La Junta tribune., 1909-01-09
Points About Poultry
DOES POULTRY PAY,
BY o. c. Frantx.

the egg side of the poultry business.
as 800 can be produced more easily
and quicker from eggs than broiiers
or roasters. and the profits will be
much greater.
OF the several branches Of the
poultry business none are more prof
liable than egg farming. Fresh eggs
are always In demand at an advanced
price. From my own experience !
can say very emphaticaliy that the
egg business does pay and pay well.
The number of plants that continue
to flourish all over the country are
good evidence that it must be a pay
ing business.
The average price OF eggs and
poultry are steadily increasing. From
the year 1903 to 1907 the average
price OF eggs throughout the United
States Increased from 1897 cents per
dozen TO 1871 cents per dozen and
during the same period OF time poul-
try increased from 10.7Sc per ID. TO
l4.9c per lb. This Is remarkable
showing when we take into consider
alton the Increase In production dur
Ing this period Of time as well as
the increase in price.
How many OF us really know the
actual value OF the poultry and eggs
marketed and produced In single
year through the United States.
The last government report by
Hon. Jas. Wilson. secretary OF as
riculture at Washington. places the
value OF the poultry and eggs mar
keted in 1907 at 100000. 900. which
Is an increase over 1906 Of 100000
600. The rastness of the poultry in
dustry is almost beyond our com
prehension. There are only three as-
ricultural crops I'm the entire United
States which exceed in value the popu
try crop; they are corn. hay and cot.
ton. The poultry crop exceeds 'he
value of the whole wheat crop $780,
900 900. Let US go back TO the year
of 1910 and we Will find the value OF
| the poultry products for that year
amounted to less than $4,000, 900.
while today the value OF the poultry
crop in a single state amounts TO
more than that. Our neiyhbor stat
of Kansas produced and marketed IN
1907 poultry and eggs TO the amount
of Sl0,300.000. One single county In
good old Missouri marketed last year
S.695,520 dozen of eggs and nearly
10000. 900 lbs OF poultry. for which II
received $2.637.476. While our home
state (Colorado) pays out annually
nearly $4,000. 200 for poultry pro-
ducts TO other states. which produce
them under far less favorable condi-
tions. Colorado alone does not pro.
duce enough poultry and eggs per
year to last Denver 80 days.
| I now want TO show you the mag
nitude of the egg industry and the
profits realized from It. There are
thousands OF large egg farms in the
United States, one OF the largest
being In New York state; the pro
ducts average annually nearly $4,000
Many net their owners from $4,000
j TO 1000 per year. Hundreds OF Iuen
and women are making money out oi
the business. conducting 1t as side
issue. realizing from 5000 to $1,000
ahd they only devote u small part OF
their time to the work.
i Petaluna. Calf. Is known the
world over as the White Leghorr
city. because SO many White Leg
horns are kept around town. all fol
the production Of eggs for market
The record for 1907 was 4.422,6ss doz
en- eggs and the adjoining county pro
duced 6.677. 1886 dozen; yet some thinl
the poultry business is small bust
ness.
The poultry business OF today I
properly handled will give far greater
returns than any other branch o
farming At present price OF feed
csa clear annually per hen from $i.5'
to $3.50. What does it cost to pro
duce dozen eggs from laying hen
That must be based on the number
OF eggs laid per hen per year. ant
the amount of feed consumed pei
hen per year.
Take the Colorado business fowl
the s. c. White Leghorn. which .;
per cent. of all the large egg farms
keep exclusive for egg production
She is seldom guilty OF laying less
than twelve dozen eggs per year
many lay as high as 24o per year;
her one aim In life is to I'LL the egg