the desired weights should be sold at their optimum stage and vacate the houses needed for the next batch ordered at the hatchery. Colored fryers weighing from pounds represent a greater investment of producers' capital and of their feed and time. In California, fryer pro- duction is a specialized business, usually conducted on a fairly large scale. By the nature of its product, it is dependent on contacts with the more sub- stantial and higher priced outlets. Colored fryers amounted to 17.7 per cent of the volume of poultry marketed. Together, these three classes (colored fryers Leghorn broilers, Leghorn hens) comprised over three-quarters of total handlings and the success of the auction depended upon its efficiency in moving them. Crossbreds between light and heavy breeds might well have been included with the colored fryers, since they constituted only one per cent of sales. Careful analysis of price relationships demands, however, that they should be kept separate and this distinction has been adhered to throughout the study. _ Colored hens and roasters were most in demand at the auction, a condition which prevails throughout California. The published data do not enable one to state whether these deviations exceed or are less than those customary at other markets. But it is clear that Leghorn hens and broilers were supplied much more evenly than the colored birds, and of the two foregoing, offerings of hens were the more stable. Thus , buyers of these types of birds could have more confidence that they would be able to meet anticipated requirements than those interested in the other classes. Changes in Proportions of Different Classes .— In figure 3 are set out the three major classes— Leghorn hens, Leghorn broilers, and colored fryers— and the remaining groups combined under one heading as percentages of the total supply over a twelve-month period. Leghorn hens tended to form some 30-UO per cent of the total supply of birds during October and early November but became a less important element thenceforward until the beginning of April. This period is coincident with that of the peak lay for birds hatched under natural conditions. Egg producers would be culling out fewer birds at this tijne than at any other. The heavy breed hen is much sought after for family dinners, yet scarce because as layers the light breeds have a long-standing monopoly. Colored hens and roasters amounted to less than 10 per cent of the total sale by weight at Petaluma, though showing up more prominently in terms of value. The group "other classes" made up 8 per cent of the total handlings. It comiDrised a motley collection of sub-categories of which no single one had the magnitude to influence the course of the market. A buyer might be as interested in buying old cock birds as a breeder would be in selling them, but to neither could transactions in this restricted field form a significant part of his business. Seasonal C hanges in the Importance of Different Classes .— It has been shown that although supplies to Petaluma fluctuated less than those going to some other first buyers, the variations were such as to exceed the degree acceptable to processors in a major market. Therefore, it would be interesting to knm if these fluctuations devolved from a particular class or classes of birds and 1 FIGURE 3 PETALUMA POULTRY AUCTION MAJOR CLASSES AS PERCENTAGES OF TOTAL VOLUME HANDLED 1948-49 27. which, if any, exercised a stabilizing influence. The percentage deviation from the mean quantity offered at each auction furnishes useful evidence in this context. It has been computed for the three major classes as follows: Class of bird Deviation from the mean supply per auction Leghorn hen Leghorn broiler Colored fryer per cent h$ 51 76 Thus, for example, buyers of Leghorn hens could expect an average varia- tion in supplies at different auctions approximating to h$ per cent with the possibility that the range between specific sales would be very much larger. In this way an auction in which Leghorn hens made up a substantial proportion of total sales would be more stable than one dependent on colored fryers for the bulk of its supplies. From May onward, the proportion of hens rose steadily to well over half and showed no signs of falling until the following September. Relatively, broiler sales were most important to the auction through Novem- ber to Christmas and again through January. During the summer, their proportion- ate weight diminished steadily, being interrupted only by a brief rise towards the end of August. Colored fryers made up a steady 20 per cent of auction business for the first six months of the year studied and reached a peak in March. From this point they fell off sharply. Sporadic shipments from specialized producers brought large quantities to the auction at scattered intervals but the months of August and September saw them playing a relatively insignificant part. Some hesitation should precede any assertion that the changes in the pro- portions of the totals contributed by the different classes were indicative of long-term trends in the character of the auction. This would presuppose the possibility of distinguishing fluctuations due to seasonal changes or other recurrent influences from those attributable to a switch in the sales outlets employed by different types of producers. If there were any tmith in this latter conclusion, then it would support the view that at this time the auction was becoming increasingly dominated by Leghorn hens at the expense of broilers, and still more so at the expense of the colored fryer. 1 J. 28. Grading Policy- Quality grading which has become a conventional practice in the marketing of eggs is not paralleled in the marketing of live poultry. Standards are less well established and more difficult to apply. The vrork is time-consuming and tedious. Decisions are open to question. Of all aspects of poultry marketing, this is one of those most needing attention. Accurate grading is very important. It benefits both buyer and seller in facilitatii:ig the appropriate pricing of each lot traded. Nothing is more exasper- ating to the seller than seeing superior quality buried iinder a blanket of mediocrity. In few ways is a buyer more effectively deterred from expanding his purchases than by finding "rejects" and "seconds" ai;iong birds acquired on the assumption of even quality throughout. This is especially important where a buyer's business is built up on supplying different types of markets with specific grades of poultry. Even where buyers are able to dispose of all types of chickens without difficulty, it is still more convenient that allocation between outlets be preceded by some process of quality segregation. In formulating their final bids, buyers of ungraded lots tend to make allowances for risk of how many poor birds will be in the lot. This may exceed the cost of grading. This deduction is lost to both auction and producer. Many of the larger dealers, moreover, decljjie the risk altogether. Competition between buyers would be reduced proportionately if grading were not attempted. Recognition of the intrinsic value of grading leads to problems of applica- tion. Both in America and Europe techniques of grading live poultry are still experimental. The bases of grade distinctions and their usefulness in different circumstances remain obscure. Little attempt has been made to correlate the standards applicable at different marketing stages. At present, retail cus- tomers would have great difficulty in associating counter grades at the store V7ith those used by the dealer in bargaining at the farm, | Those setting up live poultry grades at the Petaluma auction were pioneers in this particular field and the way their ideas developed under the strain of continued experience should amply repay investigation. The first approach will be to study in the various classes handled, the proportions of the total volume which fell into the grades they established. This should furnish evi- dence both as to the character of the market and of the birds supplied to it, and of the suitabilj.ty of the grade specifications adopted and the efficiency vjith which they were applied. Flexibility, in accordance with seasonal fluctua- tions in supply, is another aspect woi-thy of careful study. Since so little live poultry is graded in California, the experience gained at Petaluma is of moment in suggesting the directions of future development. j United States Grades .— In the marketing of poultry, the size of the unit is so small, relative to the number of imits handled, that grading in lots becomes vitally important. There must be a common language of quality if buyers and sellers are to discuss prices in terms of objective criteria and make true comparisons between the various alternatives open to them. The wider the area over which these criteria hold good, the more satisfactory the marketing system. Unless there are fundamental differences in the character of demand between different localities and regions, it would be preferable that these standards hold good over the whole country. To this end the U, S, Government has published specifications of quality standards for individual live birds on the basis of -.•rr 29. the following factors: health and vigor, feathering conformation, fleshing, fat covering, defects. For the detailed specifications see Appendix I, page 88. It will be appreciated that the application of such detailed tests could only be carried through with favorable conditions for handling, transference into different coops, etc., and would involve the exercise of careful judgment on the part of the grader. A steady flow of fairly uniform birds through a packing plant would probably offer a suitable opportunity, but not the physical and psychological environment of a crowded auction yard. Wiereas a packing plant might employ a professional grader and arrange for special viewing, handling and separating points, the sale yard staff was faced with a heavy overload for a few hours twice a xreek. Similarly, the auction trackers out collecting birds from surrounding ranches were expected to allocate birds into their different grades as part of the process of loading, Scanlan and Lennartson reported, in a survey of egg and poultry auctions before the war, that only one had adopted the United States standards for live poultry.!/ Most were compelled to compro- mise on cruder and more approximate techniques. At Petalma, birds were divided into three grades— "good," "fair," and "as is." These are probably appropriate to the circumstances and approximate to the New Jersey grades which have been used widely in the East where the Poultry Producers went for the lessons of experience,!/ To qualify as New Jersey No, 1, live birds must be full fleshed, full feath- ered, straight keeled, soft meated for the class, free from tears, bruises, de- formities and external evidence of disease, with extremely large abdomens or broken bones not permitted. To qualify as New Jersey No. 2, live birds must be fairly well fleshed, fairly well feathered, free from tears, bruises, deformities, broken bones and external evidence of disease (small blisters not exceeding one and one-half inches and/or slightly crooked breastbones allowed) , "As is" would include any birds excluded from the first two grades but which were not classified as "unsa].able . " At Petaluma it was expressly stated that "only birds obviously iinfit for human consumption will be removed from coops graded 'as is,'" * Difficulties in Practice .— In practice, the grading of live poultry is sub- ject to a high degree of huinan error. The feather covering masks bodily defects, twisted breasts, blisters, etc., likely to impair the marketability of the bird when plucked. The depth of flesh can be estimated only by feeling each bird. This is laborious and difficult in coops holding large numbers. In consequence, undue weight may be given to visual impressions. There is a popular suspicion that battery-bred chickens hc?ve often been kept in overcrowded forcing conditions which had an adverse effect on their health. This view, however, has no regard 1/ Scanlan, Jolm J. and Roy W, Lennartson. Cooperative Egg and Poultry Auction Associations . Washington, D.C, U, S. Farra Credit Administration, 1940. lOlp. (Bui. 377"^ 2/ Todd, Leon. The Poultry and Egg Auction Markets of New Jersey , New Jersey, 1937. lOp. (New Jersey Dept. Agr, Circ, 273) 30. for the possibility'- that their meat may be the more tender for the absence of muscle and sinew. Producers bore witness to the fallj.bility of the grading system at Petal^jma and affirmed emphatically that birds dravm from the same quality level might be placed in a lower category one weclc than another if handled by a different grader. Many cooperatives have hoped that members would assist by grading their birds during the process of loading at the ranch. Some could be trusted to do this^ but most organizations have encountered such funda- mental divergencies in human judgment that they have had to check all lots before assessing the final grade. A prime impediment to success in grading was the hurried nature of the operation when many lots arrived around the time the sale was about to begin or while it was actually in progress. Under pressure of this kind, inferior birds escaped detection in lots claiiaed to be top quality by the seller. As a corollary to such deception, coops arriving late from the same source on a future occasion might be downgraded as a group when they actually included enough superior birds to make up a coop of "good." The Petaluma auction made no specific claim as to tolerances, merely reaffirming from time to tine that it recognized the weaknesses in its grading system, was doing its best to overcome them, and sought the cooperation of all its members. Tiiis approach was purely negative. Initially, the establishment of a completely new institution pre- sented a fine opportunity to set up an "A plus" or "super" grade. Produce, awarded such a mark of distinction, would reap the benefits of the accompanying publicity. The auction would attract buyers supplying the more expensive markets. Instead, after the purchase had been corapleted, buyers were allowed the privilege of throwing out from crates graded "good" or "fair" birds with tumors, vjater on the abdomen or other defects v/hich render them "inedible." Subject to concurrence of opinion vdth a representative of the auction, payment would not be required for birds rejected in this way. No provision was made for rejection from the "as is" category. These birds were bought as seen and all risk was assumed by the purchaser. Grade Proportions . — The quantitative analysis of grading results at Petaluma which follox^s (table I4) is couched in terms of the weight handled in the four major classes— Leghorn hens, Leghorn broilers, colored fryers and colored hens. The less important categories — roosters, crossbreeds, etc. — were graded the same way. It seems justifiable to assume that the conclusions derived for the bulk of the trade should be applicable to them also. Table h shows the over-all division of sales betvreen the various grades. Over half of the total was classified as "good"; one third, "fair"j and less than 10 per cent, "as is." If these figures are acceptable, then the suggestion that the auction dealt mainly in off grade birds stands refuted. There is, however, the qualification that more second-quality birds might be offered here than in other markets, especially more than might appear in the supply schedule facing a buyer drawing only from selected ranches. It could be contended that the birds sent to the auction did not constitute an imbiasecl sample of the over-all supply. Frequently, the better birds in a flock were sold privately and only the culls were sent to the auction. The proportional distribution of grades among the different classes of birds may be viewed in this light. Over ha3.f of the Leghorn hens were rated "fair" with quite a large proportion "as is." Since there were no pretensions that these birds were anything but culls from laying flocks which had passed their peak yield, there appears to be some reason for expecting that the majority would fall into this category. However, comparison with the grading percentages 31. TABLE h Grading, Petaltima Live Poultry Auction September 27, 19U8-September 26, 19h9 Grade Sales Qf four najor classes of birds VTeight in pounds per cent of total Good 9^7,^80 56.2 Fair 3I4.U As is 161,006 9.h Total l,70l|,2itO 100.0 for colored hens reveals a significant discrepancy/. Unless it is maintained that Leghorns are kept in the laying pens to a point where their condition is actually lower relative to their prime than that of the average run of colored hens when sold, it vrould appear that the definition of quality is influenced by the weight per bird. Leghorns have a nore efficient egg feed conversion ratio than the heavy breeds which use up a portion of tlieir feed consuinption in adding fat. There are, nevertheless, no real grounds for ass-oming that Leghorn hens in good health mil actually lose weight during the period of egg production if they are properly fed. Leghorns stand up well to artificial conditions insofar as their meat quality is not appreciably irapaired by strict confinement. On the other hand, the ultimate criterion of vjhether a bird is salable or not is the amount of edible meat it bears. Since the breast proportions of a bird comprise the most iiaportant single element in grading decisions, some ten- dency ro rate off grade colored birds above equally low-grade Leghorn hens is difficult to avoid. Inferior light birds seem exceptionally light by comparison with the colored breeds. Allowance should be made for the absence of abdominal fat. This adds considerably to the weight of many colored hens. Thus, Leghorns in normal condition for the breed should not be graded dovm siraply because they do not appear so meaty as a colored bird of the same age. Certain absolute criteria inust be established. It should be made perfectly clear from the opening of a market whether all poultry will be graded by refer- ence to an "ideal" meat bird or by reference to the generally accepted standards for the particular breed, sex. or a 63. It seems quite clear that those who were buying for resale to the final consixmer were more interested in the colored birds, generally the most sought after ajid highly priced on the market. This would be consistent with the wholesalers' complaint that prices at the auction ran on too high a level for this type of produce. They and the San f'rancisco retailers bought large quantities of Leghorn hens. The local hucksters also concentrated upon these. They were sufficiently numerous for a proportion, at least, to be left to the dealers whose business it was to effect an arbitrage with other markets, Petaluma hucksters generally trucked them directly into San Francisco, | Table 13 set out the same data in terms of two additional classifications. "Colored" reflects weight per bird and flesh-to-bone proportions. "Age of bird" distinguishes fryers and broilers from the culled hens. The larger groups of wholesalers and retailers evinced little differential interest in the white and colored birds as groups. But it is notable that the Bay area retailers bought 19,7 per cent of the colored birds and only 7.8 per cent of the white, whereas the local dealers bought 12,7 per cent of the white and only 7,1 per cent of the colored, TABLE 13 Analysis of Purchases by Type of Buyer Percentage of total class auction purchases Type of White Colored j Mature Young buyer birds birds 1 birds birds Large wholesalers 29.2 23.5 1 25.0 30.3 San Francisco retailers U6.2 hh,l U8.6 I1I.5 Bay area retailers 7,8 19.7 8,7 13.8 Local hucksters 12,7 7.1 lU.2 7.8 \lhen sales of these four major classes are allocated to the buying groups under the headings "young birds" and "mature birds" as in table 13, marked propensities for one group or the other show up very clearly. The large whole- salers bought rather more young birds as compared with San Francisco retailers who were primarily interested in the old. Bay area retailers, however, bought almost twice as many young birds as old and local dealers the reverse proportions. Quality Distinctions . —Differential interest in quality distinctions would be reflected to some extent in the above analyses. It stands out more clearly in tables ih and l5, which classify the same purchase data under the Petalvima grade headings "good," "fair," "as is." Some interesting divergences in business policy become evident immediately. The large wholesalers especially Poultry Producers concentrated almost exclusively on the best quality produce; 72.8 per cent of their purchases vxere draxm from within this category and only 1.5 per cent from the "as is" grade. The basis of this position would seem to be that the function of intermediary involved their holding produce and eventually reselling the birds whole to retailers who were equally experienced in detecting and drawing attention to quality defects. The risk involved in purchasing birds which might be diseased was more serious for the wholesaler; in that it might prejudice a greater voluiTie of produce and in that he sold to large buyers whose 6h, detraction from the reputation of his wares would lead to serious repercussions. Since these were the two large buyers of good quality produce^ the fact that one ceased to buy halfway through the year left the Poultry Producers of Central California as the sole mainstay of the xdder market for the better quality birds, TABLE lU Purchases of Quality Grades by Types of Buyers Purchases by weight Type of buj'-er Good Fair As is Total thousand pounds Large wholesalers San Erancisco retailers 3h2 121 7 ii70 393 288 96 777 Bay area retailers 92 66 32 190 Local hucksters 90 80 20 190 per cent Large wholesalers 72, B 25.7 1.5 100 San Francisco retailers 50.6 37.1 12.3 100 Bay area retailers hB.k 3U.7 16.8 100 Local hucksters hl.h 1-I2.1 10.5 100 The San Francisco retailers on the other hand, increased their proportion of auction purchases as the quality declined. Their position was in reverse of that occupied by the wholesalers. Consumers attached much weight to quality, but if the quality differences were not obvious, they tended to buy the lovxer priced of two altei-natives. In competitive marketing retailers aimed at dis- playing an attractive commodity at the lowest possible price. One approach was to buy the lowest priced birds and make them appear attractive to the consumer by skillful processing. Since the latter was not usually a skilled buyer, he need only be shown the more desirable parts of a bird. j The atti tilde of the Bay area retailers was not dissimilar. The proportion of the "as is" broilers taken by them was twice that of "good." At the same time it was only one-sixth of their own total sales. Almost half were comprised of grade "good" even though they only bought one-tenth of the "good" quality birds sold through the auction. Their contribution to the determination of price at the auction was significant in depth. Limited capacity prevented its ranging over a wide sector of the market. The Petaluma buyers made kl per cent of their purchases in grade "good," h2 per cent in "faj.r," 10.5 per cent in "as is." This differs from a distri-^ bution proportionate to the average quantity in each grade by an undue emphasis on grade "fair." Measured in terms of percentage of grade sales through the auction, the purchases of these Petalvima buyers had less influence on the formation of prices in the upper than in the lower quality brackets. Smaller Buyers .— The last line in table l5, "purchases by unclassified buyers," depicts the share of the market talcen by the small or occasional buyers which have not been distinguished individually since they bought less than i l: .1 ') 65. 10,000 pounds per year each. They numbered 31, Together they bought not more than 5,3 per cent of any one grade and tended to buy less of the better quality and more of the lower than would be proportional to the volume in the respec- tive grades. Some operated poultry businesses on a large scale and were influential in their own localities. None bought large quantities at the auction as a regular practice. TABLE 15 Percentage of Each Grade of Poultry Sold to Different Buyers Type of buyer Good Fair As i: Large wholesalers 35.7 20.6 u.: San Francisco retailers itl,l h9.1 59. < • Bay area retailers 9.6 11.3 19.i ? Local hucksters 13.6 12.1 Unclassified U.2 5.3 3.' I Total 100.0 100.0 100. ( Another important issue is the extent to which the dealers using the auction were dependent upon it, what it meant to them in terms of their total supply of live birds, and the over-all scope of their business. One indication would be the ease with which they could supply their needs from other sources. Since most wholesalers, and retailers especially, base their business on regular margins from a steady turnover, they must have reliable sources of supply or knowledge of where they could obtain substitutes if necessary. It might be assumed that no difficulties would be incurred in such a district as Petalvima; but most producers are already attached to some existing outlet. Competition with institutionalized contacts of this kind would compel a newcomer to offer more than the going price or better terms in some other respects. Stability in Buyer Relationships , ~-Poul try Producers of Central California bought steadily all tliroiigh the year, partly on a support basis, partly to maintain its own regular outlets which, at this time, were supplied solely from auction purchases. The other large vfholesaler purchased more than all the other buyers put together during the initial months of the auction, but suddenly broke off attendance one week before Christmas. It was resumed for a month in mid-January and thenceforward sporadically until May when it ceased altogether. There could be no question as to the relatively minor part played by auction purchases in the activities of this firm which drew from as far afield as the other western states and Oklahoma, ^ The major San Francisco retailers were stable customers by comparison. The proportion of total auction sales bought by the leader of this group rose steadily through the yearj not so much because the volume of this firm's pur- chases was increased, but that they remained constant while auction sales de- clined. This concern found the auction a very satisfactory source of supply. It was, in the words of one partner, "an excellent institution because it brought a variety of birds together at one center even if the buyers' requirements were 66. not met exactly on every occasion." According to the writer's estimates, this important buyer obtained between one-quarter and one-third of his supply from the auction over the twelve-month period, j Three San Francisco retailing concerns buying 100^000-1^0,000 pounds of poultry at the auction were next in order of importance to the auction. Two bought regularly tlirough the year, missing only a dozen or so auctions. The largest followed suit until August 19h9 , when its name ceased to appear on the sales records. Up to that point it had been buying 8-10 per cent of its birds at the auction, but had maintained, meanwhile, a wide contact with outside dealers and producers operating on such a scale as to warrant a personal visit. This firm had always tended to buy its younger stock from outside sources. The second of these city retailers declared that it was convenient for him to visit the auction regularly whether he intended to mal^e definite purchases or not, and that their extent depended entirely on the price advantage between the auction and alternative sources. Evidently, the auction was satisfactory in the main since purchases therefrom were estimated at over kO per cent of his turnover. Poultry Producers of Central California valued him as a substantial buyer. The third of the larger San Francisco retailers was thought of still more highly in that his bids were associated with many of the highest prices paid at the auction. It is estimated that this concern, which attached great weight to quality, also bought through the auction some UO per cent of the chickens it sold. j None of the three remaining San Francisco retailers played a significant part at the auction until 19h9, Two began to attend regularly only in the second half of the year when they rose to be the sixth and tenth most important buyers. At this time they began to cover it by a complementary alternation in purchasing. Since the two concerns were situated in much the same district of San Francisco and run by people of similar background, it would be surprising if this alternation were purely coincidental. During this period the larger of the two bought hO per cent of his produce at the auction. In his view it was a very useful institution. Purchases from city wholesalers and country dealers were supplementary. The other probably bought only 16.5 per cent of his poultry turnover through the auction. A representative stated that the firm could not depend upon it because "there were too many other buyers there," They preferred to buy from farmers and hucksters and truck in to San Francisco with their own vehicles. The final member of this group specialized in heavy colored birds for customers always prepared to pay high prices for rich fat meat. He bought on a basis of suitability for anticipated commitments rather than according to considerations of economy in outlay. His name appeared at one-quarter of the sales. No clear pattern could be discerned in either the distribution of his purchases or the variations in their volume. | Of the other Bay area retailers, one bought very heavily at everj' auction during the first two quarters, but his purchases declined both in regularity and magnitude during the second half of the year. This indicates a diversion of purchasing power to alternative sources. Three others apparently drew from elsewhere for their retail needs during the earlier part of the auction's life, but turned to it in the winter of 19h9, The final buyer in this group made purchases which might have encompassed the bulk of his limited turnover. They were, however, interspersed at irregular intervals through the year and totaled 21 occasions all told. i 67. Only one of the Petaliima dealers using the market displayed any semblance of regularity in b\iying through the auction. This was only for the first quarter of the year when he made large purchases of all types of birds. As has been explained already^ these buyers sought a margin between the auction price and that which could be obtained from wholesalers and retailers in the city. Their profit originated in the hazards of the auction method. If the channels to which these dealers served as tributaries were sure of satisfying their requirements at each sale they would corrjnission their own representatives to buy at the auction directly. One of the largest city wholesalers did this for a time. The other three large-scale processing and distributing houses had loose working arrangaiients with Petaliwia dealers to cover the auction and bring in produce suitable for their trade. In return for performing this service , there was a conventional margin of l|--2 cents per pound. In this way it could be said that the other three large-scale processors and distributors were effectively represented at the auction^ even if these indirect purchases did not constitute an important element in their over-all turnover. The second of these important connecting links with the San Francisco market bought heavily during the period from September through to January 26, after which sale his name disappears from the sales record for six months to appear again, but sporadically, in the late summer. The cessation on practically the same date of p\irchases by these two "go betweens" and the large San Francisco wholesaler who bought directly meant that, in effect, three major purchasing agencies withdrew their support at one and the same tirae. It says much for its reputation and usefulness that the auction was able to withstand such a loss and attract other buyers in replacement. Two local Petaluma concerns bought fairly heavily on occasion during the first half of the twelve-month period under study, but cut their purchases dovm to insignificance thereafter. One of the largest Sonoma County hucksters bought at the auction sporadically, but undoubtedly regarded it as a competitor, Onl;^'- the entrepreneur who put culled hens back to lay before reselling them for meat, took significant quantities from the auction all through the year. V alue of Auction to Buyers . — Since they resided in the heart of the produc- ing area and knew most of the poultry men personally, the auction can hardly be said to be performing any valuable function for the local dealers. In no sense were they truly dependent upon its facilities. It might reduce the amount of time spent bargaining. It limited the vendor's control over the terms of the sale. But at the same time it brought the deal out into the open, thus, inviting competition from rival buyers if it should deviate too far from the going price of the day. Thus, irregular buyers, small restaurants and producers, were afforded the satisfaction of knovring that the price paid was not out of line with other transactions in the market area. The final price was attained only because rival buyers were prepared to go as far as the penultimate bid. For others it provided a temporary solution during the period between the termination of set trading arrangements with individuals and the establishment of new contacts and understandings. To mai^ buyers, a real virtue of the auction lay in its continuity. It functioned, in the short run at least, automatically so far as they were concerned. It was a permanent standby if their relations with other suppliers became exacerbated by hard bargaining. Variation in the level at which the price mechanism equilibrated supply and demand did not hurt buyers so much as producers. The latters' decision to transact business tlirough the auction was loss frequent, yet had perforce to 68. be made before the price level of the day had become known. It was more impor- tant to them because disastrous if misjudged. The buyer considering himself as a processor^ whose income depended on volume of handlings^ could at least vary the extent to which he became involved financially after the exact price relationships between grades , classes, and markets had been revealed. He was subject only to the more flexible limits set by the specifically anticipated requirements of a regular clientele. In contrast to dealings with producers and hucksters, transactions on the auction were impersonal. The purchase of produce at low prices did not prejudice relations with the seller directly, nor would abstention frorn buying, because prices were too high. Buyers could still return to the next auction and meet exactly the same reception as before. Experienced professional buyers found advantages in bargaining power and economies of scale in handling large standard lots from individual ranches. They were, in consequence, reluctant to give the auction the whole of their attention. Yet, few of than would watch the auction disappear without mixed feelings, appreciating as they did the valuable role it played as an institu- tional price regulator and supply reserve. 69. Producer Appraisal Much of the information handled in this final section of the study will bear on subjects already treated in some detail. In this sense, there will be some repetition. Attention will be focused, however, on a different aspect. Emphasis on the producers' point of view will assist in rounding off the analysis. Two additional sources of data are drawn upon at this stage. The weekly reports on sales through the auction did not record the names of suppliers. Since, however, they were all members of a cooperative association, their member- ship numbers were entered in the report in conjunction with each sale. These numbers were coded according to the branch to which the member had been attached for organizational purposes. They constitute a fairly accurate guide as to the approximate geographical origin of the poultry coming into the auction. It can then be analyzed in terms, not only of volume, but of type, quality, and seasonal distribution through the year. Nevertheless, there are limits to the profitable exploration of ex post data in search of significant relationships. There may be indications that certain events occurred at the same time and were, in all probability, linked together in some way. Yet, the precise bases of the association, the reasons why supplies fell off at a certain time, or why a certain percentage of patrons redirected their business through other outlets, are not determined. The raw statistical data of volvime, grade, and price may suggest adequate reasons for these associations. Ultimately, however, there must be some recourse to individual interviews with the persons who actually made the decisions. Other- wise, it remains uncertain which reasons were the real ones, and whether it was not on some altogether different issue that the poultryman transferred his allegiance. [ To this end. Poultry Producers submitted the names of poultry growers representing various production, type, and locational points of view. As many were included who had once patronized the a^^ction and ceased to do so as had supported it loyally. The motives of the latter group included both material advantage and belief in the cooperative ideal. All responded readily when in- vited to describe their attitude towards the poultry auction and to comment freely on its method of operation. Information gathered in this way was supplemented by discussion with other poultrymen who represented special interests of significance to the study, or who had individual experience of poultry marketing institutions in the Bay area as a whole. The bulk of the supply area was covered. In terms of their average flock, the size of enterprise represented ranged from 18,000 layers down to 2p00-n,000, Some of these producers had considerable experience in rep- resenting local or professional opinion. Others had none at all. Origin of Auction Poultr y. — Information as to the source of production of the poultry sold through the Fetaluma Auction is presented in table l6. The figures should be related to their locational background. As an assistance to readers, percentages of the total supply have been incorporated in the map appearing on page 3, The territorial divisions employed in the table follow the Association's branch organization code, subject to some condensation. The component areas are listed in the notes at the foot of table l6. Since distance from a suitable market was the factor whose influence these data were expected to illuminate, classification was simplified by the consolidation under one ill ;. I L 70. heading of branches which lay in much the same geographical relationship, vis- a-vis, Petaluma and the Bay cities. Three months, January, May, and September, were selected for summarization in the table in order that seasonal variations in production might be reprasented at equidistant intervals. The three columns in table l6 were arranged so as to cover, respectively, yotmg birds produced entirely for meat, older fowl which had finished laying, and both types of birds together. The figures are percentages of the total sale. Just under half the total quantity of poultry handled during the period studied originated in the Petaluma area. The Santa Rosa district was the next most important, followed at some distance by Ukiah and the Sonoma Valley. Rather more than two-thirds of the total quantity sold, however, derived from farmers located not more than 30 miles from the auction. This certainly proves that it was sited in the midst of the main producing area. The first four districts recorded in table 16 may be regarded as the immediate vicinity of the auction and together they supplied 80 per cent of its poultry. A higher proportion of hens (81.6 per cent) than of younger birds (78.9 per cent) originated in this area, but the difference is not very significant. TABLE 16 Origin of Poultry Sold at PetaD.uma Auction: January, May, September, 19i;9 Averages of Percentages of total supplies by weight District Broilers, fryers, and roastei^l Hens | All birds per cen t a/ Petaluma—', / Santa Rosa-' Sonoma Valley [Japa Valleyc/ Ukiah£/ Fort Bragg^' „ , Sacramento Valley-' San Joaquin Valley Santa Cruzi/ /llainedah;/ 53.5 18.7 2.3 3.9 5.0 0.9 U.l 7.2 3.1 0.8 li2.9 20.7 10.0 8.0 8.3 2.9 2.1 5*1 U8.1 19.6 .ii .9 .6 .9 .1 .7 UL3 0.1; Total Total weight 100.0 219,985.0 100,0 2lU,68iuO 100.0 1;3U,669.0 a/ Petaluma, Novato, Penngrove, Cotati b/ Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Healdsburg c/ Napa, Calistoga, St. Helena d/ Ukiah, Middletovjn e/ Fort Bragg, Eureka, Mendocino f/ Fairfield, Dixon and Sacramento Valley branches £/ Santa Crua, Watsonville, Salinas, Hollister h/ Hayward mainly 1 < < JO z 71-. The second area, for which the auction provided a valuable outlet, was that immediately to the north of Santa Rosa, a:iong either side of the main highway, U, 5, 101, Supplies flowed down to Petaluma from this country, not so much because it was an important production center well endowed with feed supplies under conditions especially conducive to poultry rearing, but rather birds were sent down the 80-mile drive from Ukiah because there was no other satis- factory outlet for supplies surplus to local needs. The permanent population in this region was quite small. Development as a tourist area coupled with the general meat shortage during the years following the war had provided an incen- tive for some large-scale production, A weak competitive position rendered producers in this area extremely vulnerable to changes iia poultry meat price levels. Those broiler and fryer raisers who had outlets such as hotels and restaurants under their control did not fare so badly. Those less fortunate in this respect were being com- pelled to quit the business about the time this study vjas entertained. Con- siderations influencing these Ukiah poultryraen in patronizing Petaliuiia in spite of the distance were threefold in number, | Primarily, they were attracted by the services the cooperative was able to offer. They bought its feed and earned a good dividend thereby. The branch at Ukiah formed an organizational center able to furnish information and assist in fostering their welfare. The poultry sent in from Fort Bragg was assembled by another cooperative association inspired primarily by men of Finnish ex- traction. Naturally, its sympathy lay with the Poultry Producers as an outlet for produce rather than with an independent competitor. Most jjnportant, perhaps, in bringing these birds dowii to Petaluma was the provision of convenient trans- port arrangements with a regular truck service from the Ukiah branch in accord- ance with producer requirements. This service was the more appreciated in that without it, poultrjmien offer- ing birds situated at some remote ranch were in a very weak bargaining position. One dealer from the Petaluma area was in the habit of follotring this route. Support for the auction probably gained by appreciation of the degree of mon- opsonistic pressure he might have exerted if there had been no other practicable outlet. Few of the ranchers in this area would ordinarily be selling so much at any one time as to make it profitable to transport their own birds to a favorable market. Customary practice previous to the provision of the Poultry Producers* transport service had been either notification of the aforesaid Petaluma dealer when enou^ birds were ready for sale to constitute a full load, or the develop- ment of such an arrangement as that once obtaining in Lake County, where one producer was paid to carry his neighbor's birds to market a].ong with his own, to dispose of them in the best way possible. One such man with a long history in the trade remarked that experience and contact with the buying end brought great advantages. He stated that he was able to secure prices 2-3 cents higher for a fairly regular supply of good poultry than could be obtained for similar stock by another person less v:ell knoxm and accepted in the trade. Of the poultry sold at the auction, 8.S per cent originated in these northern counties. Hens were more important than younger birds. Of the older categories, 11,2 per cent fall under the Ukiah and Fort Bragg headingsj of the yo\mger, only 5.9 per cent. For the last four areas in the classification in table l6, the auction would not appear to have afforded an obvious convenience. From Santa Cruz and I i i i i, i 72. Alameda counties, birds passed through the main consumption center only to be brought back again from Petaluma, 70 miles to the north. It is difficult to conceive of any long-run economic justification for such procedure. Only an extraordinaiy imperfection in the market could render it financially profitable in the short run. The most useful purpose it could serve irould be that of deterring independent buyers from discriminating against producers situated in localities distant from any sympathetic outlet. In all probability, these ship- ments were associated with the proposal to establish a second auction at Hayward. The good work such a threat might do would be reinforced by concrete evidence that producers were prepared to take drastic steps in order to place their birds in more favorable chajinels, Sirailar motives may have governed the shipments from the Central Valley. In the San Joaquin Valley other large-scale organisations, such as the big meat packers, undoubtedly offered more convenient sales points for local production. On the other hand with its population of over 100,000, Sacramento itself con- stituted an important consumption center in the northern valley, likewise Stockton, vjhere Poultry Producers made regular purchases. Prices paid for dif- ferent grades of poultry at Stockton were published in the Weekly Newsletter and served as a guide to quality, type, and price relationships for the central part of the valley (p, 8, note 1, Fresno prices). Nevertheless, h,^ per cent of the poultry offered at Petaluma was shipped in from this direction over distances which would involve considerable tirae in traveling. Such birds must needs have left the ranch either the previous day or very early in the morning. They would suffer the quality losses and shrinkage resulting from a long period of movement and discomfort even though the Association might arrange to have them fed and watered upon arrival. The bulk of these birds, from the San Joaquin Valley especially, were young colored fryers. They arrived in large batches at irregular intervals. The effect upon the price mechanism at the auction was disruptive. It was resented by smaller producers who sent in regular supplies from other areas and vrere dependent on the auction for their income. The sporadic nature of the supply from this source and the fact that colored fryers were usually turned out in regular volume by specialized meat bird raisers suggest that this was not the owners' normal method of disposal. More probably they were reacting against poor returns from regular buyers in the locality of origin. Quality was not notably high in some of these lots. They smack more of a defiant gesture by producers faced with "take it or leave it" offers from their usual outlets than of a genuine attempt to establish a continuing program based on regular mar- keting the auction way. Seasonal Variation . —Table 17 shows the proportions of broilers, fryers and roasters, and of hens originating in the various supply areas during three different months in the year. Such data are only available for one year. Thus, it is difficult to distinguish clearly between long-term trends in the attractive- ness of the auction to producers in different districts and seasonal fluctua- tions in the supplies originating from these areas. However, since relatively uniform techniques are pursued throughout the region as a whole, there is no need to attribute much weight to the latter factor. Segregation of the meat bird and laying fowl data adds to the interest of this approach. Subject to such qualifications, table 17 indicates the process of change in the geographical sources of the poultry meat sold through the auction. Examina- tion of the background of each consignment, and determination of the type and J 73. size of production unit from which the birds were drawn, would be another much longer task. Measurement of changes in the proportion of the total quantity of poultry produced in the areas sold through the auction presents similar diffi- culties. A dissatisfied meat bird raiser hazarded an estimate of 5-7 per cent. Statistical data concerning total sales in the San Francisco market suggest that it would not exceed 10 per cent. The most striking feature of table 17 is the increasing degree of emphasis that it places on supplies drawn from the near-by districts, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, and the Sonoma and Napa valleys. All except Santa Rosa raised their percentage of the total sale during the year. The decline in the case of Santa Rosa was far outbalanced by the remarkable increase in the proportion of Petaluma birds from U3,3 to 71,h per cent. Taking these four districts as one unit, it becomes clear that, whereas in January they were responsible for rather more than two-thirds of total sales, in September their share was 95.1 per cent. The amounts forthcoming from the outer zones were falling away into insignificance. TABLE 17 Origin of Broilers, Fryers, Roasters and Hens Sold at Petaluma Live Poultry Auction January, May, September, 19h9 District Percentages of broilers, fryers, roasters, by weight Percentages of hens, by weight January May September January May September Petaluma ii3.3 62.9 71.U UU.7 1;6.7 37.6 Santa Rosa 20.5 16.2 16.9 15.3 23.8 22.8 Sonoma Valley 2.6 2.9 3.1 h.O 8.0 18.0 Napa Valley 3.3 5.3 3.7 9.1 9.0 6.0 Ukiah 7.9 i.U 1.3 12.2 7.8 ii.9 Fort Bragg 1.3 0.0 1.0 1.0 3.2 ii.6 Sacramento Valley 2.U 9.6 0.0 6.1 0.0 0.0 San Joaquin Valley 13.0 0.0 0.0 d.o 0.0 0.0 Santa Cruz U.7 0.9 2.6 7.6 1.5 6.1 Alameda 1.0 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Total weight 1,000 pounds 123 60 37 73 69 72 0.0 > .r 7li. Sharply declining prices for meat birds increased the relative burden of transport costs and administrative problems vrhich remained constant per unit of volume. Recognition that an alternative outlet was giving active competition improved producer bargaining power and induced local buyers to offer more attractive prices. The decline from 7.9 to 1.3 per cent in the proportion supplied by Ukiah marks the disappearance from business of specialized meat bird enterprises in that district. Others faced an increased demand from caterers to the tourist trade. Changes in transport arrangements also contributed to the dealers. Some reference has already been made to the large consignments which arrived from the Central Valley frora time to tiii;e. In January, 13,0 per cent of the supply of young meat birds came from the San Joaquin Valley, yet none at all in the later months. In hay, Sacramento Valley producers sent in 9,6 per cent as compared with only 2,i| per cent in January and none at all in September, High temperatures may have been a deterrent to long-distance transportation of live birds in the summer months. However, it is difficult to regard these loads as other than experimental. Observations of a similar character might be made concerning the shipments frora Santa Cruz, However, they figure in the column for each of the three months, albeit with sharp variations. Supplies from Alameda never exceeded 1,0 per cent and had ceased by September, The sharp decline in the actual quantity of broilers, fryers, and roasters marketed during these months is noteworthy. In each case, totals for the latter two were only half those for the month immediately preceding. The second half of the table presents a picture in complete contrast. The volume of hens going through the auction remained on a par throughout the period. That 73}lh-l pounds in January should be succeeded by 69,133 pounds in May and 72,lliO pounds in September spealcs very highly of the auction's service as measured in producer popularity. The material presented in this table confirms the conclusions attained earlier as to the differential success achieved by the Poultry Producers in its efforts to provide a suitable outlet for its members' poultry. The contrast in attitudes between the meat bird specialists and egg producers with old stock for disposal could find no more specific expression. The relative supply of hens from, the Petaluma locality fell in September from a fairly constant level in January and May. Those coming from the Santa Rosa district, immediately adjacent, rose by much the same amoimt between January and I-iay and fell back only slightly in September, The proportion of Sonoma Valley hens increased remarkably during this period, in response to a more favorable trucking service, Napa Valley contributed the same proportion in the first two months but it had fallen by a third in September, The contribution of these four areas together increased by rather more than 10 per cent. Fowl consigned from the Ukiah and Lake County areas declined in importance over these months, whereas those from Fort Bragg increased in spite of the 120- mile journey to Petalum.a. Sacramento Valley fowl amounted to 6,1 per cent of the total sale in January but made no further appearance. No fowl came up from the San Joaquin Valley, Poultrymen attached to the Santa Cruz branch apparently had good reasons for sending their birds all the way to Petaluma in spite Of the marketing paradox it implies. No Alameda hens were sent to Petaluma during these months. Producer Opinion , — The comments received during the course of this survey were analyzed and classj.fied according to the "interest" they represented and to whether they touched upon fundamental issues in the marketing of poultry 75. under contemporary conditions or upon specific details in the operation of the auction. The most throughtful discussion centered on the economic usefulness of the poultry auction as an institution and the basic problem of whether the coopera- tive should attempt to handle poultry at all. It was pointed out by both dealers and producers deeply interested in the cooperative movement that relations between Petaluma poultry dealers were those of cut-throat competition. An exceptional concentration of poultry flocks and of the various intermediaries between pro- ducer and consumer resulted in very slim margins. The chief reason why coopera- tive intervention in the poultry business was not successful was that profits were only achieved by dishonesty— short weights, misrepresentation of quality and tricks in bargaining. In conclusion, producers were not so much cheated by dealers in a way that could be ameliorated, but both groups toiled for low re- vjards. Consumers reaped the benefit if, in lower prices at the retail store, they were more efficiently served than by clearer distinctions in quality. This approach goes on to note the higher rate of profit from cooperative handling of turkeys where the labor input per bird constitutes a smaller percent- age of the final price. In the fresh poultry business, higher administrative and labor costs find no compensation in a greater capacity to hold stocks in storage. Thus, the cooperative suffered competitively from the preference for the New York dressed bird which characterized the San Francisco market. Any hastening of the trend towards the presentation of poultry in cut-up form, packaged in parts or frozen after evisceration, which has gone further in other parts of the country than in the Bay area, would be to its advantage. This method of sale offers less opportunity for "chiselling." The reputable brajid would be able to command a higher price. Moreover, the producer's organization would have the same opportunity to surmount temporary booms and recessions in demand prices by holding substantial reserve stocks in storage for sale at the most favorable opportunity that it has had in the marketing of eggs. Thus, it would be able to exercise a far more effective influence on the market than in the present environment. In practice the auctions served primarily to bring price levels into the open and moderate their extremes rather than to stablize them with a substantial measure of control, | Large Uniform Consignments , — A second consideration of a fundamental charac- ter was that sale via the auction necessarily involved much double handling. By their very nature, poultry present special problems in physical transference. Each bird must be caught while alive and moved into coops to the accompaniment of much noise, nervous excitement and actual corporeal bruising. This occupies much labor and offers little opportunity for economy no matter how large the lot. In consequence, even those whose trust it was to direct the cooperatives' affairs, felt that large lots of birds originating on a single holding should be trans- ferred directly from the ranch to the killing point by the most direct route and without change of container. Experience had shown that large quantities of a single type of bird depressed the auction price for that specific categoiy. Average receipts over the whole lot might not exceed the price obtained at the ranch through private bargaining by enough to cover the additional transport and sale charges. It must be remem- bered that in the Petalxuna district the huckster's rate for transportation, etc,, from the ranch to San Francisco was often identical with the auction commission. Loss from shrinkage and transportation charges from ranch to auction and auction to processing plant had still to be covered when birds were marketed through this channel. 76. Furthermore, the eleraent of risk in marketing by auction increases at a rate more than commensurate with the size of the individual seller's consign- ment. Not merely does he dispatch his birds for sale without knowing the price he will receive J but the more he sends of one class of bird the more his re- ceipts vrill be depressed if demand is low. Likewise^ there is a greater likeli- hood that he vdll spoil even a good market if demsnd should be strong for a specific quantity only, of his particular type. This latter position frequently occurred. Single cases of misfortune with large consignments were among the most frequent reasons for producers turning away from the auction. They sought other outlets where the price was settled before the conclusion of the sale. Small Mixed Lots . — On the other hand, all agreed that the auction offered the ideal outlet for small or mixed lots and culled birds. Dealers who would send a truck and pay well for large offerings of uniform quality only accepted the "inconvenient" categories under pressure and at very low prices. The auction, however, provided a center where smaller traders with low cash reseirves could pick up just the quantity and type of bird which, after plucking and eviscera- tion, might offer a reasonable return. This enabled them to pay good prices by comparison with those received for larger volumes of regular flocks. Those who supported the auction were all prepared to recognize that it brought real benefits in elevating standards of marketing behavior. There was little hesitation to sell through an auction operated by an organization with such high prestige and financial backing as Poultry Producers. Its fundamental objective was their own welfare. They had the further assurance that the Poultry Department's buying policy would not permit prices of "good" quality poultry to fall far below the prevailing level for the region. Additional benefits accrued from the publication of price ranges for all the more important grades and classes. They gained still more, perhaps, indirectly, by the very fact of the auction's existence. They received fairer treatment and higher prices from outside buyers precisely because their bargaining power was enhanced by the presence of a convenient alternative outlet, ^ This leads to the tliird fundamental issue, the tendency for cooperative intervention in agricultural markets to benefit most, not so much those members who support it by trading regularly through the chaxuiels it provides, but those who sell outside it in the more favorable environment resulting from its efforts. This was in the mind of the man who regarded the auction as a very valuable experiment, but one conducted at its supporters' expense. Those who backed it with their custom were holding up an umbrella under which others took shelter without making any contribution towards its support. | Attitudes Toward the Marke ting PXinction . "-Conversation with poultrymen confirmed the existence in the Petaluma district of two distinct and contrasting attitudes to marketing procedure. Many of those most attached to the cooperative principle did not wish to concern themselves with marketing at all. Some were preoccupied with their function as specialists in the production of eggs or poultry meat. Others had interests which left them with little time to devote to seeking out and bargaining with prospective buyers. Many simply found hag- gling distasteful. They looked to the cooperative to take care of this unpleas- ant side of their business. Most egg producers vievjed the disposal of culled layers in this light and would be glad to have them taken off their hands without worry. To men so inclined, the auction service was most welcome. Its most loyal supporters came from these groups. 77. At the same time there were to be found in the Petalvmia area numerous poultrymen whose character and background were quite different. They were never satisfied with a deal until they had fought over the last cent on every bird. Such men liked haggling for its own sake and their basic criticism of the auction stemmed from their inability to retain control over their birds once they had left the ranch. Sale through private bargaining permitted them to observe the process of sale in its entirety and adjust it frequently for maxi- mization of their advantage. Thus, it was pointed out in illustration, that, if a chicken sneezed while waiting to the auction, buyers would make a point of drawing attention to it and would discount the vall.ue of all the birds associated with it in the same lot on the grounds that they might also be sick. On the ranch, however, the ow:ier might have an opportunity to detect a sick bird, remove it, and sell the bulk of the birds at a higher price. Similarly, when no good bids were forthcoming one week, the poultryman handling his own sales could hold off for a time until conditions improved. Some processing firms took options on described lots at specific mj.nimum prices with provision for supplementation if the going price should be higher than was expected. In contrast, birds sent to the auction were released at the final bid, however low, unless the o™er was prepared to sustain commission and transport charges in bringing them back again. The grading process at the auction was like■t^dse outside the seller's con- trol, or purported to be. The verdict of the paid auction employee had to be accepted. On the ranch, however, some defense might be made. The owner could resort first to argument, and then refusal to sell at all, knowing well that once the buyer had traveled to the ranch and loaded some birds he would be re- luctant to call off the whole transaction. It was always open to the seller to segregate birds which were downgraded by the buyer and sell them elsewhere. Frequently these off grade birds brought a higher price at the auction than would have been averaged by the better birds if all had been sent in together on one day, " Hard Bargainers ". — It was usual for the "hard bargainers" to be in the meat bird section of the industry rather than in egg production. Admittedly, the services afforded by the auction were more in the egg producers' interest than theirs. Nevertheless, their predatory outlook can hardly be reconciled with any form of organized marketing, however carefully it might cater to their needs. The meat bird producers were legitimately interested in some kind of guaran- teed minimum price, since their vrhole livelihood depended upon the results of their sales. At one time they planned to boycott the auction in the hope of forcing the association to make such a guarantee. The blackboard experiment (page 12) and eventual return to direct purchase by the Poultry Department came partly in response to pressure from this group. Other buyers sometimes made prom- ises regarding future purchases of given lots. Yet, only a few of these poultry- men appreciated the point that the auction was ob3.iged to move all the birds offered on any announced day of sale. On the other hand, dealers pinned down to an agreed price not uncomiaonly found that "they could only take a certain quantity that week," would 'Tae away on vacation" or made some other excuse to limit their liability if the price had moved against them. Such delays in accept- ing birds when they were offered were especially inconvenient to broiler and fryer men. Their operations usually revolved around a continuous flow of chicks through a given number of houses from hatchery to market. If the expected capacity could not be vacated at the date planned, then there iTOuld be no space for new chicks already ordered. 78. Soon after the war, a cooperative society was established in the Petaluma area for the specific purpose of marketing meat birds. The failure of this venture was attributed to the selfish, and perhaps shortsighted, independence of its members. It was designed carefully to match the tectmical needs of the business. The guaranteed price was a part of its program, in conjunction with quantity regulation at the selling end by means of cold storage, and at the supply end by controlled acceptances of members' produce. They were al- lotted quotas based on reported purchases at the hatchery. Apart from problems of administration, of quality maintenance in Nevr York dressed birds held in storage, and of discriminatory competition from existing traders, the coopera- tive found its members unwilling to gix'e the loyal support it needed for suc- cess. Instead they strove to sell their own birds at the most favorable time, falsified returns of stocks in hand and were rarely prepared to bear individual short-run losses in the interest of ultimate mutual gain. Distant Producers ,— Those producers remote from consumption centers, who sold their birds through the auction, voiced no general complaint. Their loca- tional position was such as to put them at an extreme disadvantage if t hey made their own sales bargins. Their criticisms reflected resentment at their help- lessness over detailed inequities in price and grade relationships between con- signments and overhead sales charges. They felt they could do nothing in cor- rection. In dealings with other traders this feeling might well be even more pronounced. Psychology and Personalities ,— Many poultrymen ceased to sell through the auction for reasons which might be termed purely psychological as opposed to economic in character. It is surprising how easily, for example, a single "bad deal" can outv/eigh a long period of reasonable returns, be magnified in the mind of the victim and lead to his resolving never again to entrust his birds to the auction. A story is told of one producer who gladly switched to the auction because his previous outlet had persistently downgraded his poultry. Later he returned to this buyer following a quarrel with the auction. On being approached again as to why he had gone back to the man who had cheated him previously, he replied, "He does not do it now because he loiows I should send the birds to the auction if he did." Personalities play a vital part in these psychological relationships. Some producers felt certain that one grader rated their birds more highly than another and were grieved if they could not secure his services. Others spoke of drivers' carelessness, mislabelling and the classification as rejects of birds which they declared to be in quite fair condition, A more important aspect of this was revealed by the attachment of some producers to former members of Poultry Producers' staff. One the most powerful local competing firms derived its strength from direction by men who had become well known and popular among poultrymen by reason of their work on the Association's behalf. Another interesting human aspect is reflected in the suggestion of one pro- ducer that the auction be operated by a neutral organization such as the Farm Bvireau, Poultry Producers' Poultry Department would continue meanwhile to pur- sue its policy of price stabilization by means of a representative bidding on the auction floor. Under this arrangement, it was maintained that he would no longer be follotrmig so many conflicting ideals, those of helping producers obtain good prices for their birds, of not driving prices so high that buyers rebelled and made their purchases elsewhere, and of rigid adherence to a strict 79. honesty and impartiality throughout. Poultry Producers* representative re- sponsible to so many objectives would face a well-nigh impossible task. Never- theless, it is difficult to envisage how the introduction of another organization to manage the auction woxild alter the situation materially. The level of prices at which the Association made its purchases would still be the main concern. 80. Summary and Conclusions The poultry auction is still something of a novelty in California and has not yet been accepted. Nevertheless, there are substantial arguments in favor of adopting it as a permanent market institution. The concentration of poultry keeping enterprises in the Petaluma area has long been sufficiently dense to support some organized machinery through which its poultry meat output could be channelled into consumption. Poultry Producers of Central California met this need in respect to eggs but found in the handling of live poultry an ex- ceptionally prickly problem. At the same time, most producers on their own ranches were in a weak bargaining position relative to that of potential buyers armed with superior market information and numerous opportunities for unfair dealing. Any system which incorporated into the sale process concentration at a convenient center, irripartial grading, open competitive bidding by buyers with established consumer clienteles and appropriate processing facilities, under the supervision of an organisation with high prestige and a genuine interest in its members' welfare, would seem to be an advance on the conditions previously prevailing, | The auction opened with important initial advantages, A large proportion of the poultryraen in the area were members of Poultry Producers of Central Califor- nia and would be likely to patronize it at least until some evidently more favor- able alternative was put in their way. It had the full benefit of the Associa- tion's powers and experience in organization and publicity. Elaborate care was taken to satisfy the convenience of potential buyers or sellers subject to the limitation that in some respects there were latent incompatibilities. The hour and day of the week on which sales were held and the purchasing policy followed by the Poultry Department illustrate this very clearly. Producers were able to employ the Association's transportation service to the auction. The attendance of important buyers was secured in spite of the disapproval expressed in some quarters. Risk of unreasonably low prices was limited by the Association's undertaking to buy, on behalf of its own poultry department, as much to counter- act the effect on prices of local changes in demand and supply, as to satisfy its own requirements on a commercial basis, ' | Dissatisfaction with existing market channels found ample demonstration in the largo qusuritities of produce handled by the auction in its first year, A peak volume for a single sale was achieved on January 11, 19l'-9, when 5^,000 pounds of pot\ltry passed through. The average sale for the first three months approximated to 28,000 pounds, for the months of September to March 19149, 2i;,000 pounds and April -September 17,000 pounds. Transactions via the auction fell off through the year both absolutely, and relatively to the total sale of poultry in the state, which stayed on much the same level, ^ Variation in the quantity of birds offered proved a deterrent to buyers with other important business and a source of loss to those producers who sent in valuable consignments on days when supplies were excessive. Over the hundred auction sales analyzed, the average deviation from the mean was 31 per cent, but the range was much wider. Part of this may be attributed to the practice of holding two auctions each week and could be predicted. Even after correction into weekly averages the mean variation was 2k.9 per cent during the months September, 19ij.8, to March, 1914-9, a figure in which exceptionally severe fluc- tuations about Thanksgiving and Christmas played a m.ajor part. Nevertheless, over-all seasonal fluctuations at Petaluma were less severe than where they were a direct reflection of the "natural" breeding cycle. Poultry sales to 81. "Central Western Primary Markets" displayed a much wider siring, albeit with a recognized symmetry. Petaluma supplies^ in contrast, were governed by the com- bined operation of two cycles, that of young meat birds leaving the hatcheries, and of older layers held for their egg potential during the period of scarcity in the fall, but culled out severely when their rate of lay declined in the summer, | However, there was no likelihood of the seasonal flow of birds through the auction matching the movement of consiomer demand. The index of shipments to San Francisco indicates that the presence of wholesale buyers able to store against consumer requirements was an essential part of a satisfactory market. Performance of such services was not within the capacity of small retailers and hucksters who bought only for current requirements. This same obstacle might conceivably be overcome by careful planning on the part of producers or by direct control over deliveries through a marketing association. On the other hand, the experience of the meat bird cooperative in Sonoma county just after the war is partial evidence of the difficulties associated therewith. It lay within the power of producers themselves at least to moderate this source of friction and loss. The unexpected diversion to the auction of large batches of fryers which were usually handled elsewhere, was responsible for much of the uncertainty attached to this sector of the market. Fluctuations in the supply of Leghorn hens were moderate by comparison with the other classes. In all categories variation was less during summer than winter. The institution of a grading program at the producer level was one of the most original and praiseworthy steps in the history of poultry marketing in the West despite its recognized limitations. For most unbranded commodities it has been recognized as a prerequisite to intelligent and equitable exchange. A fair bargain concerning the terms on which ownership should be transferred presupposes accepted standards by which to measure relationships of prices and quality in this and other markets. The additional cost of grading can be dis- counted against reduced allowances for risk on the part of intermediary buyers and enhanced consumer confidence in the end product at the "retail outlet." Grading practices at Petaluma were scrutinized with a view to detecting any tendency towards undue concentration of birds in the higher grades, and for flexibility in standards with variations in supply. The conditions under vrhich live birds were graded before the auction sale began, impeded the detailed application of United States grades. Those employed by the auction would have been satisfactory' if applied evenly throughout the sale. In practice, however, consistency was impeded by the chronic tendency for birds to arrive late, while the sale was actually in pro,^-ress. The emphasis on grading at the auction was pre-eminently negative, that of removing the evidently defective from the apparently good. This might be appropriate for the handling of culled layers, but certainly displayed lack of imagination when applied to the youjiger classes. Setting up a super grade with which producers' names could be associated publicly would have fostered the selection of the best quality birds for this type of open sale and attracted buyers of the caliber most likely to benefit the auction and its supporters. A comparison with tests conducted at Los Angeles does not indicate that the grade standards required at Petaluma were unduly low. They can be used, therefore, to evaluate the general quality of the birds sold at the auction. Among the older birds it seems to have been as high as could be expected. Host 82. producers sent in the full range of birds culled from a flock of layers. Though sorae, admittedly, sent birds rejected by other buyers, these did not form a notable proportion of the total sale. It seems to be the general opjjnion that in the fryer class the contrary"- obtained. Average quality varied sharply be- tween sales. Unreliability was another factor contributing toward the auction's failure to establish a satisfactory market for this class of bird. Broilers were mostly good. Sales data for a series of 100 auctions were examined with a view to dis- covering ho\-j far they were indicative of a departure from the tenets of a per- fect market. Criteria employed included proportionality between average grade prices and the quality levels they reflected, and approximation to prices for comparable products in the markets after due allowance for transportation and shrinkage , It appears that equitable relationships of this nature were easily upset by temporary changes in the balsxice of supply and demand. Ilaladjustment in this respect has an exaggerated effect on price making under the auction method, since there are no limits on the upward and doimward movement of prices beyond those set by open bidding. At this time colored fowl were much sought after and earned a premiura over Leghorn hens of 12 cents per pound and over colored fryers of ii-6 cents per pound. The special market for heavy, fat hens was open to even the lowest ranges of quality in this class. Seasonality in consujtiption patterns was significant in the substitution of turkey for chicken at Thanksgiving and Christmas and reduced interest in the older birds during summer when fricassee and soup were less in demand. Some criticism may be directed at the reversal of price grade relationships which occurred occasionally as a result of some fortuitous sequence in sale order. However, the quantities involved were invariably small since the payment of higher prices for lower grade birds was a result of the apparent paucity in offers of the higher grades. Certainly, inferior birds sold better at the auction than they would have done elsewhere. It brought together a wide range of produce and allowed buyers to select more nearly just what they wanted. Sales at the ranch were usually concluded under the assumption that the buyer took the whole flock offered. Thus, a dealer interested only in the better quality birds would himself have to find other outlets for those below standard. At the auction small retailers prepared to process lower grade birds and sell them in their most attractive form, were able to purchase precisely those lots which would bring them the maxiraum advantage. Average margins between grades were equitable over the range of classes wherever the quantities handled were large enough to absorb the influence of individual loads. It is clear from these data that stability and predictability in all these respects rose in pro- portion to the volume of produce handled. Prices at Petaluma followed very much the same pattern as those reported for the wholesale market at San Francisco, For good Leghorn hens the Petaluma average was one cent per pound higher. This is less than the customary margin of l-r?-2 cents for transfer between these markets, and reflects the influence of buyers vjith direct retail outlets. Producers bearing a commission charge of l^- cents per poimd were thus receiving only one-half cent below the San Francisco level. 83. The San Francisco broiler price ran two cents higher than that averaged at Petaluma incorporating a wider margin for slirinkage and risk. Prices of good fryers were more variable at Petaluma in accordance with fluctuations in supply. Since prices tended to vary inversely with volurae, the weichted average fell several cents below that at San Francisco. This also reflects a difference in average quality. | Careful study of figures 8j 9 and 10 suggests that the city price tended to follow the directional changes in Petaluina prices after a lag of several days. The latter were the more sensitive. Demand was a more constant factor than supply and Petaluma was nearer to the supply end of the marketing chain. Prices obtained at ranch sales were generally based on the same city market quotation less the accepted margJji for handling and transfer. Therefore, the same considerations would apply, subject always to this adjustment and to the significant qualification that where sales were negotiated on such terms the crux of the bargain switched to the appropriateness of the quotation, the proportion of the flock thrown out as rejects, and the size of the deduction on this proportion. Eighteen looultry dealers bought 10,000 pounds or more of poultry at Petaluma during the year under detailed study. But at any one auction only ten to twelve made actual purchases. No one buyer was in a position to exert mono- psonistic pressure on prices or to control the bidding at the auction. As a corollary, hoxvever, it had not the continued support of any firm with such a^ capacity for distribution a:id storage as to absorb, without effecting a signifi- cant change in the price level, such exceptional offerings as occured from time to time in the class of colored fryers. The large San Francisco wholesalers bought indirectly through Petalujna hucksters who looked for transfer costs and a profit between the city price and that paid at the auction. Some ten per cent of the volume was taken up by this group of buyers. The bulk of the purchases outside went to Bay area and San Francisco retailers whose wholesale contacts were limited. | The Petaluma hucksters resented the existence of the auction since it per- formed their own fuction of assembly and concentration for redistribution to specialized buyers. Their concern is evidence of the service offered by the auction to the medium sized wholesaler-retailer and the smaller men in enabling them to select their purchases from a varied presentation of birds arranged in conveniently sized lots. These buyers tended to have a disproportionate interest in the lower grades and in colored birds. Neither Poultrj-' Producers' poultry department nor the other large wholesale buyer was interested in such produce. They sold again to professional buyers. Inclusion of lower grade produce along with the good would be detected and would detract from their business reputation. | An additional advantage of the auction from the dealer's point of view lay in its continuity, irrespective of the contribution made by the individual buyer. Those who bought there customarily adduced arguments of economic advantage and convenience in so doing.. When dealing with private individuals they found that the maintenance of good will and personal contacts constituted a definite limit- ing factor in determining the pressure advisable in direct bargaining. The market area from which birds were sent into the auction extended up to 100 miles north, east and south, and reached to the sea on the west. Two-thirds 81i. of the total quantity originated in the Santa Rosa-Petaluma area and this proportion increased during the year. Nevertheless, the service provided by the Association in shipping birds to Petaluma from outlying branches v;as much appreciated by producers in such districts. They suffered, however, from dis- advantages implicit in the system. The auction accepted for sale all deliveries made to its premises. Shipments from sources not contributing regularly tended to upset the balance of supply and demand, to have a depressing influence on prices and, thus, to deter the shippers from repeating the experiment. This happened most often with broilers and colored fryers, types generally sold in uniform lots,. Producers agreed that some form of regulatory system to supplement the poultry department's buying policy would have beneficial effects. Yet, the experience of the ill-fated Petaluma meat bird cooperative is evidence of the problems involved in operating such a program, if Two characteristic attitudes of poultrymen tovjards marketing practice can usefully be distinguished. Men interested primarily in production and lacking the time or inclination for personal assumption of marketing functions were glad to avail themselves of the auction service. Others were reluctant to relax control over their produce until they had haggled over the last cent on individ- ual birds. They switched their custom between different outlets as the particu- lar defects of each received the emphasis of recent patronage. The former tended to be most interested in the egg business, the latter in meat bird production. This is a more fundamental division of opinion than those deter- mined by bitter memories of a single bad deal, by private animosities and attach- ments to individual personalities. Together with other factors it finds reflec- tion in the maintenance over time of stability in the numbers of older fowl passing through the auction in contrast to the shaip decline evinced in the quantity of fryers. There are sound economic arguraents behind this too. Large lots of young birds of uniform quality are best sold from the ranch. Sale through the auction involved additional handling and transport charges without commensurate increases in buyer satisfaction. An interesting proposal was that the auction proper should be administered by a neutral organization in whose impartiality both producer and poultry buyer would have confidence. Poultry Producers of Central California would continue to shape its buying policy towards insuring members against unreasonable falls in price so far as was compatible vdth the need to cover its own costs. It would not undertake the additional obligation of maintaining the auction's popularity with potential buyers. Yet it is difficult to see how this would effect any material change. Any action directed tovjards raising the price level would drive away other buyers if it precluded their making a profit no matter under whose auspices the auction was conducted, V The auction failed to provide an appropriate outlet for young frying chicken of high value and uniform quality. There are cogent reasons why it would be unlikely to do so even after supply regulation and storage facilities had been established. Small lots, on the other hand, and offgrade birds generally sold best when concentrated at some convenient center and handled by auction in such a way as to attract the retail buyer and those whose requirements included a wide range of types. . As stated in the 19h9 report on the activities of Poultry Producers of Central California poultry department, "By and large, member con- signors have found they can obtain considerably more for offgrade poultry, particularly Leghorn fowl, by selling through the auction than they normally ( 85. obtain tlirough other market outlets,... Competition in the bidding for certain lots often resulted in prices considerably above those which the Association or any other buyer would be willing to pay on a given day for poultry of compar- able grade. Restrictions on the size of lot were influential in attracting the smaller buyers. Ten or eleven coops comprised the maximum quantity in one sale unit. Many were not so large. The auction provides the most rapid possible method of selling poultry. The regular attendance of San Francisco buyers at the auction is primarily because it enables them to buy a wide variety of poultry in one place in a relatively short period of time." j ^ On March 6, 19 5l Poultry Producers of Central California announced that the poultry auction would be suspended. They declared that "the principal reason for suspension of the auction was lack of sufficient volume of poultry to justify the labor and other costs incidental to the activity. The Association's facili- ties for handling poultry at Petaluma, we believe^ are fully ample to handle at least three times the volume of poultry received." The steady downward trend in volume of birds handled per auction sale continued through 19 50 and early 19 5l. During the fall of 19U8, liOO-500 coops of chickens were offered at sales held twice weekly. Two years later sales conducted once only per week were handling an average of 250 coops. Tlirough November, 1950, average sales declined to l50 coops. They rose again to approxijiiately 18U in December but fell back again to l50 in January and February. Auction sales of live chickens totalled 892,601 pounds in 1950 as against l,8lij.,l52 the previous year. At these levels of turnover Poultry Producers of Central California experi- enced difficulty in retaining the services of a good auctioneer and were compelled to allocate the burden of fixed costs over an ever diminishing volume of through- put. The auction continued to cover its costs until the winter of 1950-5l. Table 18 relates its financial profitability over the whole period of operation to changes in the volume of business transacted. TABLE 18 Income and Expenditure — Petaluma Poultry Auction, 19l;8-195l Period Average monthly volume Gross margin Operating expenses Net margin thousand pounds cents per pound 19li8, July-December I9I4.9 , January-De cemb er 1950, January-December 1951, January-February 245 151 7U 38 1.50 1.U6 1.50 1.50 1,00 0,86 1.3U 1.65 0 0 0 -0 .50 .60 .16 .15 Higher efficiency following the early months of experience permitted the auction to cut its per-unit expenses during 19U9 in spite of the decline in business. On this showing, some reduction in service charges might have been 86. practicable with a view to meeting supplier criticisms,-' The Association had, however, reversed its policy of buying only through the auction and offered members the alternative of direct purchase. This contributed materially to the decline in the auction voluiae. The auction also lost its managerial head at the end of the year {19h9) j and changed auctioneers shortly afterwards. Contin- ued decline in the volume handled during 19^0 had its inevitable effect on costsj and expenses were barely covered. From November 19^0, each month showed a loss and the trend of business offered no prospect of recovery. [ The financial position of the poultry department had long been an erabarass- ment to the directors of the Association. They did not wish to deprive members of its facilities, yet felt that it could not continue to be subsidized by other activities. Results during 19U9 and 19^0 were especially unsatisfactory. The loss of '>13,262 on the chicken division actually indicated some improvement upon the 19U9 deficit of ?pl8,068, but offered no prospect of transformation into a credit balance within the immedj.ate future. On April 6^ 19^1, it x-^as announced that poultry dressing at both Petaluma and Stockton would cease altogether. The directors emphasized the weight of strong competition in cutting the margin available between buying and selling prices, a situation which could only be borne if the cooperative had been able to derive economies of scale from a large and regular turnover. They were further discouraged by the government plans for ceiling prices on poultry products. Price control in the face of excess consumer demand during the war had diverted trade from the cooperative, which observed the regulations, to other channels xAich vxere not so scrupulous. In any event, the auction process is in direct conflict with the observance of predetermined grade price ceilings, A fundamental factor in the failure of the auction and one which has received less attention is that of human psychology, a simple loss of confidence. In auctioneering more, perhaps, than in other realms of endeavor, nothing breeds success like success. A leading personality, able simultaneously to "talk up" the auction publicly as well as found it on sound administrative bases, could have made an immense difference. Doubts arising in the minds of the directors, as the volume fell, and a manager who devoted the major part of his attention to other phases of the po\iltry department's operations contributed to the groi-rbh of a negative attitude. As an institution, this particular auction was finally doomed by unfortunate management and too narrow insistence on a dollars and cents profit, I The discontinuance of the weekly auction at Petaluma is a loss to the poultiy industry of the Bay region. It may not have handled such a volume and quality of birds as to set the price for the San Francisco market. Nevertheless, to an area interested primarily in egg production it offered sales facilities for which no equally flexible and efficient substitute can easily be envisaged. 1/ The prevailing view was that this surplus should be retained by the cooperative in anticipation of a deferred payment to patrons. See Appendix 2 for detailed breakdown of operating costs in 19U8 and 19h9, Note, for example, the credit on transportation account for 19U9. 1 87. Not the least of its valuable services was that of bringing the going price out into the open and of publicizing the conditions under which real sales were transacted. There can be no doubt that, excluding the effect of changes in over- all national demand, poultrynien and the smaller retailers are in a much worse position mthout it. Paradoxically enough, the decline in the volume of poultry- passing through the auction has been a measure of the improvement wrought in marketing conditions in the area as a whole. Its presence as an alternative out- let enhanced the bargaining power of individual producers and enabled them to exact terms from outside buyers which would not otherwise have been possible. 88. Appendix I United States Grades Specifications Live Poultry Quality A or No. 1, Each bird shall (l) be alert and have bright eyes and other conditions indicating health and vigor; | (2) be well feathered, with feathers showing luster or sheen and quite thoroughly covering all parts of the body; (3) be of normal physical conformation. It may have a slightly curved breastbone or other slight abnormality in its shape if it does not interfere with the normal distribution of the flesh. A dent in the breastbone shall not exceed one -fourth inch in depth for turkey classes and one-eighth inch in depth for other classes of poultry. The bird may also have a slightly crooked back; | ik) have a well-developed, moderately broad and long breast, well fleshed throughout its entire length, and thighs and legs well covered x^rith flesh according to sex and age. There shall be no appreciable toughen- ing of flesh if tender meat is a class requirement, {$) have breast, back, hips, and pin bones, in the case of classes of yoiong chickens, shovdng fat, and in other classes have these parts well covered with fat, A fowl shall not have excessive abdominal fatj (6) be free of tears, broken bones and external evidence of disease. It may have slight scratches, slight bruises or callouses, any of which must not materially affect its appearance, especially the breast, when feathers are removed. It nay also have slightly scaly legs. Quality B or No. 2 , Each bird shall (l) be of good health and vigor; (2) be fairly v/ell feathered, that is, some feathers may be lacking on some parts of the body, and there may be a moderate number of pin feathers; (3) be of normal physical conformation but may have slightly crooked breastbone if it does not seriously interfere with the normal distribution of the flesh. It may have a moderately crooked back and slightly misshapen legs or vjingsj 89. ik) be fairly well fleshed in relation to length and depth of the body with all parts fairly well covered with flesh according to age and sex. There shall be no appreciable toughening of flesh if tender meat is a class requirement J (5) have sufficient coverage of fat to prevent a dark appearaiice, A hen nay have excessive abdominal fat, (6) be free of tears, broken bones and external evidence of disease, slight breast blisters, heavy callouses and seriously scaly legs. (1) be lacking in vigor j (2) have large niuabers of pin feathers over all parts and no feathers on the backj (3) have crooked breastbone, himchback and other definite deformities; j {h) have poorly developed, narrow breast and thin covering of flesh over all parts of the bird; j (5) have only small amount of fat in feather tracts and be completely lacking in fat on back and thighs j (6) have large skin bruises, small flesh bruises and severe breast blisters; (7) be slightly crippled. It must be free of broken bones and of external evidence of disease or other conditions which vjould render it unfit for food. Reject . Any bird below C or No. 3, that is, a bird that shows evidence of disease or that has large flesh bruises, severe discolorations, severe injury, emaciation and other similar conditions which will render the bird unfit for human food. Tolerances , The recommended tolerance policy would allow that 10 per cent of the birds in a coop should be of the grade immediately below that assigned, except that no rejects should be permitted in Mo, 3. Tolerances with respect to the quantity of food in the birds* crops are also specified. Quality C or No, 3 , Each bird may 'in 90. Appendix 2 Operating Ebcpenses — ^Petaluma Live Poultry Auction, July 19li8-December 19k9 ! Proportion of Expense operating margin July- January July- January- December December December December Operation 19U8 19ii9 19Uo 19U9 cents per pound per cent Auctioneer's fee .2lii .123 IU.26 8.ii3 Labor— receiving .1;82 .3U7 32.IU 23.75 -office .173 .lUi Ip.oo 7.8U Travel .006 ,002 .39 .11 Repairs and supplies .0^9 .061 3.25 ii.l7 Utilities .006 .018 .Ul 1.21 Rent .032 .06)4 2.IU i+.Uo Depreciation .137 9.U0 Reserve for credit losses .016 ,02$ 1.10 1.73 Pro rata general .058 U.18 U.Ol association overhead .063 Total expenses l.Olil .9li9 69. U58 65.05 Less credits-transportation .002 .058 .11 3.95 -feed charges .039 .030 2.U6 2.03 Net expenses 1,000 .861 66.88 59.07