The average cost per chick decreases from 2.005 cents for hatchery 

 A with an annual output of 1.30 million chicks to 0.968 cents for hatch- 

 ery H with an output of 21.71 million chicks. Lahor is the largest cost 

 item in hatcheries A through C and ranges from 0.932 cents to 0.350 

 cents per chick. With further increases in hatchery size, lahor costs per 

 chick continue to decrease and hecome less than either equipment or 

 supply costs. 



The deheaking operation increases costs for all the models but not 

 proportionately. The added cost for deheaking decreases discontinuously 

 from 0.115 cents per chick for hatchery A to 0.077 cents per chick for 

 hatchery H with operations at 100 percent of hatchery capacity. The 

 discontinuity is a result of differences in technology, crew size, and utili- 

 zation of equipment. The combined cost for hatching and deheaking de- 

 creases continuously from 2.120 cents per chick for hatchery A to 1.045 

 cents per chick for hatchery H. Table 16 gives the costs for deheaking. 



Table 16. Net Added Cost Per Chick for Deheaking and Vaccination 



Operations and Comhined Costs with Hatching for Eight Model Hatcheries 



Operating at 100 Percent of Capacity. 



The cost of chick vaccination is essentially the same for all model 

 hatcheries. The cost per chick decreases from 0.448 cents for hatchery 

 A to 0.444 cents for hatchery H as a result of minor economies in super- 

 visory costs. Vaccine represents more than half of the total cost. The 

 comhined cost per chick for a hatching-debeaking-vaccinating process 

 decreases continuously from 2.568 cents for hatchery A to 1.489 cents for 

 hatchery H. Tabic 16 gives the costs of vaccinating with operations at 

 100 percent of hatchery capacity. 



26 



