Republican farmer., 1918-02-08
POULTRY PROFITS
ARE ON INCREASE.
EXPERT DECLARES

Prof. ]. F. Lantz, specialist in ari-
mai nutrition, of the Tioga Mill 6.
Elevator Co., of Waverly, N. Y, has
this to say about hens in 1917 as COM
pared with 1907:
Let us compare costs and profits of
1907, normal year, with that of 1917,
We have chosen the year of 1907 be-
cause in that year the poultry bust
ness had a great impetus. It was
then that poultry shows and local
poultry associations were being organ
lied all over the country. People were
going into the poultry business in tE'-
year 1907 just as fast as they are CO.
ing out of it in 1917. The business in
1907 must have been profitable And
it was. Now we will make a compar-
ison in order to determine just how
much the business is losing under
present conditions.
Good poultry feeds in 1907 approx
mated H.75 per 100 pounds, against
$3.50 per 100 pounds in 1917. Some
feeds cost more and some less than
Sl.7o in 1907, just as some sources cost
more and some less than $3.50 per 100
in 1917; but the above is closely
enough appropriated for reasonable
comparison. 1t shows the cost of feed
to be 100 per cent. more in 1917 than
in 1907, which fully covers the differ
ence
| Hens eat from 80 to 80 pounds OF
grain feed per year, and basing our
calculations on the maximum of 90
pounds per hen, 70 pounds of which
should be laying food and 20 pounds
of mixed or whole grain, the cost of
grain to keep a hen year in 1907
would be 80 pounds multiplied in $1.75
Tor $1.57 IL; and to keep a hen in 1917
the cost would be 80 pounds multiplied
by $3.50 or $315. This minus $157 IL,
cost in 1907, shows the cost of grain to
keep a hen in 1917 to be $1.57 IL more
than it cost in 1907.
| Now, let US make a comparison of
the receipts from the hen in 1907 and
1917. In 1907 Pennsylvania fresh eggs
sold at from TIC to 4Oc per dozen, aY-
eraging zoe.
A hen sold live weight at cents
| per pound Hence the receipt from
hen which weighed four pounds and
produced II dozen eggs per year would
be as follows:
u dozen eggs q zoe 500
lbs. hen a &c. "a
$264
Less cost of feed, 1.571a
Balance over cost Of feed, $1.061a
| A balance with which the poulterers
seemed to be satisfied, and doomed
the poultry industry.
| In 1917 Pennsylvania fresh eggs sell
at from 25c to CSC per dozen, averag-
ing 45c, and hens sell at zoe per ID,
live weight Hence the receipts for
1917 would be as follows:
u dozen eggs q 45c, S5-40
4 lbs hen a 2oc so
$500
less cns+ Of feed. $3.15
Balance over cost OF FEED SS.uo
Returns per hen in 1917, $SVo
Returns per hen in 1907, lVo1a
Greater profit per hen 1877, $l.S67a
Some focks produce only from six
to ten dozen eggs per year This ap-
plies principally to farm hockc fed
100 "uO1S S1dAh e-AA pm Ak>
feed low in nutrition, but regardless
of the amount. of eggs produced, the
same comparisons Of cost and profit
will apply.
The same comparisons will apply
also to the localities where market
prices and conditions vary.
Just a word of caution in closing.
Those of you who have the SIX to ten
dozen egg hens are feeding too much
whole grains. Cut down your grains
to two pounds day to each 100 hens,
and keep a good pure, well-ba1anced
laying food before them all the time.
By so doing you will reduce the cost
of keep and increase the annual pro-
duct of the six to ten dozen eggs hens
| to that Of u dozen. By a careful
study of the above comparisons, you
will get a clearer conception Of the
profits which can be made from the
poultry business today.