CHAPTER II 

 The Gave of Poultry 



THE COST OF PRODUCING EGGS 



There is as much difference between hens as there 

 is between dair}- cows, is the result of a co-operative 

 test made by the Cornell experiment station of New 

 York in the cost of producing eggs. This experiment 

 "was started in December, 1901, and carried on for four 

 months. The tests were 'continued during the winter 

 of 1902-3, under the direction of Prof. H. H. Wing, 

 and the result shows a great similarity in many respects 

 with those of the first year. Eleven flocks in various 

 parfs of the state, in which were included 3133 hens 

 and pullets, participated in the experiment. 



The food was reckoned at a uniform price, as near 

 as possible to the actual cost to consumers. The fowls 

 were credited for the eggs on the basis of highest 

 weekly New York quotations for fresh eggs. The 

 ■experiment began December i and closed March 28, 

 and was divided into four periods. 



A careful study of the figures presented by Prof. 

 Wing shows that the cost of eggs is influenced 

 more by the individuality of the fowls than by the 

 food used. The difference in the cost of food for the 

 flock that produced the eggs at the lowest cost and that 

 which produced eggs at the highest cost was only four 

 ■cents per 100 fowls. The flock fed at lowest food 

 cost ranked among the highest in cost of eggs ; on the 

 other hand some of the fowls that were fed at a rela- 

 tively high cost produced eggs the cheapest. There 

 "was no marked difference between the number of esres 



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