cost may vary as much as a third in different parts of the country. If there 

 were a thousand dollars difference in the construction costs, this would amount 

 only to $66 a year over a period of 15 years. If the house were used for 

 laying hens that averaged 50 percent production through the year, the 

 thousand birds would lay 15,208 dozen eggs which would make the extra 

 cost of the building .004 cents per dozen eggs. If the house were used for 

 broilers, one could raise approximately 10,000 broilers or at least 25,000 

 pounds of meat. The house would then cost about .0022 cents per pound 

 of meat. 



The difference between housing costs in different parts of the country 

 can be considered negligible if spread over a long period of time. The 

 initial outlay, however, will require more capital in some areas than others. 

 New England is one of the lower cost areas. 



4. PRICES AT THE FARM 



A comparison of prices paid at the farm between areas indicates the 

 basic prices of raw material to which must be added processing,. handling, 



and transportation charges. The farm 

 prices for both eggs and poultry are 

 lower in the Midwest than in the 

 Northwest. The 1950 average prices 

 of 16.6 cents per pound in Minnesota 

 and 20.5 in Missouri compare with 

 24.3 in New Hampshire, 23.1 in 

 Maine, and 24.4 in Maryland. Prices 

 in California are higher than in New 

 England, although in 1949 prices 

 there were lower by 1.6 cents per 

 pound. More than three and a half 

 million pounds of poultry meat were 

 shipped to Boston from the Pacific 

 states. 



If poultry can be bought at ten 

 cents per pound less in the Midwest, 

 the profitability of shipping to the 

 East will depend on transportation 



Table 7. Egg and Poultry Meat Prices 



In New Hampshire and Competing Areas, 



1950* 



(cents per pound and dozen) 



♦Source 

 D.A., 1950 



Agricultural Prices, B.A.E., U.S. 



and handling costs. 



5. TRANSPORTATION RATES 



Transportation rates are one of the largest costs in the poultry industry, 

 from the standpoint of both commercial feed and the marketing of the 

 finished product. These charges are a part of the total production and mar- 

 keting costs. They are important because they add to the retail prices for 

 consumers, establish regions for production within the industry, and lessen 

 the net returns of producers. 



A. Rail Shipments 



Approximately 70 percent of the poultrymen's production costs are 

 for feed and about 15 percent of the feed cost in New England is for trans- 

 portation. Rail rates for grain vary quite widely in shipment to different 

 areas of the country. The rates are set up according to zones on long dis- 



