POULTRY NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 94, 21 March 1931, Page 11

POULTRY NOTES

THE AVERAGE PROFIT.

(By “Brooder.”)

An English paper calls attention tc the fact that because birds in laying competitions sometimes show a substantial average - profit, it should not be argued that eveiy bird in every poultry yard should show a similar return. ‘lt must always be remembered that the poultryman has to set off. against his profits the cost of rearing and replacement, whereas in the competition the promotors have only labour charges and maintenance costs to contend with. The writer says: “It is an easy matter to make out an excellent ease for commercial egg production by quoting the gross margin between egg values and feeding costs in public laying trials. The margin n many cases is large enough to suffer the deduction of various overhead charges, but even then it is not comparable with the net returns from a typical poultry farm, because it takes no account of rearing or replacement costs. The laying stock on a commercial poultry, farm must be changed at least once in two years, and the difference between the selling price of discarded hens and the rearing or purchase price of the pullets which replace them represent the actual cost of replacement. It might be assumed that the longer hens can be kept in profit the lower will be the cost of replacement; but the solution of this economic problem depends largely upon productive capacity, and it is unfortunate that as a general rule egg yield declines each year, so that while a second season hen may justify her existence, her retention for a 'third season would entail a considerable loss of eggs compared with the production of a pullet PRODUCTION MARGIN. The margin between the production of the average pullet and of the aveiage second-season hen is sufficiently wide to justify doubt whether replacement of all laying stock after one season is not the most desirable policy, and but for heavy feeding and rearing costs during recent years the practice might be more generally adopted. It is interesting, tJierefore, to consider the possible effect of reduced rearing costs resulting from cheaper food and more economical methods of hatching and brooding. At present the commercial egg farmer is faced v.itli a net replacement cost varying between 3s and 4s a bird; but if cheaper foodstuffs' and mass methods of production by means of mammoth incubators and battery brooders enable him to cut Is off his rearing costs, and he can realise another fid for his hens by selling them after one season instead of two, lie will probably feel justified in re-stocking every year for the sake of the higher average egg yield from pullets, especially with White Leghorns, which—not without reason—have earned an unenviable reputation for tardiness in recovering from the moult.

WINTER HOUSING. Feeding for winter eggs is not yet fully understood by all of us. It may be that there is not enough attention given tc the _ birds in the matter of housing. If birds are unnecesarilly exposed to every chilly wind that blows, the egg yield must suffer. Gare must be taken : n this respect. Probably it will ho necessary to keep the birds inside for days, but it is better so. That being the case, a plentiful supply of green food is necessary. Coddling is certainly not desirable. In England it is stated that small metal oil stoves are used to keep the drinking water warm, it being proved that there is a greater consumption as a result. This may not he necessary in New Zealand, but it goes to show that special care is really necessary to keep up the egg yield. Those who are hoping for a continued winter yield ol eggs could probably not do better than begin by cleaning out the old litter and replacing it with a deep litter, sweet and clean. A busy bird is a healthy bird. Remember the green feed; be sure about the water supply and the litter, and winter eggs should be possible—indeed they are certain when the birds are up to standard. Golden rules, it is said, for all poultrykeepers to follow in their quest for winter eggs are: Breed right, house right, feed right If this is done, profit should follow.