T52 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Dec, 1918. 



Lack of capital is the next barrier to success. The land may be 

 suitable, the shedding correct, the stock of high quality, but the available 

 funds are insufficient to tide over the necessary period until enough 

 atock come into full lay at the right time of year to more than balance 

 the ledger. This want of sufficient capital also prevents the best being 

 got from the undertaking, as suitable lines of foodstuffs cannot be pur- 

 chased under the best market conditions ; young cockerels are sold too 

 soon owing to the lack of capital for foodstuffs, or in consequence of 

 insufficient shed accommodation to enable them to be -held pending 

 the time of most advantageous marketing; eggs have to be disposed of 

 for cash as laid instead of being held in cool store until the dearer time 

 of year. 



Lack of health is perhaps the most tragic cause of failure, those who 

 are compelled on this account to lead an out-door life finding that at 

 certain times of the year the work is more arduous than they are, by 

 nature of their ailment, able to perform. 



We now arrive at the point where the question can be put — 'Given 

 sufficient experience, the necessary capital, and good personal health, 

 does poultry farming pay? To this there can be only the one answer, 

 " Yes, it undoubtedly does." As to how the capital and good health 

 may be acquired is not a direct concern of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture, but the necessary experience can undoubtedly be gained by spend- 

 ing at least six months, and preferably a year, at some place where 

 the business is already being made a success, and, unless a business is 

 a success commercially, there is some element of doubt as to which is 

 actually meant by the term " taking in " students. 



What Profits can be made. 



On this point there is a wide divergence of opinion, and because 

 a certain profit per head can be made from 20, or even 200, birds, it 

 by no means necessarily follows that proportionate results will be 

 obtained from 2,000 or 20,000 birds. Estimates are almost invariably 

 based on the returns from the sale of eggs, less the cost of feed, more o" 

 less neglecting the rental value of the land, interest and depreciation 

 on buildings and equipment, and the labour involved. 



A careful study of the egg-laying competitions during the past few 

 years reveals the fact that it is possible to get a return of seventeen 

 dozen (204) eggs per bird in a period of twelve months from 600 o.* 

 more pullets, and that these eggs are worth, on an average. Is. 2d. per 

 dozen all the year round, so that the competition income per bird may 

 be stated, roughly, at 19s. 4d., against an average cost of feed — in war 

 time — of about 9s. 4d. Consequently, the competition profit over feed 

 has been about 10s. per head, but it would be fatal to consider such 

 return as net profit on a commercial plant. Whatever may be the 

 circumstances of the selection of competition birds, they undoubtedly 

 are considered at the time to be the pick of the flock, and not repre- 

 senting the general average. Further, no account is taken of the cost 

 of rearing a pullet up to the time she arrives at the competition, from 

 which it may be seen that an estimate of 20s. profit over the feed bill 

 for the laying year for every three pullets, i.e., 6s. 8d. each, is much 

 more nearly correct than to foolishly expect 10s. per bird. Even this 



