20 MY POULTRY DAY BY DAY 
of all the gold-mines in the United States. The United States 
proudly boasts of its enormous production of pig-iron, by far the 
greatest of any country in the world, and yet the American hen 
produces as much in six months as all the iron-mines in the 
country produce in a year. In one year and ten months she could 
pay off the interest-bearing debt of the United States.” 
If this can be done in America, why should England wait ? 
There never was a time equal to the present for the profitable 
production of poultry produce either on a large or a small scale. 
During the next decade we will probably see a development on 
this side of the national food supply that was undreamt of a few 
years ago, and it naturally follows that those who get in early 
will reap the greater benefit. 
It is true that poultry food prices are high, but it is not generally 
known that they are not high in proportion to the price of eggs. 
After all, that is the main thing to consider. The increase in 
prices during the past two and a half years is considerably under 
100 per cent. To be well on the right side, let us assume that the 
increase in poultry food prices is 100 per cent. Does that mean 
that to balance matters eggs and table poultry must fetch double 
their former price ? Not at all. Before the war an adult fowl 
cost approximately one penny per week to feed. To-day food 
costs threepence per bird. If a hen laid only one egg per week, 
one would have to charge just double the price to make up for the 
increased cost of food. But on the average a good fowl lays three 
or more eggs per week. Threepence feeds the bird. After the 
first egg, which all the year round is worth fully twopence, the 
other eggs laid represent profit. 
Let me put it in another way. In pre-war days a hen cost a 
penny per week for food, and it laid three eggs that were worth 
a penny each—gross profit twopence per week. To-day, the food 
costs threepence, but the three eggs laid yield at least sixpence— 
gross profit threepence per week, or just 50 per cent. better than 
when food was half the price. No doubt fowls and fowl-houses 
are dearer, appliances cost more, but when every item is taken 
into consideration, the profits to-day are immeasurably greater 
