258 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Ofe. Doc. 



Fig. 9 represents by plotted curves the percentage egg production 

 of three large flocks of Leghorns on largely separate farms in the 

 State of New York. Observe how closely the lines follow each other 

 during each month of the year. Through this we deduct the law that 

 egg production is governed b^^ climatic conditions which has to do 

 not only with the temperature, but the length of day and the amount 

 of sunshine. The lowest per cent, productions, it will be seen/ are 

 in the months of October, November, December and January, the 

 months of lowest temperature, shortest days,, and least sunshine. 

 The months of highest percentage production are April, May and 

 June, months most favorable for egg production. The total height 

 of these curves can be raised by increasing the per cent, of egg pro- 

 duction through the use of early hatched pullets and by using pullets 

 rather than hens. 



Fig. 10 shows the variation in egg production for a year and two 

 months between three flocks of poor layers which laid less than 100 

 eggs each a year. This flock consisted of 5 Light Brahma pul- 

 lets, shown by the dash line, 22 Barred Plymouth Kocks, the solid 

 line, and 7 White Wyandottes, the dotted line. The upper three 

 lines represent the variation in egg production each month of 9 

 White Wyandottes, 6 Light Brahmas, and 22 Barred Plymouth 

 Rock pullets, each of which laid over 160 eggs per year. You will 

 observe that the hens which laid the least eggs did not begin to 

 lay until January and February, whereas, the others were laying 

 well in November and December. The poorer hens never reached 

 a production of over 13 to 14 eggs per month per hen, whereas, the 

 others continued for the entire spring, summer and fall, with a 

 record of over 16 to 20 eggs per liL'n j^er month. You will see, also 

 that the poorer hens got tired of their job and ceased business en- 

 tirely the following October, Avhile the better hens continued to lay 

 from three to seven eggs a month during November and December. 



A problem much discussed among poultrymen is, how long to 

 keep fowls for profitable egg production. Fig. 11 shows graphical 

 plotted curves of percentage production of certain flocks of hens 

 through two full years of laying, as in the previous chart the pro- 

 duction of three breeds are considered. It is worthy of note that 

 they follow pretty closely, the same general trend of productivity of 

 each month. Observe how much higher the curve of percentage 

 production is with the pullets than it is with the hens. Especially 

 compare September and October at the end of the first year with 

 the same months at the end of their second year. These hens were 

 all trap-nested as a means of determining the best from the poorest 

 layers. It is also interesting to learn whether or not it is possible 

 to select in any other ways than by trap nest, fowls which are to be 

 the best producers. One of the ways in which we may judge of 

 the fowls future productiveness, is by its early maturity and pre- 

 cocity. Occasionally this law is interfered with from the fact that 

 too early maturity, while it indicates possibilities of productiveness, 

 so weakens the fowl that it fails to meet its possibilities and our 

 expectations because of exhausted vitality. 



Fig. 12 is an effort to show actual results in percentage produc- 

 tion of three flocks of pullets which began to lay first, and three 

 flocks of the same variety and of similar age which were latest to 

 begin to lay. The solid line represents those which laid first with 



