PRAIRIE FARMER'S POULTRY BOOK 



guinea fowl. In the case of eggs the average market vaUie for 

 the quarter is advised. Whatever prices are adopted for stock, 

 these should be retained through the whole year. If a change 

 is made with every variation in the market more or less con- 

 fusion will result. The quarterly inventory will take care of all 

 losses during the quarter at the average price, for, when the 

 inventory is taken, it will not include any dead fowls, and, 

 therefore, the "value" column will show a deduction accord- 

 ingly. Buildings and equipment may or may not be considered 

 in the quarterly inventory. They are taken care of in the 

 annual inventory, and their repair and depreciation count as 

 deductions in estimating the final status of the business. The 

 inventory for the first day of any year or month will be the 

 same as for the last day of preceding year or month. Why 

 make a quarterly inventory? Because it enables the poultry- 

 man to keep in close touch with his business and brings him 

 face to face with losses and leaks. It stimulates an interest 

 in the poultry end of the farm enterprise and furnishes an ex- 

 hibit of the condition of the farm flock. Why should the 

 poultryman wait till the end of the year to discover whether 

 he is playing a winning or a losing game? The quarterly 

 summary tells the tale. If losses have occurred he will dis- 

 cover them and can plan to avoid them in the future. 



Income 



The American hen should be given credit for all she pro- 

 duces. It is not fair to make all sorts of demands upon the 

 products of the industry without giving due credit for every 

 item of production. This means that due credit should be 

 given for all sales of stock and products, all eggs and stock 

 used for household or given away, all eggs used for incubation, 

 and all feathers and fertilizer sold or used in garden or field. 

 If credit is given for eggs used for incubation they should be 

 estimated at market price, and it is advised to place only a 

 nominal value (not full value) on the under-month chicks at 

 hand when the inventory is made. The price of the egg has 

 gone into the chick. If the value of the egg is five cents and 

 there is a SO per cent hatch, the egg-cost of each 'chick is 10 

 cents. But its real value is not less than 20 cents. Probably, 

 therefore, 10 cents is a fair estimate of the value of a baby 

 chick for the inventory in case credit is given for the eggs used 

 in incubation. In one month, however, this value has increased 



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