288 



Bulletin 249. 



The relatively low egg production may have been due to the follow- 

 ing well recognized contributory causes : 



a The shock of dipping in diamond dyes for the molting observation. 



b Repeated handling in weighing, and inspecting for molt each week. 



c Excitement caused by many visitors. 



d Lack of freedom due to alternation on limited grass runs. 



e Early hatching and premature laying (a possibility). 



The production at first was very small as would be expected of such 

 young pullets. In both cases the egg yield increased rapidly the first 

 and second periods, the retarded hens having slightly the lead. After 

 that time, with but few exceptions, the forced hens were ahead, until the 

 close of the experiment. Fig. 119. 



1906 



Periods 

 of 28 davs 



Per cent 60 



Per cent 50 



Per cent 40 



Per cent 30 



Per cent 20 



Per cent 10 



Per cent o 



Forced- 



-Pens I and 2. 



Retarded Pens 3 and 4. 



Fig. ug.— Forcing and retarding pullets. A comparison of per cent egg production. 



Note that, although the per cent production of both the forced and the retarded 

 flocks differed widely during the various periods.'it increased or decreased uniformly, 

 the production of the forced flocks remaining most of the time 3 to 5 percent higher 

 than that of the retarded flocks. 



The forced hens gave about one and one-half dozen more eggs per 

 hen than the retarded, and the value of eggs per hen per year was sixty- 

 five cents more in the forced than in the retarded pens (Table 15). 



