Norwich bulletin., 1917-08-23
POULTRY FARM MANAGEMENT
Roy E. Jones, Extension PouItrynar at Storrs College, Discusses the Business End.

The Ioultry business. like evSry other business, must be operated on a l reasonably large scale in order to re- turn a satisfactory profit. Many of the overhead charges remain the same whether the business be large sma Il. The large business can usually be handled more efficiently. Better prices can be obtained on feed and supplies where larger quantities are purchased. The labor cost per unit decreases win the size of the flock. The cost of crop production per acre decreases with larger acreage. The owner has his house rent and what living he obtains from the farm regardless of the size of business.
 It is commonly believed that egg production decreases with the size of the flock, and this may. be true where larger f1ocks cannot be as we'll cared
 for. Figures from this survey show considerable variation in both size and production. but no direct connection size of flock. The extreme high and low production appears among both large and small hocks.
 The largest farms. that ie, the farms showing the greatest total receipts, also show the largest labor income. Total receipts are used as a measure of business done. Relation of Total Receipts to Labor
 Income.
 Number of farms, 12: total receipts, more than s4,00o; average labor in- come. s1,352.
 S2,o90 to 5000; average favor income, s651
 Number of farms, 5; total receipts, less than s2,0oo; average labor income. s212
 The actual range in. total receipts was from s974 to s11,4S2. Farms showing less than s1 800 total receipts could not realize reasonable profit because of the lack of business done.
 On the other hand, there are poor farms among those showing high total receipts. High total receipts is not the key to successful farming, but without high receipts a hilSh labor income can never be realized.
 Diversity is a very i'm portant factor in poultry farming. There are several lines of agriculture which can be car- ried on in connection with poultry to the advantage of both. A small dairy profitable side line. The skim milk from the dairy is perhaps the best single poultry food we have. It takes very little extra labor TO handle both. in the spring while chicks are small. The investment in farm machinery necessary for growing poultry crops will also handle dairy crops. Orchards can be cared for in connection with poultry work without any great labor conflict. Poultry find the best kind of shade in an orchard and at the same time provide fertility for the trees. Some poultry farms are growing pota- toes as a cash crop with good results. | Farm crops grown for see1 purposes also prove to give a satisfactory cash 1 return on some farms.
 Some of the pouItrymen who are | retailing their products grow vegeta- | bles and small fruit for their custom | CTS and find it very profitable side 1 line.
 We could go step further and con 1 sider diversity in the poultry business l source of income on the average farm. 1 the matching egg, chick and breeding l stock business is proving very profit | I ble to some poultrymen.
 Relation of Per Cent. Receipts from
 Poultry to Labor Income.
 Number. of farms, $: per cent. re- ceipts from poultry, less than s50 | average labor income 1852.
 Number of ia rms, Is; pei cent re- ,eipts from poultry. $50 to $s0; aver age labor income. s1,o32.
 Number of farms, 20; per cent re- 'eipts from poultry. sSo to s1oo; aver lge labor income, $4ss.
 The farms showing from st per cent. O so per cent. of their receipts from poultry show the highest labor income. fl Those farms obtaining more than 80 ,er cent of their receipts from poultry |  poultry farms show a lower labor in .ome. The specialized poultry farms how a low labor income in some cases ,ecause of a small business. The prin :ipal cause. however, is beca use of the ack of range, lack of poultry crops. Iigh cost of feed and high labor costs.
 Poultry farming Is essentially farm ,usiness and must be conducted as uch for long Rived success. Factory methods may be successfully applied 1 or a time, but nature leads back to he land
 No farm business is complete with ut system of accounts. It Is not | 1 nough 10 know whether the bank ac- 1 ount is fat or lean. It is not enough | , Q know the total expenses and re- eipte. Egg yield per hen crop yield l nd labor eff54 ency must be consider d. A simple system of accounts will !, e entirely satisfactory provided they :. re systema t4ca1ly kept and carefully tudied.-Roy E. Jones, Extension i ouitrynan. Connecticut Agricultural a