106 



COMMERCIAL POULTRY RAISING 



different quantities, and at such times as they may be bought 

 advantageously. 



Obtain a Rate. — The only simple way to surmount these 

 irregularities is to reduce them to a unit basis or rate — the cost 

 of a pound or quart for a given period, as, for example, the cost 

 of a pound of dry mash for the month of October is fo.0195, or 

 the cost of a quart of scratch grains for November is $0.0198. 

 If large quantities are handled the unit may be raised to a hun- 

 dred pounds or a hun- 

 dred quarts. 



A scheme of this kind 

 is in use on a farm of 

 my acquaintance, and it 

 works out very nicely. 

 Every consignment of 

 feed received is appor- 

 tioned to dry mash, 

 scratch grains, chick feed 

 or whichever way the 

 meals and grains are to 

 be used, in two totals, 

 weight and price. At 

 the end of each month the total costs are added, and divided by 

 the sum of the total weights, and the quotients are the rates per 

 pound for each classification for that particular month. 



The rates are then applied to the quantities consumed by the 

 various flocks, whose records are kept daily in each house or pen, 

 then totaled for the month. 



The manner of keeping the records of the feed consumed is 

 rather unique. A card or slate is fastened near the door of each 

 pen, and as the attendant goes about distributing the feed, an 

 entry is made of the quantity of each kind of feed, dry mash, 

 scratch grains, shells and so on. Large hoppers are employed 

 for the storage of dry mash, some of them having a capacity of 

 two and three hundred pounds, hence there may be only five or 

 six entries for mash in a month. Similar devices are installed 



Fig. 71.- 



(Courtesy Missouri Experitnent Station) 



-Outdoor feed hopper for growing 

 stock. 



