FACTORS AFFECTING PROFIT. 



extra price of prize birds at a London show. 

 This is also shown by some experiments re- 

 corded by the Hon. A. H. Cathcart. Out of 

 thirty-two birds he put up to fatten, two failed, 

 and were discarded ; of the remainder, six 

 made in three weeks a gain in weight of 15.7 

 per cent., eleven of 31.6 per cent., and the rest, 

 thirteen, of 50 per cent. It is manifest that 

 these last must pay much the best. He also, 

 as others have done, notices the fact that the 

 first two weeks give the best results in weight, 

 but considers that the last week adds a penny 

 or more per lb. to the value of the fowl in 

 " quality." 



It is by these market considerations that the 

 real value of breeds and crosses is to be deter- 

 mined, where regular profit is the object in 

 view, and not by winners prepared, often 

 utterl}' regardless of expense, for a competitive 

 class. Mr. C. E. Brooke, whose long study of 

 this subject is well known, kindly prepared for 

 us, from the books of his firm, the following 

 table showing the cost in different months for 

 lean chickens of various grades, and the aver- 

 age prices realised in London, also for various 

 grades, in 1899. The figures show some of 

 those temporary fluctuations in price for which 

 no very definite reason can afterwards be 

 given ; but on the whole afford, in spite of 

 these, a good general view of the average trade 

 that is done. A feature interesting to many 

 will be the prices obtainable for old hens alive ; 

 another is the rather low market for what the 

 great commission dealers term " small stuff." 



The very narrow margin in the Lincolnshire 

 birds known as " Bostons " is owing to the fact 

 that these are simply well-reared chickens 

 merely fed in a pen for a week or so, but not 



crammed or shaped like the Sussex birds. 

 Essex birds mostly come as they are, and we 

 have seen many which would have added six- 

 pence to their value merely by one week's good 

 feeding in a cage. 



The table further gives an idea of the close 

 margin which feeders now have in regard to a 

 large portion of their business, and also of the 

 seasonal changes in the market. 

 Choice of These are important. In spring. 

 Breeds for , • , 1 i. i_ 1 r 



Table Poultry chickens need not be very large to 

 ' realise a good price, provided they 

 are well and evenly fed, and nicely prepared ; 

 but people who will pay highly for this class, at 

 this season, are limited in number. As the year 

 advances, birds must be larger to realise the 

 same figures, but at this lower price per pound 

 of meat there is a larger market ; another class 

 of purchasers will now afford good poultry, and 

 their requirement of quantity for their money 

 has to be studied. It is from such practical 

 £ s. d. points of view that we have to consider 

 what are suitable breeds and crosses, concerning 

 which the advice of a certain class of writers 

 has caused so much loss to some engaging in 

 the industry, that it is necessary in a practical 

 work like this to make the matter clear. The 

 most prominent representative of this theoretical 

 school is, perhaps, Mr. Tegetmeier, who prac- 

 tically recommends only the old Surrey fowl 

 (which is indeed admirable for all times of year, 

 if it can only be had !) and crosses of Dorking 

 with Game or Indian Game. He specifically 

 ■' cautions farmers " against Brahmas or Lang- 

 shans, and of such crosses says(/(7?//'«(7/R.A.S.) : 

 " It is quite true that size can be gained in this 

 manner, but as the cross-bred birds are deficient 

 in the amount of flesh on the breast, and carry 



S. Small. L. targe. 



