384 BROILERS, ROASTERS, AND CAPONS 



the condition of the bird, the character of the range, and whether 

 it furnishes an unlimited amount of the best green feed. 



The estimated cost of the average farm broiler during the 

 natural season is here given: 



Cost of chick $0.035 



Cost of feed 06 



Cost of labor 02 



Cost of marketing 07 



Total 185 



It will be noted that this great reduction in cost is due to the 

 lower price of the eggs and the cheaper feed. The comparison 

 shows that profit during the winter season depends upon low cost 

 of production and good market prices, and that during the natural 

 spring season the profits are not remarkable, but the idea is to dis- 

 pose of surplus products without loss, and usually with a slight gain. 



There are certain risks which even the broiler grower of es- 

 tablished reputation and experience must always run, and these 

 are largely beyond his control: (1) A loss from poor hatches due 

 to low fertility, and this increases the cost of hatching chicks. 

 (2) Loss by death, which may be due to poor management or 

 carelessness, or, as is often the case, to white diarrhoea, or some 

 inherited weakness or lack of vitality. (3) Losses may be caused 

 by fluctuation in market prices; this is especially true if the 

 poultryman has started rather late and runs his season too late. 

 The usual spring drop in price may catch him with a considerable 

 number on hand, which must often be sold below cost. 



Market prices, however, are much more steady during the 

 season than formerly, and it is now possible to forecast market 

 conditions far ahead of the time for shipment. The chief cause 

 of many disappointments and failures in the specialized broiler 

 industry lies in the attractive possibilities, attractive to people 

 of limited capital and still less experience, a combination bound 

 to result in failure. The business requires a considerable fixed 

 investment of capital in buildings and in incubation and brooding 

 equipment. To be profitable the birds must be marketed in prime 

 condition. A few days earlier or later than the proper time for 

 marketing means either increased cost for feed and labor if they 

 are kept too long, or a lower price if marketed too early. 



A disputed question on the large, exclusive, broiler plant is the 

 desirability or undesirability of the broiler raiser producing his 



