224 THE BEGINNER IN POULTRY 



feed was nearly $24 per 100 hens, for the entire period. 

 It will be seen that this, if it were duplicated in the re- 

 maining months of a complete year, would not reach the 

 $1 per bird which was so long the standard of profit. 

 The poorest flock made less than $2 profit per 100 

 above cost of feed, while the best flock (numbering 

 150) gave $62 profit over feed per 100 birds, for the 

 seventeen weeks. Possibly the point which may cut 

 closest to the quick of the Beginner is this : No two 

 flocks produced eggs at the same cost per dozen, the 

 best costing a trifle over eight and one half cents a 

 dozen, while the eggs of the poorest handler cost nearly 

 34 cents per dozen. Others cost 13, 16, 19 cents, etc. 

 It is quite possible that some of these owners had better 

 opportunities for buying supplies. But it is abundantly 

 evident that some were far better business men than 

 the others ; possibly more skilled feeders as well. 



A skillful dealer in poultry products, writing in the 

 most modern and businesslike poultry publication 

 available at this time, gives his own idea of the attitude 

 of some novices thus : " The second class constitute 

 those who expect to brood chicks for little or nothing. 

 These are the rankest novices in the business and are 

 the especial marks of the ' get-rich-quick ' boomers. 

 This kind of person expects so much for so little, that 

 he is hardly worth sympathy, let alone attention and 

 advice. Most of them end with ' fireless brooders ' be- 

 cause they are cheap." Another, very different class, 

 noted by this man consists of fanciers who do not care 

 about expense, if they get efficiency. Rightly, he 

 thinks, we should insist on these essentials in any brood- 

 ing outfit : Efficiency, economy, saving of work, lasting 



