The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-03-17
POULTRY CONTEST
PROVES Of VALUE
Egg Battle at Hawthorne
School First of Kind in
the United States.
is REAL EDUCATION
Director L. E. Harris Sums
Up Results Of the Feb
ruary Competition.
is REAL EDUCATION

The first egg -laying contest TO be
conducted in America by grade school
has been held at the Hawthorne school
In Orchard Homes. This was held
during the month OF February. A
summary has been issued by l.. i.
Harris, director. He says:
Not only has the contest aroused n
great amount OF interest among the
students, with the result that many
Of them are already planning of rails
Ing "more and better poultry" SO they
will be better equipped for the next
contest. but 1t has also brought out
many new points Of Information OF
general value, among which are:
Number OF pounds of feed consumed
by the average birds of large breeds,
also cost OF food per bird; number of
eggs laid by the average farm hen;
average food cost to produce a dozen
eggs on the farm, especially in winter
when the birds do not have the adj
vantage Of free range and all of their
food has to be provided. Also the
fact was strongly brought out that
some Of the farm flocks are not only
paying their way, but are returning a
good profit while others are being
kept at an absolute loss.
Regarding the birds In the contest:
Twelve of the children brought three
birds each. IS IN all: one-half being
from the heavy breeds and the other
half from the light breeds. Each child
selected their own birds which. be-
licve, are fairly representative Of the
standard of poultry kept on the aver
age western farm with regard to breed
ing. raising and care. Some were
good. some fair and the others poor,
very poor especially In the case of the
Leghorns. Several showed the effect
OF undertaking, both in their weight
and appearance and in the way they
attacked the mash hoppers, which is
largely responsible for the high cost
OF feed for the month.
None of the egg records made for
the month were very startling, five
birds, or only per cent laid enough
cggs to pay for their feed and returned
a profit. The rest were kept at a loss
Had they been properly bred and
raised every bird In the contest should
have equalled or excelled the record
made by the high bird. Figuring the
contest as whole, each bird was
kept at an average loss Of 24k cents
each, or at the rate of s2450 on 100
birds per month, which amount will
fairly represent the loss on every 100
hens kept on the average farm for
at least each of the months of No
vember, December, January and Feb
ruary Yet the government has pro-
hibited the slaughter of these very
birds until after the breeding season
is over and so per cent of the farmers
will keep and breed their next sea
sons layers from this stock. The pity
Of II. If the American Farmer is 60
ing to produce eggs as part OF his
share in winning the war he will surely
have to change his stock and manner
OF caring for his birds. For he is rem
dering scant aid when every dozen
eggs he produces Is costing on an av-
erage OF $l.37 for feed alone, to say
nothing of labor. interest and deprcci-
alton charge. The best layer produced
q dozen eggs at a feed cost of 30 cents
q dozen, not including the cost of the
straw for litter and returned "A profit
OF 32X cents for the month or at the
rate Of $32.75 for 100 like birds. Now
listen And especially are these re-
marks addressed to the children. Ev
cry keeper of chickens should and
could breed and raise every hen in his
flock SO they can and will lay as well
as the best bird in the contest laid in
February.
Summary Of Contest.
A summary of the total eggs laid and
feed costs for the IS birds for Fcbru
airy follows:
Total eggs laid. li6, or 9A dozen.
Average selling price, 57i. cents
per dozen.
Value Of eggs. $500.
Cost of feed for February, $1432.
Loss for month, $s.72.
While February, with only 1l6 eggs
laid. shows a loss, ] feel safe in pre-
dieting profit for March, for the
birds are in Is per cent better shape
physically than when they entered the
contest and are beginning to respond
accordingly l believe they will lay
ut least $50 or 37k dozen eggs for this
month.
American Beauty and purple is a
new COmbinat lOn