— i66 — 



PRODUCTION OF EGGS. 



During the first week the carbonaceous fed hens laid three 

 eggs while the others laid two. The two groups were therefore 

 practically evenly divided at the start as to the condition of the 

 laying stage. At the end of the first period the nitrogenous fed 

 hens had laid forty-three eggs and the carbonaceous fed hens had 

 laid twenty. During the next twenty-five days the former laid 

 thirty and the latter six ; during the third period the former laid 

 six and the latter not any. From this time on no eggs were re- 

 ceived from either group. The decline in egg production was 

 probably due in large part to the fact that the hens began to 

 moult during the second period and continued to do so during 

 the rest of the experiment. 



The eggs laid by the nitrogenous fed hens were of small size 

 having a disagreeable flavor and smell, watery albumen, an 

 especially small, dark colored yolk, with a tender vitelline mem- 

 brane which turned black after being kept several weeks. While 

 the eggs of the carbonaceous fed hens were large, of fine flavor, 

 of natural smell, large normal albumen, an especially large rich 

 yellow yolk, with strong vitelline membrane which was perfectly 

 preserved after being kept for weeks in the same brine with the 

 other eggs, 



Samples of the eggs from each lot of fowls were privately 

 marked and sold to a boarding house where the cook did uot 

 know that the eggs were undergoing a test. On meeting the 

 cook several days later the following words were heard : ' Do 

 you expect me to cook such eggs as these ! About every other 

 one is spoiled. ' ' 



On examination of the ovaries after slaughtering, it was found 

 that in the case of one of the carbanaceous fed hens the ovules 

 were in a more advanced stage, but on the whole the nitrogenous 

 fed hens were much nearer the laying period. With this single 

 exception, the cluster of ovules in the carbonaceous fed hens 

 were uniformly small. Neither group would have laid under any 

 probability for several weeks. It would seem from these facts, 

 together with the fact that during the experiment the nitrogenous 

 fed hens laid more than three times as many eggs, that a nitro- 

 genous ration stimulates egg production. 



