December, 1931 1 Dairy Faemixg in Grafton County 



23 



Table 14 — Ileus on NO' farms 

 (Farms with less than 50 birds omitted) 



Total. 



Per farm. 



Number of birds 

 Animal units . . . 



10,210 

 102.1 



118.7 

 1.19 



Last inventory 

 Sales 



Total 



First inventory 

 Purchases 



Total 



Net increase 

 Eggs sold . 

 Eggs used 



Meat sold 

 Meat used 



Total returns . . 

 Per animal unit , 

 Per bird 



.$16,061 

 20.291 



$15,,'592 

 2,948 



$27,450 

 4,740 



$366 

 1,281 



A\erage eggs produced per bird exclusive of eggs set. 

 Estimated average price of eggs sold 



$36,352 



$18,340 

 $18,012 



$32,190 



$1,647 



$51,849 

 $508 

 $J.OS 



$423 



$213 



$210 



$374 



$19 



$603 



6.7 dozen 

 39.4 cents 



When one attempts to raise poultry on a commercial scale, buying 

 all feed, paying labor for definite time devoted to the project and sell- 

 ing eggs in quantity at wholesale prices, the problem becomes quite 

 different. Healthy, vigorous, growthy chickens, good egg production 

 per hen and good markets become necessary for success. This involves 

 much care and skill. Disease control, well-selected stock, and properly 

 constructed and equipped houses are prerequisites to success. Only 

 persons who are willing to exercise great care and to give much atten- 

 tion to detail are justified in embarking on a commercial poultry enter- 

 prise. However, next to the dairy cow, the hen comes nearest to sat- 

 isfying the requirements of a region of high-priced feed and nearby 

 markets in producing a perishable product, easily susceptible to me- 

 chanical injury. The poultry enterprise, then, is one of the possibili- 

 ties for improving the farm income in this region. 



Hogs 



One hundred and twenty-two farms reported hogs. Many farmers 

 bought a pig, fed it a few weeks and dressed it for home use. Only 87 

 farms had as much as one hog for six months or more (Table 15). The 

 average number for the 87 farms was 2.3 head per farm. These hogs 



