EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



no: 



The next table gives the weights of the hens at the dates mentioned 



January 1 



February 1 



July 1 



Gain February 1 to July 1 



Pen 3. 



Lbs. 



121.0 

 150.5 

 206.0 



55.6 



In the interval while Pen 2 lost none of its inmates. Pen 1 lost two 

 hens and Pen 3, one. The average weight of the chickens in Pen 1 was, 

 at the close of the experiment, 5.85 pounds, in Pen 2, 5.8 pounds and in 

 Pen 3, 6 pounds. It is manifest therefore that when the numbers in the 

 pens are considered the relative gain was not different in the three pens. 



Turning now to the number of eggs laid which is the gist of the 

 experiment, the results are given by months in the following table: 



January.. 

 February 



March 



April 



May 



June 



Pen 3, 



140 

 196 

 530 

 541 

 471 

 410 



2,288 



Pen 2 gained in the six months eight and one-half pounds more than 

 Pen 1, and in the same time laid 134 more eggs. Although the pens were 

 made up alike in breed, age and relation to the laying period this varia- 

 tion occurs. While this difference is not large, had a change in condition, 

 whether of feeding or some other item involved in the care, been made 

 between these pens, the difference would have been large enough to be 

 considered somewhat significant. The fact that it occurred when all 

 known conditions were alike teaches again the danger of drawing con- 

 clusions from the results of one experiment. 



A COMPARISON OF THREE BREEDS OF HENS AS TO THE NUMBER AND 

 WEIGHT OF EGGS LAID IN A YEAR AND THE FOOD COST. 



On the first of January, 1897, 20 pullets and five yearling hens of each 

 of the three breeds tested were weighed for the experiment. The breeds 

 to be compared were the Golden Wyandotte, the Single Comb Brown 

 Leghorn, and Barred Plymouth Rock. Since the fowls were pure bloods 

 and the eggs were therefore needed for hatching purposes two roosters 

 were put in each pen at the beginning and removed June 18th. The 

 health of the hens in the different pens was in general good. Still where 

 the fowls had to be confined as in this case the death of some of the 



