May, 1932 1 Economic Study of Poultry Farms 43 



Depreciation in stock was 10.3 cents per dozen eggs, or 20.6% of the 

 total cost.! This is due to losses from mortality of birds as well as 

 shrinkage in value per bird when fowl are sold. This expense is de- 

 pendent to some extent on the inventory value of birds at housing time. 



Approximately one quarter hour of man labor was used per dozen 

 eggs; this is approximately 10 cents per dozen, or 20% of the total cost. 



Use of buildings was 3.3 cents per dozen, or 7% of total cost, 



It is evident from a study of the bar chart that feed, depreciation in 

 stock, labor and use of buildings constitute about 90% of the total 

 •costs. 



The relative costs on each of the individual farms are shown in Table 

 18 on the basis of cost per hen and in Table 19 on the basis of cost per 

 dozen eggs. In each table the farms are arranged in the order of the 

 total cost per dozen eggs. The comparison of the cost items on these 

 individual farms may be facilitated by studying both tables and noting 

 in detail the situation on a few of the farms. The reader if interested 

 can himself carry the comparisons to a study of all the farms. 



The first farm, marked A, produced eggs for 42.2^ per dozen. On this 

 farm, the feed cost, the depreciation on hens and use of buildings and 

 the total cost per hen were above the weighted average, while the labor 

 •cost was below the average. But on account of the very high produc- 

 tion of 49.7%, all these costs are below the average when based on 

 per dozen eggs. This farm, which would rank fourteenth on the list 

 if on the basis of cost per hen, was first in low cost per dozen. It will 

 be noted that its consumption per bird was 98 lbs. as compared to the 

 weighted average of 101 lbs., but that its feed cost was $2.91 per cwt. 

 as compared to the weighted average of $2.62. 



The second farm, B, produced eggs for 44.1 cents per dozen. In this 

 case the feed consumption per hen is 2 lbs. below A, but with less ex- 

 pensive feed per cwt. the cost of feed per hen was 22 cents below that 

 of farm A. Depreciation on hens, building costs and labor costs were 

 low. With a production of 36.9%, or about 3% below the average, the 

 feed cost per dozen eggs was above average, but other costs were below 

 average. 



tDEPRECIATION ON STOCK 



Depreciation on stock was determined by subtracting- the value of fowl sold, 

 eaten on the farm or on hand at end of year from the inventory value at the 

 beginning of the year. 



Number Value 



Old hens September 1, 1929 



Pullets housed during fall 



Total birds 



Sale fowl 



Fowl eaten on farm 



Inventory 1930 (1929 birds remaining) 

 Depreciation 



