7C) MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 251 



on the farm. Labor return per bird is obtained by dividing labor return 

 per flock by the number of birds at the beginning of the account year. 



This study aims to arrive at the reasons for this wide range in returns 

 to poultrymen by comparing differences in certain factors found with the 

 differences in labor returns. 



Table L Distribution by Counties of Poultry Records Analyzed in the 

 Study, for the Two Years 1926-1927. 



County 



Barnstable 

 Berkshire 

 Bristol 

 Essex 

 Franklin 

 Hampden 

 Hampshire 

 Middlesex 

 Norfolk 

 Plymouth 

 Worcester 

 Total 



Number of Records Anal\y,ed 



1926 



18 

 16 

 15 



27 



7 

 20 

 18 



9 



14 



144 



1927 



10 

 13 

 1.5 



9 

 16 

 14 



5 

 10 



i;3 



134 



Table 2. Poultry Flocks Classified According to Labor Return per Flock. 



Labor Return i)er Flock 

 Dollars 

 -2.50 — 

 — 249 

 250 — 499 

 500 — 749 

 750 — 999 

 1000 — 1249 

 1250 — 1499 

 1500 — 1749 

 1750 — 1999 

 2000 — 2249 

 2250 — 2499 

 2500—2749 

 2750 — 2999 

 3000 and over 

 Total 



Number of Flocks Studied 



1926 



4 



29 



28 



16 



13 



10 



5 



6 



8 



5 



2 



4 



1 



13 



144 



1927 



4 



24 



23 



21 



12 



8 



9 



9 



3 



2 



4 



2 



1 



13 



134 



Possible Causes of Differences in Earnings 



Many causes are constantly operating to affect the labor return from the 

 poultry enterprise. Some of these causes are largely technical and in- 

 clude such items as proper feeding, disease control, and the careful selec- 

 tion of breeding stock. Other causes are economic in nature. They in- 

 clude, for example, changing prices of product and feed, the most profit- 

 able size of flock, and the relationship of poultry to other parts of the 



