480 Agricultural Gazette of N.S.JF. [June 2, 1908. 



the c-o-relalive strength or stamina. It is gencial lo all broods. It inigiit ha\e been 

 expected tliat the heavy brecils would have suttc-red the most in tliis way, being more 

 readily fattened, but it is not thr case, Leghorns, Miiiorcas, Handnirglis, and all Uie light 

 breeds being ei|ually atf'ected. 



The total leplaccnient for the two years was ■2() hens, or 10 per cent., 14 as pullets in 

 the first year, and \'2 as hens ; so that the mortality amongst the old hens was less t'.ian 

 as pullets the prexious year, a fart which would havr lii(m expected to ha\e worked out 

 ill the opposite way. 



TWO-YEAR TESf. 

 Financial Result and Record. 



Thr two years' test has demonstrated that it \\ ill pay to cany the best layers over the 

 moult for the second year's laying Here is an illustration of the benefit of the divi- 

 sional ])en system. With the picking out of the most likely pullets, and ])eiining them u]> 

 in pens in grades of best, second best, and third best layers, it will be found that many 

 of the pens will pay very well to keeji for a second term, and just as decisive \\ ill the 

 fact lie that many of them w ill not pay. To market the secoiul and third grades will 

 add to the profit of the best. For this, the first double test, it was found that the jiuUets 

 laid an average value of 17s. 2d. per liead, and consumed 7s. Moith of food, leaviiiga profit 

 yjer head of 10s. 2d., while the old hens yielded 12s. (»id. wnrtli of eggs, and consumed 

 6s. 4d. worth of food, leaving a profit per head of 6s. 2id., and a great advantage to the 

 ])Oultiy farmer would be the increased weight of the eggs. It was found that in the 

 general average the weights increased ajiprcciably in the eggs laid in the second tciiii. 



The average prices for foodstiitl's was higher than for any previous year, and 

 following a succession of bad seasons and high juices, the last cycle of years have been 

 ruinous to the poultry industry. Maize runs u)) to the high average for the competition of 

 4s. 3d. |H'i- bushel for the year, wheat 4s. Id., jiolhird Is. 2d., and bran Is. Id. .\s these 

 prices include I a low contract price of 8s. od. for maize and wheat, and lid. for pollard 

 and bran, for the first six months, the price to the breeders buying in the open market 

 would ha\e been even higher. 



The total cost of feeiUng the 240 old hens was : — Bran and jiollard, i'20 ; grain, ,t'40 ; 

 meat, £S ; green feed, .£4 ; shell grit, £3 ; sundries, £1 ; total, £76- 



The total monthly laying was : — April, 1,646 eggs; May, l,086;June, 1,321 ;.Tuly, 2,008; 

 August, 3,6!)1 ; September, 3,891 ; October, 3,068 ; November, 3,447 : December, 3,082 ; 

 January, 2,759 : B'ebriiary, 2,(160 ; March, 2,t)i8 ; grand total, 29,7r)6 ; average, 124 

 eggs per hen for the second year. 1'lie average of these hens in the first year was ISO 

 eggs each. 



'{'he nionlhly range of prices for first-grade eggs was : — April, Is. 9d. to 2s. ; May, 

 Is. lOd. to Is. lid. ; June. Is. lid. to Is. 6d. ; July, Is. Sd. to Is. ; August, Is. lid. to 

 9d. ; September, 9^d. to lOyd. ; October, lOd. to lO.ul. : November, lOd. to Is. : 

 December, Is. to Is. (id. ; January, Is. 2<1. to Is. 7d. ; Februaiy, Is. (id. to Is. Sd. : 

 .March, Is. 8id. to Is. lid. jier dozen. 



The total net market value of the eggs was £1.10 12s. Hd., from which deduct the cost 

 of feed, £76, and a surplus of £74 12s. 9d. remains. 



The appended table gives full details of the eggs laid and the net market value from 

 each pen of six hens. The figures in parentheses following competitors' names indicate 

 the number of hens replaced during the two years. 



