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Show MORE ROOM FOR POULTRY ON THE FARM By Byron Alder, Profossor of Poultry Husbandry, U. A. C. During (he year 1915, a little S. C. yards at the college laid 248 eggs. White Leghorn hen in tho poultry The eggs averaging 2 ounces give a total weight of 31 pounds of eggs In a year by a hen weighing only 3J(i pounds. If this hen consumed Uie same amount of food as the others in the poultry yards we have this small, nervous, active machine producing an unmeasurable amount of bodily energy maintaining her body and giving 31 pounds of the finest kind of finished product from 72 pounds of raw material mater-ial (feed). The average market value of a leghorn hen is only 50 cents; the feed at 2 cents per pound Would bo $1.50; and the eggs nt 25 cents per dozen would be S5-16. or a net return of $3.66 above feed cost on a 50 cent Investment. All (ho leghorn hens at the college that have finished three years of laying have produced on an average 122 eggs rer hen per year, or a total of 366 eggs per hen. The fed cost for the three years is about $4.50 or a net return per hen of ?3.17 above i feed cost. Arc there other invest- ments that will give tho same returns on the money and time invested? There is only ono reason why the! farmers of our state do not produce enough poultry and eggs to supply the, local markets at leasL This Ib bo-cause bo-cause of a lack of interest in poultry production. In the 35 per cent of the farmers, Instead of 82 per cent, as ia! 1909. wero keeping fowls and the aveh- ago number of hens on each farm were 100 instead of 40. as given ln tho 1910 census report, tho farms of tho state! would produce yearly at least $1,000, 000 moro than at present. This would' go a long way towards making farm life what it should be and would show that our farms are being managed In a way that would tend towards greater j production and better returns in every possible way. As members of the Agricultural, clubs of the state, let us not neglect any one of tho numerous opportunities' for agricultural advancement. If wej are fully awake to these opportunities j wo shall occasionally, at least, bo found working for moro and better j poultry. ' oo j |