578 Bulletin 318 



general observations 



Each flock had, when penned up, a total of twenty-five pullets. Two 

 males were put in each pen. In pens 21, 76, and 78 (strong) and pens 

 23 and 79 (weak) strong males were used, while weak males were put in 

 pen 75 (weak). This arrangement allows a comparison between flocks 

 containing strong females with strong males, weak females with weak 

 males, and weak females with strong males. 



In view of the difficulty of keeping White Leghorns within fences, 

 especially when confined in small yards, the pullets in the separate flocks 

 were marked with a distinctive color,* either on a wing or, preferably, 

 on the tail. This enabled the attendant to discover quickly any mixing 

 of the fowls. It was found that when fowls were thus distinctively 

 colored they were more Ukely to remain in their own yards. Fowls seem 

 to have an aversion on first acquaintance to individuals of a different 

 color, and the discomfort to which a hen was subjected when straying 

 into another yard usually taught her to remain at home. 



The fowls were weighed individually at the end of every fourth week. 

 Trap-nest records were kept of each pullet's production. All foods were 

 weighed out and charged to the separate pens. Whenever a death occurred 

 the date of death was recorded so as to obtain the exact number of " hen 

 days " and make it possible to put food consumption, egg production, 

 broodiness, and the like in " per hen " terms. 



DATA 



The following paragraphs contain an interpretation of the data obtained 

 during the first year of feeding : 



Food consumption 



It would be natural to expect a constitutionally strong individual to 

 eat and digest a greater amount of food than would a weaker one. The 



* The following is a list of the aniline dyes that have been tried at this station, named in the order 

 of their efficiency: 



Auramine yellow 

 Rhodamine red 

 Safranine red 

 Purple 

 Blue 

 Green 

 Wine color 

 Bismarck brown 

 Indelible black (liquid) 

 The auramine yellow is the most durable and is not injurious to the eyes of the fowls. 

 Rhodamine red is somewhat like snuff and is a little more objectionable to handle than the others, 

 although it seems to last better, perhaps, than safranine red. 



Green lasts well, but is objectionable as it injures the eyes when the fowls rub their faces in the moist, 

 newly colored feathers. 



Indelible black is not durable, it is very aromatic, and its fumes are injurious. 



To prepare the dye for use mix with wood alcohol, putting in just as much dye as the alcohol will 

 absorb. This means approximately i tablespoonful of dye to i pint of wood alcohol, the amount of dye 

 varying according to the color; some colors are much heavier and stronger than others and are also much 

 harder to dissolve in the alcohol. The addition of other liquids, such as acetone, shellac, and castor oil, 

 does not seem to improve the simple mixture of dye and alcohol. 



