Four Methods of Feeding Early Hatched Pullets. 283 



nearly as possible, were equal in weight, vigor and maturity, and their 

 surroundings were practically alike. No males were put in the pens till 

 December ist, 1906. 



The pens were all in one house, and were separated from each other 

 by wire partitions. Each had a floor space of 86 square feet, or 4.3 

 square feet per hen. The house had 13.2 square feet glass surface, and 

 10 square feet of cloth surface. The entire air space was about 2,350 

 cubic feet, or 29.3 cubic feet per hen. Except on extremely cold days, 

 the cloth windows were removed in the morning, the openings being 

 covered only by wire netting. 



There being only two yards available for the four pens, the hens 

 were alternately allowed a grass run until November 20, 1906. From 

 that time until March 20, 1907, they were confined in the pens ; but 

 from the latter date they were alternated as before until the close of the 

 experiment. 



The pullets were weighed at the beginning of each period of twenty- 

 eight days, and also at the end of the experiment. From Augtist i, 1906, 

 to March i, 1907, and from July i to July 27, 1907, they were inspected 

 individually each week as to their condition of molt. Between March 

 I St and July ist they were examined only once each period of twenty- 

 eight days, at the time of weighing. To make sure that the molt was 

 correctly observed, the pullets were dipped in Diamond dyes at the 

 beginning of the molting observations, thus making any new white 

 feathers distinctly visible. 



The hens were trap-nested during the entire time, and individual 

 records kept. The eggs were weighed for six consecutive periods, and 

 after that for a week at a time at intervals of two months, until the 

 close of the experiment. Eggs from each pen were incubated, and 

 records kept of the results. 



Methods of feeding. 



Pen I — Forced — received the grain mixture morning and night in 

 the litter and wet mash at noon. 



Pen II — Forced — received the grain mixture morning and night in 

 the litter and dry mash in a hopper open at all times. 



Pen III — Retarded — received grain morning, noon and night in lit- 

 ter, and beef scrap once a day in a trough. 



Pen IV — Retarded — received grain mixture and beef scrap in a 

 hopper open at all times. 



The pullets in all four pens had grit, oyster shell, and water always 

 before them, and were given mangel beets and green cut bone at inter- 

 vals during the period of close confinement. 



