A LIVING FROM THE LAND 



be needed to care for the chicks and growing 

 stock, costing about $100 each, or a total of 

 $800. The growing stock when on range will 

 need shelters for protection against hot sun 

 and rain, and these should be built for about 

 $25 each, or a total of $200, making a total 

 cost for buildings and the necessary interior 

 equipment about $2,000. In addition to this 

 item, there will be needed about $1,500 for the 

 purchase of pullets at $1.00 each, making a 

 grand total of $3,500. 



If baby chicks are purchased, it will be neces- 

 sary to buy not less than 4,000 of these if the 

 operator is to obtain 1,500 desirable laying 

 birds. The cost of these chicks will depend 

 upon the breeding that is behind them, upon 

 whether they are blood-tested to eliminate 

 bacillary white diarrhea (a scourge of young 

 chicks) and the general care that has been 

 taken in the hatchery to produce good, livable 

 chicks. This care, incidentally, must extend to 

 flocks from which the hatching eggs are secured, 

 as well as to the final incubating process. Chicks 

 sold at extremely low prices are rarely bargains. 

 Quality is far more important than low first 

 cost. Assuming a cost of 14 cents per chick 

 as an average for chicks that will produce virile, 

 productive layers, the initial investment for 

 this item will be between $500 and $600. There- 



134 



