EGG PRICES WILL NOT PAY FOR KEEP OF LOW-I-BOrUCING HENS 



Cost studies show that the egg prices which will probaTjly prevail this 

 year will not pay for the cost of keeping hens on Illinois farms unless they have 

 the general characteristics of good layers and are fed a good poultry ration. Under 

 feed and egg price relationships that existed frcan 1952 through 1957 when the farm 

 price of corn averaged 70 cents a bushel and eggs sold "by the farmer averajrod ?0 cents 

 a dozen, a hen that did not lay at least 110 eggs during the year was not pay:*.ng for 

 her keep. Under relationships that exist at present between the prices of farm 

 grains and eggs, a hen must lay at least ."-SO ecgs a year to pay her way. 



It is possible from cost studies extending over a six-year period Just 

 before the war to compute the cost of keeping laying hens and producing their re- 

 placement stock in north central Illinois. If one assumes that two-thirds of the old 

 hens are replaced by pullets raised on the farm, then the cost of keeping a fleck of 

 200 laying hens and producing their replacement stock may be computed, by inserting 

 local feed prices and hourly labor wages in the following formula. (As an illustra- 

 tion we have assumed $1.07 a bushel for corn; oats, 80 cents; mixed mash, $U.OO a 

 cwt.; mill feeds, $2.75; protein supplement, $U.00; and mineral and grit, $1.00 a 

 cwt. Labor was figured at ^0 cents an hour.) 



For 200 Hens and Replacement Stock 



(lbs.) 



Co '-^ 1? . 000 



rv? t . • 'i ' 



Mix©d mash 975 



Mill feeds 590 



Protein ej.p;:lement 1,U00 



Miner?.]- -md grit T 300 



Labor, 



530 hours 



212.00 



Total $'"9.61 



Add .10 percent of the above total tr. cnzrer other costs c";.Pc 



Cost of keeping- 200 hens one year and producing 



their replacement stock •$7'^0 • ^7 



If eggs brought the current government support price of J-k cents, yearly 

 average, a hen would have to lay ".28 eggs to meet the above costs. For each '^-cent 

 increase in egg prices, hens would pay costs with about -f? fewer eggs. 



.-<^ 



R. H. Wilcox 



l/6/kh 



