The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-06
LETTERS TO EDITOR
HOW CHICKENS LOSE MONEY
Editor of The Age-Herald ::

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 For some time have been reading the propa- ganda on big profits made on chickens, and if you will permit this in your columns, will try to give my experience for the past year on egg production.
 It is very noticeable that the people who advocate chickens and eggs are those who have few pure-bred CD which they advertise for setting eggs and sell them to fools at from $1 to $5 per dozen, or per setting, or else men ' who are paid to do the boosting for reason, and not those who sell chickens and eggs com mercally.
 The country is getting so overrun with graft scheming, looking for way to make living out of the other fellow with least resistance to the grafters, that it seems to me the other side of the question should also be given to the people who have never tried it. and then let them, if they choose do as I did, and get the experience with their eyes open when they entered the work. If everybody could be fancy breeders and have buyers sufficient to take their stock, then there would be money in the chicken and egg business. Any man make money when he can dispose of his eggs at from $1 to $3 dozen, but when he can realize only net income (after deducting transportation
 
 commercial eggs and pays present prices for feed, he is loser, and there is no way for him to escape it.
 In April, 1921, the writer, believing there living in it, started in the business by building a chicken house and purchasing 2,000 baby chicks of the White Leghorn type, said to be the best layers Never did harder work in my life than the care of raising these chick ens Had no disease among them and bought all the feed. Kept strict account of every cent of cost and returns. When the cockrels were large enough to ship weighing from one and half to two pounds, they had cost about so cents each, and were sold from 30 to 40 cents each. Note this 50 to 60 per cent loss the roosters. When the bullets began laying, at the age of months, for short time, around the Christmas season, eggs brought 40 cents a dozen. Shortly went down to 30, 25 and 20 cents.
 During all this period of raising and keep ing the chickens the feed cost from 90 cents to $1 for corn and for prepared chicken feed from $2.50 to $3 per sack, about $1. 25 per bushel. l fed mine whole corn corn chops, bran, shorts, tankage, oats, oyster shell, char coal and they had 80 acres free range, which the greater part of the year was covered with clover, lespediza and Bermuda grass, to say nothing of the green oat pasture. At the end of the first year I had lost not only full years labor, but in addition cash to the amount of $529.26. This does not include the cost of the poultry houses, which add- tional expense of $582 If I should market the hens on hand today at present prices they would not bring enough to balance the loss in cash.
 When farmer keeps a few hens about the farm, he keeps no accounting, cannot if he would; and when he markets his eggs at 20 or 25 cents dozen he feels that it is all profit, while the real cost is there, if he could only see it. and may be above the selling price.
 Now, what are we going to do about it? am sure I have no remedy. Would like to know There millions of eggs imported into the United States every year from China. The Chinese claim that they can produce them at ? cents per dozen and make a profit People that know anything about Chinese life under stand that the Chinese, the poorer class, can live from to 5 cents day, and they feed all the filth about the place to the chickens. There is nothing so nasty that a chicken re- fuses if it can have access to it. There is great deal of inspection of dairies to guarantee dDSolule CledHllIleSS III Illlk anu DulleT, put what about chickens and eggs? None. It is granted that an egg is just as susceptible of transmitting loathsome diseases as dairy prod ucts. Then why should we permit these filthy importations and at the same time much time and expense in the inspection of dairies? It is one-sided affair, just as the commercial production of chickens and eggs is an unbal- anced account.
 I told that the producers of poultry products in the north gradually giving it up, and believe that the people of the south should take notice and not go into it without first understanding the side of the producer of eggs for table use as well as the flowery statements of the men who sell eggs at fancy price for breeding purposes. We can't all be fancers. G. c. KINDLEY.
 Eutaw May 4, 1922.
 APPRECIATE FIRE DEPARTMENT To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 We want to compliment and thank the Bir- mingham fire department for the good work