4 MAKING POULTRY PAY 



and sizes of houses and yards were used and every con- 

 dition presented which is likely to be found on this 

 continent so that an average taken from the figures- 

 given will necessarily show what the American hen 

 can do and is doing, under average conditions. In 

 computing these results, we used the records of 365 

 poultry keepers who supplied all the figures called for 

 in the record, the others being incomplete in some one 

 or more details. 



The contest year was started with 24,345 fowls,, 

 and closed with 27,268, there being a gain during the 

 year of 2923. As these represent almost entirely pul- 

 lets hatched during the spring, they affect the income 

 only part of the time — that is, after they reached ma- 

 turity and began to lay, which we have assumed at 

 eight months of age. Therefore we have added one- 

 third of this increase to the original number and fig- 

 ured that 25,340 fowls were the number kept during 

 the year. There was invested in these fowls, in the 

 poultry houses, yards, fixtures, etc., the sum of 

 $43,987.52, or an average investment of $1.81 per hen. 

 Figuring that each hen is worth about fifty cents, there 

 would be required an investment of about $1.30 in the 

 way of buildings, land, etc., to keep her. During the 

 year there was expended for fopd and supplies, which 

 includes grit, green bone, condition powders, medicines 

 and the like, $23,712.34, or ninety-four cents per hen. 

 This is very close to the usual estimate of $1 per vear 

 as the cost of keep of a hen. 



An accurate account was kept by each contestant 

 of the amount of time expended in the care of poultrv 

 and a fair valuation was placed upon this, which 

 amounted to thirty-four cents per hen per year, or 

 $23.96 per flock, there being an average of sixtv-niii; 

 fowls in each flock. During the year these hens laid 

 an average of eighty-two eggs each. The best recortt 



