Large nonfarm businesses usually prepare and publish an annual report in which they review and analyze the business for the year. This provides a basis for evaluating past operations and for making plans for the future. A similar summary and analysis is useful in managing a farm business. The Cooperative Extension business management projects provide farm operators an annual business report which can be used much the same as nonfarm business annual reports. Poultry farm business management records have been summarized by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell for a number of years. For the 1981 record year, 26 poultrymen submitted records for summary and analysis. Extension field staff working with poultrymen collected the figures for each farm and the College staff summarized them. The summary results are presented in this workbook. Poultry farm businesses vary in organizational makeup. The farms included in this report were divided into two groups

poultry (egg production) only, and poultry and others which include those with other major enterprises such as crops, dairy or hogs. The economic climate for poultrymen in 1981 was improved over 1980. Egg prices were higher in 1981. Layer feed prices for 1981 averaged lower than 1980 and the cost of producing eggs was 2.5¢ less in 1981. However, many poultrymen still had negative labor incomes for 1981. This workbook is designed to provide a systematic summarization and analysis of a poultry business. The group averages can be used in making comparisons. Working through this report step by step provides a good checkup for a poultry operation. In addition to the persons whose records are in the summary, this report should be useful to other poultrymen in the State, to teachers of agriculture, college farm management instructors, agency representatives, and to agribusiness persons.