


















Yat ae i : el ’ j ys 
Wren ele ak tee ; ty % ¥ 
New Yorx AGRICULTURAL Experiment STAtIoN. 939 
necessary to leave some with almost the assurance of their develop- 
ing into slips. Even the most expert professional operators expect 
to kill a few birds. 
The excess that the average market prices show over the cost for 
food, however, is enough to promise a fair profit, over an ordinary 
per cent. of loss,for any reasonable investment ef labor, cte. The 
cost of caponizing where the services of any expert operator can 
be obtained is but a few cents per fowl (sometimes as low as 
four cents). A*ter a fall in the high broiler prices of Spring and 
early Summer it will probably be found more profitable to caponize 
the surplus cockerels than to market them, especially where cheap 
skim-milk and grain is to be turned into a market product. For 
While often the per cent. of profit over the cost of food in seiling 
at broiler age is greatest, the actual difference per fowl in market 
price over cost of food is greater with the capon, providing the 
latter is sold before growth has ceased. After caponizing the 
labor in caring for and feeding is but little more than in feeding 
cattle or pigs, and the proportion of labor to produce 100 pounds — 
of capons is, therefore, less than in production of 100 pounds of 
broilers as the latter have most of the time been with the hen or 
brooders. 
As it was not possible to hatch and grow all the chicks capon- 
ized and fed, no attempt was made in these trials at any direct 
comparison of the breeds used, as they were not strictly com- 
parable, being hatched at different times and not being fed exactly 
alike when small chicks. Most of these used were hatched and 
grown at this Station, but the Plymouth Rock and Black Lang- 
shan and one lot of Light Brahma chicks were purchased. The 
cross bred birds used were from fair stock and the chicks were in 
vigor and health perhaps somewhat better than the average. The 
Buff Cochins used were a little above the average in all but fancy 
points and were exceptionally vigorous and healthy. The Plymouth 
Rocks were from well-known stock and were vigorous and healthy | 
looking chicks and an even lot, but in rapidity of growth and 
in size attained were hardly up to the average of the best of the 
breed. The lot of Langshans was an uneven one from stock of 
a several breeders of good repute, but in vigor and size most of 
