Profitable Egg Prodvction. 



1035 



PROFITABLE EGG PRODUCTION s 

 HIGH PRODUCTIVITY ESSENTIAL. 



That the most important factor in profitable egg production is 

 high productivity is exemplified by the experience of a member 

 of the Ministry's staff. The original birds of the small flock were 

 Wyandottes, obtained from one of the Incubating Stations which 

 were first established by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1915. 

 One of the objects of these stations is. by distributing stocks of 

 high laying capacity, to encourage poultry keepers to eliminate 

 the unproductive barn door fowl from their flocks. 



Of six birds comprising the original pen. three were sold on 

 15th September last. Five pullets, the sire of which was a 

 Wyandotte cock of the same strain as the earlier birds., were 

 raised during the year. These came into lay at the middle of 

 August. The standard daily ration of each bird during the year 

 was 4 oz. of concentrated food, composed of 2J oz. mixed grain 

 f wheat, oats and maize) and 1^ oz. meal (bran, middlings and 

 fish meal) in varying proportions. The meal was used for drying 

 off a warm mash of household scraps. In addition, a small 

 supply of green food was provided. 



The following Profit and Loss Account covers the period of 

 the year ended 15th November last : it includes the cost of rearing 

 the five pullets mentioned above : — 



Dr. PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT. Cr. 



1,556 eggs, valued at 



wholesale prices ... 30 

 Stock sold (cash) ... 2 

 Equipment in hand at 



end of year, valued 



at cost, less 20 per 



cent, depreciation... 7 

 Live stock in hand at 



end of year, valued 



at market prices (3 



hens. 5 pullets. 1 



cock) 7 15 



Total £47 8 5 







£ s. d. 



Cost of Live Stock and 



Equipment (cash) 18 4 3 



Cost of Food (cash)... 11 5 



Profit 17 19 2 



Total £4' 



An analysis of the accounts yields some interesting informa- 

 tion. For instance, the average daily cost of food of each bird 

 was Id., while the average value of one egg (at wholesale prices^ 

 credited was 4.7d. Each egg cost 1.7 in food to produce, and 

 each hen of the original stock laid an average of 282 eggs during 

 the year. Two hens were off laying for a period of six weeks 



