Vht RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
1455 
Does Poultry-keeping Pay? 
Or, the question might he stated thus: 
Can a man of ordinary ability, able and 
willing to work, make a living for him¬ 
self and family on a small farm by keep¬ 
ing hens? Of course he expects the farm 
to produce hi h milk, butter, potatoes, 
pork, fruits and garden stuff, depending 
for liis money crop on the liens. They 
are to pn.v the grocer, the butcher, cloth¬ 
ing and all cash expenses. 
That is a very vital question to many a 
middle-aged man who reliazes that ad¬ 
vancing age will soon cause him to lose 
his job. ami he wonders if poultry-keeping 
on some of the cheap farms lie sees ad¬ 
vertised is the solution of his problem. 
The astonishing thing is that so many 
atttempt if. without any knowledge of the 
business whatever, expecting to succeed. 
And many of them do succeed, and find 
a comfort and sense of safety on the farm 
that they never knew in the city. 
With increasing knowledge of the busi¬ 
ness ho increases the size of his thick, 
and has a balance to put in the savings 
bank, again the proverbial “rainy day. 
But actual figures is what we all want. 
What are men doing in the way of 
profit and loss in poultry keeping now ! 
Last year the poultry department of 
Cornell College had actual records kept 
on 33 farms in Ike Hudson River Valley. 
These records leave no room for guess¬ 
work; they are very exact; I presume 
kept on forms prepared by the poultry 
department. 
The records were kept through the en¬ 
tire year 1920-1023, from November 1 to 
October 30. Five of the poorest flocks 
out. of S3 showed an actual loss, when in¬ 
terest on the capital invested was added 
to all other charges. The average loss 
per flock was-a little over $11. This was 
after crediting the birds with all the eggs 
and meat consumed by the families. The 
average number of hens, 208; egg produc¬ 
tion per hen. 125. 
A Better Showing. —The next 23 
farms do much better. Although more 
than twice as many hens were kept, the 
per cent of mortality was reduced nearly 
one-half. The reports give the items iu 
detail, but it would make this article too 
long to do that, so I will give the totals 
only. 
Receipts for eggs, meat, chicks, 
stock, manure, and increase of 
inventory, were.$4,93o.92 
Expenses, food, etc. 3,277.43 
Plant income .$1,G5G.49 
Deduct interest on average cap- 
ital . 231 .GO 
Labor income..$1,424.89 
Consumed in the house were: 
Eg-s . 78.00 
Meat . ---So 
This should he added to the ^ _ 
labor income, making.. . .$1,525. i < 
Average number of hens, 482.fi; labor 
income, per hen. $2.95; egg production, 
per hen. 135.7. 
A »Still Better Showing. —Now we 
come to the five best flocks. Larger num¬ 
bers were kept ; it had become a “busi¬ 
ness'’ with these farms. The average 
flock was 852 birds; egg production pet- 
hen, 148.2. > _ 
Average capital invested.-- 
Receipts, eggs alone. 5.230,.m 
Meat . .. om 
Stock . 
Manure . .<8 
Miscellaneous . 104 .41 j 
Increase of inventory.4,198.fi-> 1 
Total receipts. 
Expenses . 
$11,157.42 
, . 7.028.83 
Plant income .J28.57 
Interest on average capital. 419.10 
Labor income.$5, 1 09.47 
To this should be added: _ 
Iggs consumed . >810' 
[eat consumed .. • • o.t.ofi 
The labor income, per hen. $4,3.*; grain 
ud mash, per hen. 82.2*>; total feed 
List, per lieu. $2.44. Average price for 
uirket eggs, $0.544; for hatching eggs, 
er dozen, $1.50. „ . 
It will he noted that nearly all the 
iconic was made from eggs and meat at 
uirket prices, and the increase iu in- 
entory. . . 
But it is only fair to say that this was 
iu> year 1920-21 of highest prices. r lhe 
xtra profits of those years has made 
may start into the poultry business who 
re not qualified for success in it. 1 he 
esult will be an overproduction of eggs, 
nv prices and disappointment and loss 
o many. There is no way to prevent 
liis as’ society is now organized; some 
inie wc may find a better way. 
GEORGE A. COSGROVE. 
Gapeworms and Turkeys 
Is there any truth in the report that 
turkeys spread gapeworms among chick¬ 
ens? 1 aui anxious to try some turkeys, 
i>ut do not want to endanger my baby 
•hicks. J. E. 
Tnckahoe. N. Y. 
Gapeworms are very apt to infect soil 
that has long been occupied by any kind 
if poultry, but turkeys are not more 
ipt to spread the worms and their eggs 
than are other fowl. or. perhaps, oven 
tiirds. It" ,voU find gapeworms among 
rour baby chicks, you need not necessarily 
alamo your turkeys for their presence, 
M. B. la. 
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NAFIONAL-HRE PRODFING * COMPANY 
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