PROFITS IN POULTRY 1 5 



average profit per hen in well-managed flocks. We do 

 not know exactly how these figures were reached but 

 ■we do know that if they were true twenty years ago 

 they are somewhat changed today. 



For the past eight years, we paid special attention 

 to our feed accounts. Eight years ago we bought meat, 

 cracked corn, oats and other feed at about one-half 

 what we are paying today ; but on the other hand, the 

 market prices of eggs and broilers are almost a third 

 better than they were then. Carefully kept accounts 

 ^how that, taking into consideration the rise and fall 

 •of the prices of feed, as well as the prevailing prices 

 of the market, it has aVeraged us — for the past eight 

 years — ten cents per month per head, making a total 

 ■of $1.20 per year for each fowl. 



As for receipts, we have found that, allowing fifty 

 ■cents as the average price for the full two-year-old 

 lien, when sent to market, we have made a profit of a 

 little over $2 per head (for two years) as a general 

 average. We have done even better with some hens, 

 ■especially with those which laid from 120 to 150 eggs 

 a year. We had records of 180 and even reached the 

 :20o mark, but our average egg yield for the entire 

 farm was 100 eggs per year. So here are the figures : 



Two hundred eggs were laid in two years by the 

 hen. At the average price of two cents each, the 

 receipts were $4. At the close of her second season 

 we sold the hen in market at fifty cents and this 

 put the total receipts at $4.50. It cost us $2.40 to 

 feed that hen two years, so that amount must be taken 

 oflf the receipts, and this gives us a clear gain of $2.10 

 on each hen. This was from an average of 200 head 

 of stock. 



Now at this point the novice is very apt to jump 

 to conclusions. He will reason: "Here are figures 

 showing that there is a profit of $2 per head. One 



