The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1920-01-15
By PREM MOORE
Poultry Husbandman, University of
Idaho Extension Division.

Poultry Husbandman, University of
Idaho Extension Division.
The primary object for keeping
fowls Is egg production. 1t matters
not what other qualifications a hen
may have, II she is not producer, she
has no value. Eggs represent about
twO-thirds of the value of the entire
poultry industry in dollars and cents.
The hens carcass Is merely by-pro-
duct of the poultry industry.
According to the farm data avail
able for the years 1913 and 1919, 1T
costs, on the average in Idaho, about
three dollars to feed a hen year.
These figures are based ON conditions
where hens are fed the year around.
The carcass Of the average hen, on
the average market Of Idaho will sell
for less than one dollar, probably a
little less than one-third Of the cost
of feeding for one year. Ii the aver.
age hen is to break even with her
keeper, then she must lay at least 50
eggs. The average price of eggs IN
Idaho for this period was about AZ
cents per dozen, making the eggs
worth about three dollars. This would
not allow the farmer any compensa-
ton for his labor or Investment.
Breaking even Is much better than to
sustain a loss, but certainly is not
good business.
Eighty-six eggs per hen Is much
above the average yearly production
for Idaho farm hens. There are those
farm focks In Idaho, however, that
produce a much higher average. One
Idaho farm record that has been kept
for the last five years shows a yearly
average Of 1S4 eggs per year, per hen.
A production of this average would
mean net income of $6.44 per hen
yer year, or net profit Of $3.44.
There are other records Of shorter
duration that show even higher aver
ages than the one mentioned.
The real test OF the success of any
proposition is determined by the re-
suits obtained over a long period Of
time and from all the units affected
High individual records, or high aver
ages obtained from short tests, are not
the real test and ore valuable.
Breed for Egg Production.
Hens in nature lay couple OF
clutches of eggs amounting probably
TO "a or 30 eggs each year. These
eggs are laid during the natural re-
producing season as provided by ma
ture to reproduce their kind The ad-
ditional eggs that hens lay may be
termed artificial production. For hens
they must be provided artificially as
NEARLY summer conditions thd year
around as possible. In the spring
and summer time, there are greens Of
all kinds and animal protein in the
form of bugs and worms--two ele-
ments that are necessary in a we'll
balanced ration for laying hens. Prop
err feeding is a necessary factor in egg
production, and should not be lost
sight Of However, the year-around
layer is produced through breeding.
The hen is a machine, the purpose
OF which is to consume great guam
titles of food and convert in into a
finished product in the form of eggs.
Some hens have a natural inherited
tendency to convert great quantities
of food into eggs rather than to grow
muscle and fat, while other hens have
IA natural inherited tendency to grow
muscle and fat rather than to pro-
duce many eggs. The tendency of the
hen machine may be controlled thru
breeding and then by proper feeding
and housing. IL she has the produc-
ing tendency. she will produce. salts.
factorily.
Breeding Stock Should be Carefully
Selected.
The practice of poultry breeding OH
the average farm Is to secure males
enough to mate all of the hens on the
farm, irrespective of the fitness of
either male or female for breeding
purposes. There are those hens i'm
every flock that lay but few eggs and
those fiocks in which no hen ever lays
many eggs. The hen that lays but