European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 23, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday november 23, 19bb the stars and stripes Page 7 Gao says Low salaries plague irs Washington %5 70 75 Chicago Tribune graphic by Tim Williams source Mason Al Turkey of Denton after Only seven years the Beltsville tur key represented 28 percent of the 67 Mil lion Birds produced that year in 1954. The new Birds averaged around nine pounds when shipped to Markd compared with 15 pounds or so for the other Commer Cial Breeds. -. Today the genes of the Bells Villa Small we Ilc Are spread among Many of the Modem Breeds. One of inc prize character is pics is us reproductive capabilities says Thomas i. Schlon a poultry physiologist and director of the agriculture depart ment s livestock and poultry sciences Institute at Beltsville. -. Sexton said inc Small while female can produce More than 100 eggs in six months handily Topping the output of other com Mercial Breeds. All commercial turkeys arc produced from artificial insemination and a Bench Mark development came in 1980 when Sexton and other researchers hit upon the Beltsville poultry semen extender a mix Ture thai allow Turkey semen to be stored for six to eight hours without losing viability \ if we left in up to nature the reproductive Rale of Domestic turkeys would be about half of what in is now Sexion said. If you artificially inseminate a flock you can expect a 90 percent to 95 percent Fertil Ity Rale in the eggs produced. But in a Natu rally mated flock you might get 45 percent to 50  Sexton said the male Turkey used for Breeding May average 40 to so pounds compared with 25 pounds or less for the female. And there s a big difference in Altitude in these big males he said. They re More interested in Caling than  before the Beltsville poultry semen extender was perfected Lurecy semen had to be used within 30 minutes after it was collected. Thai meant the Toms had to be on the same farm with the females. The extender sent most of the loss to Market and allowed those remaining to be bunched together on Lurecy stud farms Sexton said. Sexton said the extender allows a single male to inseminate As Many As 40 females a week compared Wilh Only about 10 before. The nation s Lurecy Oul Pul jumped sharply in 1987 10 a record of More than 240 million Birds and another 5 percent increase is expected this year according to the department s economic research serv ice.  half a dozen states North Carolina. Minnesota California Arkansas Virginia and Missouri produce More than two thirds of All turkeys sold in the United slates.  scientists Send but wanted posters Anchorage Alaska up curious scion Lisis who helped Rescue a pair of trapped Gray whales. From the Arctic ice Are sending out warned posters of the giant mammals in Hopes of finding out if Lucy make Illo sunny California the photos Are being Send to the companies that operate popular cruises along the Pacific coast in which Lou Sis pay for the Opportunity to Waich migrating whales As they swim Down the coast toward their mexican Breeding  Wilh the help of Floc photos the Marine biologists Hope Lour operators will spot the whales and report their whereabouts. The whales nicknamed sikh and Poutu Are identifiable by their battered snouts which were Cut by the jagged ice As they struggled to breathe through Small holes Many Cut by volunteers in the Frozen sea off Barrow Alaska. The whales were International front Page news for three weeks but when they were finally Able to swim free on oct. 28, they disappeared from human View now inc scientists who Laboured Wilh local Eski mos russian sailors the National guard Oil companies and Greenpeace environmental Isle in a Mas Sive Rescue Effort that Cost an Estima cd is million want to know if the whales Are doing Well. Ron Morris the Rescue coordinator who works for the National oceanic and atmospheric administration in Anchorage figured the whales have left the Bering sea and Are in the g Ulf of Alaska. Swimming night and Day they Are averaging 4 Mph along a route fraught with danger from Sharks and killer whales Jim Harvey another Federal biologist said the Young whales May Slop in Southern California rather than making the entire 6,000-mile trip to Breeding grounds off Baja Mexico where their fellow whales normally spend the annual mating season. Biologists said the Young whales arc not old enough to male anyway. " ".". " they Are by far the two most photographed whales in history said one scientist who is sending out the wanted posters of the whales so fellow scientists can be alerted if anyone sees lhem.,\ the Young Gray whales Swami free following an All out Rescue Effort on the ice 18 Miles Irani Barrow where eskimos using chainsaws and soviet icebreakers finally Cut them free from three weeks of Captivity 300 Miles North of the Arctic Circle a third whale died Midway through the protracted Rescue. The three became trapped after they lingered Loo Long in summer feeding grounds and the Ocean areas off Alaska began to freeze