WHAT BRANCH OF THE BUSINESS? 
For each hen that passes through a laying period there is 
her own carcass, and at least one cockerel, that are neces- 
sarily produced and that must be marketed. Now, the pullet is 
worth more for egg producing than can be realized for her 
as a broiler or roaster, and her extra worth may be considered 
a the price at which cockerels must be 
sold. 
The egg crop represents about two-thirds of the value of all 
poultry products, and the demand for the high grade goods 
has never been satisfied. Egg farming cannot easily be over- 
done, whereas any other type of poultry production must com- 
pete with the cockerels and hens that are a by-product of egg 
farming. 
Egg farming by no means relieves one from the difficulties 
of incubation and growing young stock, but it does throw these 
difficult parts of the business at the natural season of the 
year and results in a distribution of work throughout a longer 
period of time. 
In the remainder of the volume we will consider the pout- 
tryman as an egg farmer. We will also, unless otherwise 
stated, assume that he is a White Leghorn egg farmer, who 
is hatching by artificial incubation. Such reference to the 
marketing of poultry flesh or to other breeds will be made 
only in comparison of this type of the business or in relation 
to the production or handling of farm-grown poultry. 
