39^ Bulletin 258. 



ages (Fig. 16, C). From August 11, the beginning of the experiment, 

 there was a gradual decline in production with all the flocks until the 

 latter part of December. From this time production increased rapidly 

 until the latter part of April, when it remained practically stationary 

 until the middle of May ; then it declined gradually until the close of the 

 experim.ent, November 8. These observations agree with similar ones 

 made in other experiments.* 



All of the above principles are clearly illstrated in Fig. 16, 17 and 18, 

 A, B and C, where the starved and fed flocks are compared. 



Egg-production during the molt. 



The fact that hens, though well fed, lost weight in the process of molt 

 would indicate something of the strain imposed on them by the pro- 

 duction of new feathers. This is more noticeably shown by the falling 

 off in egg-production (Tables IV, V, VI and VII, Figs. 16, 17 and 18). 

 The trap-nested hens, pen 24 (starved), and pen 25 (fed), averaged only 

 12 eggs laid while molting. Only three per cent of the hens laid in the 

 heavy molting season and only one of the 65 trap-nested hens produced 

 more than an occasional egg during that time (Figs. 16, 17 and 18). 



It is apparent that, as molting increased, egg-production decreased 

 (Fig. 18, A and B, and Tables IV, V and VI). This was true almost 

 without exception with both starved and fed flocks during each period. 

 It was strikingly true during the starvation period. While some of the 

 hens continued to lay after beginning to molt, and a few began to lay 

 before completing their new coat, no hen continued to lay during the 

 entire molting period. 



Influence of prolificacy on the time and rapidity of molt. 

 Persistent layers, unless broody, appeared to begin the molt within 

 a week after the last egg, and were usually in heavy molt in less than 

 two weeks. Those beginning to molt after October first shed more 

 quickly and re-feathered more quickly than those molting earlier, espe- 

 cially to the stage of advanced molt, when their bodies were well protected 

 (Tables IV, V and VI, and Figs. 18,19 and 20). Hen Number 61 (Figs. 

 19 and 20) was a good example. It was 56 days from the time she 

 began to shed until she had grown a complete coat of feathers. 



Influence of hroodiness on the molt. 

 Broodiness influenced the time of molt to a great degree. In this 

 experiment, a number of hens became broody, and were allowed to sit 



* Bulletin 249, Cornell Experiment Station, "Four Methods of Feeding Pullets.'' 



