290 



TwENTY-sEvKNTH Annual Report 



OSTRICH INVESTIGATIONS 



During the past year ostriches have been fed an average of three 

 pounds of alfalfa hay, one potmd dried beet pulp, and one pound of 

 grain daily. The grain ration has consisted chiefly of whole wheat, 

 but milo maize and barley have also been fed. At the present time 

 there are fourteen old ostriches, two yearlings, and six spring chicks. 

 The heavy snow storm of the \\'inter caused all but two of the strongest 

 yearlings to die. It thus seems that young ostriches can not endure 

 much cold. This snow storm did not seem to injure the older birds. A 

 careful record was kept of the eggs as they were laid. Table XVII 

 gives the egg record for each hen arranged according to breed for the 

 years 1915-1916. 



TABLE XVII. 



EGG RECORD FOR EACH HEN ARRANGED ACCORDING TO 

 BREEDING FOR THE YEARS 1915 AND 1916 



Number of eggs laid by each hen: The diflferent hens laid from 

 16 to 35 eggs each. With the exception of the old hen, no number, 

 the range was 25 to 35 eggs for the individual hens. The average 

 number of eggs laid was 7.11 greater than the previous year, and there 

 was much less variation in the number laid by the hens. The average 

 number of eggs laid by the flock was 29.33. The three cross-bred hens 

 laid an average of 32.67 eggs per bird, while the South African gave 

 the next highest average, 28.75, and the Nubian 25.5 eggs per bird. It 

 so happened that the hen that laid the fewest eggs was a Nubian, and 

 also the one that laid the greatest number of eggs was from this breed. 



