Cost of Raising Chickens.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5257, 13 May 1895, Page 3

Cost of Raising Chickens.

The experiment- Btation at Gerfeva, New York, recently issued a report on an experiment conducted thereto ascertain the coat of raising' obickene. For the purpose of the experiment two breeds were selected — Cochins and Brown Leghorns. One hundred and seventeen Cochin eggs and one hundred and one Brown Leghorn eggs were set. In the case of the Cochin eggs 46-1 per cent were represented by strong, healthy chicks. In the case of the Leghorns 75*2 per cent were so represented. Charging the Cochin eggs at 24 cents per dozen, the cost of each chick, when hatched, including the cost of keeping the hens while setting, was 4«65 cents: Charging the Leghorn eggs at 24 cents per dozen, the cost of each chick whea hatched, including, as before, the keep of the hens while sitting, waß 2-82 centß. Taking the two breeds together the cost o£ every strong, healthy chick hatched was 3*58 cents. The young ohickß were kept indoors a few days and. then put in an apple orchard and allowed .to run at will. The food fed to the growing chicks was mixed grain, cracked wheat, skim milk, desiccated beef and finely cut fish bones.

When the young fowls were put into the poultry houses and the sexes separated, which was for the Cochins at the average age of one hundred and nine days and for the Leghorns at the average age of eightyfour days, tha Cochins averaged 4!ospoundß in weight and the Leghorns Irß3ipounda. The total coßt of all food consumed up to this time averaged 19*17 cents per chick for the Cochins and 977 cents for the Leghorns. The coßb per pound gain in weight made by the Cochins was 4:90 cents, and of that by the Leghorns,. 5-65 cents. Including the cost of hatching, the average total coat of each Cochin chick at this time was 24-36 cents,. and of each Leghorn 12*59 cents, or 6*ol cents per pound for the former and 988 cent a, for the latter. The Cochin pullets average 3>-56 poundß in weight and the cockerelß. 4. 52 pounds. The Leghorn pullets averaged 1-65 pound? and the cockerels 206 pounds. The Cochin cockerelß were fed separately for a short period and then caponized and used in another feeding trial. Had they been sold when separated: at the local market price, 12 cents per pound, they would have more than paid the cost of food up to this time for all in the lot. The cost of feeding the pullets from this, time, Sept. 17, until Nov. 21, was an average of 2007 cents per fowl. Deducting the market poultry value of the cockerels at the time separated from the total cost of all the lot would leave the net coßt of eggs, hatching and food for the Cochin pullets averaging 5-50 pounds in weight, 13-24 cents apiece. The Leghorn cockerels were fed for some time after they were separated from the pulletß before being sold. The cost of feeding tiie Leghorn pullet 3 from September 7 to November 21, waß 1&-09 cents apiece. Deduoting the local market value of the cockerelß at the time of the removal from the total coat of all birds in the lot would have left the total net cost for the Leghorn, pullets averaging 2*Bl pounds, at 16-78 cents' each." The sexes were about equal with the Cochins, but there was an unusual excess in the number of pullets among the Leghorns hatched, 35 per cent more pullets than cockerels, be that the poultry value of the oookerels represented a lesser proportion of the valu< of food consumed. Had the sexes, beet 1 equal, and considering the poultry valui of the ccokerels, the net cost of Leg horn pullets would have beea 13-55 cent apiece, nearly the same as; that of thi Cochins. ( ______