Constitutional Vigor in Poultry 



581 



Although the amount of food consumed was on the average greater 

 in the strong pens, Table 3 shows that in all instances the amount of 

 dry matter required to produce each pound of eggs was less for the strong 

 fowls and greater for the weak ones, showing a more economical use of 

 the food by the strong fowls: 



TABLE 3. The Proportionate Consumption of Food per Pound Live Weight 



AND per Pound Eggs Produced 



(December 10, 1907, to December 7, 1908) 



In nearly every comparison the stronger fowls made a more economical 

 use of their food, both in dry matter consumed per pound live weight and 

 in dry matter required per pound of eggs produced. Although the Barred 

 Plymouth Rocks consumed more total pounds of dry matter than the 

 White Leghorns, they used less per pound live weight because of their 

 greater size. The Plymouth Rocks, however, required a greater amount 

 of dry matter to produce each pound of eggs laid. 



Broodiness and mortality 



There seemed to be a uniformity in broodiness among the White Leg- 

 horn fowls, both weak and strong. In no instance was the number of 

 broody fowls unusual. The greatest broodiness occurred in the strong 

 Barred Plymouth Rock pen 21, where, on the average, each hen was 

 broody 3.3 times and lost 16.9 days thereby. (Table 4.) In both the 

 strong and weak flocks the Plymouth Rocks were much more broody 

 than the White Leghorns. 



The greater number of deaths occurred among the weaker fowls. The 

 large mortality in pen 75 (weak), as shown in Table 4, is due to a vicious 

 habit of cannibalism which the fowls developed at the start. Five of 

 this flock died as a result of injuries inflicted by the other fowls. This 



