POINT OF VIEW ON LIVE-STOCK PROBLEMS 235 



155. Depreciation on sheep. Sheep are short-lived 

 animals, hence the depreciation on them is high. In one 

 county in New York, the deaths among mature sheep av- 

 eraged 39 per thousand, while the deaths among cows aver- 

 aged 12 per thousand. The loss in value of old sheep sold 

 was more than the loss from death. With sheep having 

 an average value of $6.67, the loss from both sources was 

 found to be 10 per cent. 1 This would be a charge of 67 

 cents per year on such sheep. If we add interest at 6 per 

 cent, the interest and depreciation amount to SI. 07 per 

 year for each sheep. The cost is higher on high-priced 

 sheep and less on low-priced ones. 



The Census of 1890 reported deaths among sheep as 1.7 

 per cent killed by dogs, and 6.7 per cent died from disease 

 or weather, or a total of 8.4 per cent. We do not know 

 how many of these were lambs. 



156. Depreciation on hogs. Hogs grow enough so 

 that old ones are worth more than young ones, but the losses 

 from death are very heavy. The Census of 1890 reported 

 the loss from death as 17 per cent, but we do not know how 

 many of these were pigs. 



157. Depreciation on hens. Deaths of hens are usu- 

 ally estimated at one per cent a month, or 12 per cent a 

 year. This may be too high. In some exceptionally well 

 managed flocks, the writer has found it to vary from 5 to 

 10 per cent a year. 



The depreciation on common stock is not much more 

 than the losses by death, because the meat value is nearly 

 equal to the value of a pullet, but on higher priced stock 

 the depreciation is very high. 



If we start with 100 pullets, we may expect to have 88 

 at the end of the first year. If the hens are then sold for 



1 New York, Cornell Bulletin 295, p. 494. 



