582 



Bulletin 318 



TABLE 4. Broodiness and Mortality 

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



cannibalism started when the pullets commenced laying, at which time 

 the strain of producing the first eggs caused eversion. The three deaths 

 in pen 21 (strong) are unaccountable, since the fowls were apparently 

 healthy. 



Molting 



Both the weak and strong White Leghorn fowls progressed at about 

 the same rate throughout the molting period, which extended from the 

 latter part of July to the end of December. The average fowl, of course, 

 required but a part of this time. The strong Barred Plymouth Rocks 

 were about a month earlier in finishing their molt than the others. The 

 weak Barred Plymouth Rocks were even slower than the Leghorns, and, 

 in fact, several did not complete their molt in that they failed to renew 

 the tail feathers and some of the head and neck feathers. 



Egg production 



The true average percentage of eggs yielded was uniformly higher in 

 the strong than in the weak pens, except for the two periods September 

 15 to October 12 and October 13 to November 9, when the weak pens 

 in all three comparisons gave a higher production. During the last 

 period, November 10 to December 7, the strong pens again took the 

 lead. (Table 5.) 



The highest average production was during the months of March, 

 April, May, and June, at which time it was 55.1 to 66.8 per cent average 

 in the strong pens and 49.3 to 58.6 per cent average in the weak pens. 

 During the other months it was considerably lower in all the flocks. 



One reason for the weak pens producing more heavily during September 

 and October is undoubtedly that the hens in the weak pens were molting 

 somewhat more slowly and later than those in the strong pens. 



