78 



MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 251 



flocks in this study were concerned, the large flocks made about tlie same 

 labor returns per bird as the small ones. However, the poultrymen witii 

 the large flocks had to hire more labor, so tliat the labor returns to tlie 

 poultrymen themselves were reduced by the amounts paid out in casli 

 for hired labor. 



Further discussion of the relative influence of each factor studied is 

 given in the latter part of this bulletin under the explanation of the 

 method of analysis used. 



Figure 1. — Net Relation iDetween Annual Egg Production per Bird and Labor 

 Return per Bird, 1927. 



LABOR RETURN 

 PER BIRD 



DOLLARS 



120 140 160 ISO 



ANNUAL EGG PRODUCTION PER BIRD 



The height of the bars represents the a\'erage tread o^ the relationship. Each 



add-tional £0 eggs was related to an average increase of 60 cents in labor 



return per bird. 



Anniuil K(i;i Product ivii }>er Bii\,' 



The average relation between egg production per bird and labor return 

 per bird was found to be. as shown in Table 4 and Figure 1. On tlie 

 average each additional twenty eggs in production per bird was accom- 

 panied by an increase of 58 cents in labor return per bird in 1926, and an 

 increase of 60 cents in 1927. This is about 35 cents and 36 cents average 

 return for eacli additional dozen eggs laid. 



The rather wide differences in average egg production per bird are 

 shown in Table 5. The extreme variation is from about 70 to 230 eggs 

 per bird. Many poultrymen can well afford to spend considerable effort 

 and thought on increasing their average egg production. Those who are 

 interested in comparing their own production records Avith others can use 

 Table 5 for that purpose. 



