The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-02-05
POULTRY PROFITS
 ARE ON INCREASE, EXPERT DECLARES

Prof. J. F. Lantz, specialist in ami nal nutrition, of the Tioga Mill & 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, a normal year, with that of 1917. We have chosen the year of 1907 be- cause in that year the poultry busi- ness. had a great impetus. It was then that poultry shows and local poultry associations were being organ ized all over the country. People were going into the poultry business in the year 1907 just as fast as they are go- 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 approxi- mated $1.75 per 100 pounds, against s3.5O per 100 pounds in 1917. Some feeds cost more and some less than s1.75 in 1907, just as some sources cost more and some less than $3.5O per 100 in 1917; but the above is closely enough approximated for reasonable comparison. It 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 90 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 a year in 1907 would be 90 pounds multiplied in $1.75, or $1.57 1-2; and to keep a hen in 1917 the cost would be 90 pounds multiplied by $5s5O or $315. This minus $1.57 1-2, cost in 1907, shows the cost of grain to keep a hen in 1917 to be $1.57 1-2 more than it cost in 1907.
 Now, let us make comparison of the receipts from the hen in 1907 and 1917. In 1907 Pennsylvania fresh eggs sold at from 17c to 4Oc per dozen, aV- ] eraging 2Oc.
 A hen sold live weight at cents per pound. Hence the receipt from hen which weighed four pounds and produced 12 dozen eggs per year would be as follows:
 12 dozen eggs O 20c $2.2O 4 lbs. hen @ 6c. A $2.64 Less cost of feed, 1.571a Balance over cost of feed, s1O61s
 A balance with which the poulterers l hnn the poultry industry.
 In 1917 Pennsylvania fresh eggs sell at from 25c to 65c per dozen, averag- ling 45c, and hens sell at 20c per lb., i live weight. Hence the receipts for 1917 would be as follows:
 F dozen eggs O 45c, $5.4G l lbs. hen e 200, 'oV
 S6. 20 less cnst of feed, $3.15 Balance over cost of feed, $S.O5 Returns per hen in 1917, $5.oo Returns per hen in 1907, 1.061s Greater profit per hen 1917, S.SS1s
 Some flocks produce only from six to ten dozen eggs per year. This ap- plies principally to farm f1ockc fed too much whole grain and pickup 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 a day to each 100 hens, and keep a, good pure, well-balanced 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 F 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.