302 



Bulletin 249. 



Table XXII. — Fertility and Hatchability of Eggs. 

 Deduction's from Tables 3, 6, 9, 12. and from Original Records. 



Comparison of the fertility and hatchability of eggs. 



Of the eggs which were incubated, 371 were from the forced pens 

 and 383 were from the retarded pens. The eggs from each pen were 

 placed in several machines, and the conditions affecting them were made 

 as nearly alike as possible. While twelve more eggs from the retarded 

 pens were put in the machines, the eggs from the forced pens gave 28 

 more chicks (11.5 per cent.) than those from the retarded pens. The 

 fertility was slightly better in the retarded pens. 



Influence of forced early egg production on fall and winter molt. 



A comparison of molting in the forced and retarded pens shows few 

 distinctive differences. (Fig. 123.) For five periods the retarded hens 

 molted most ; for five periods the forced hens molted most ; and for three 

 periods they were nearly alike. This, however, does not prove whether 

 the early layers or the hens coming later into egg production molted for 

 a longer time. Of thirty-two hens from the four pens, the sixteen be- 

 ginning earliest to lay, molted on an average 89.9 days, while the sixteen 

 beginning last to lay, averaged 96.4 days during the year. In nearly 

 every case the hens beginning earliest to lay were molting during Decem- 

 ber and January when eggs were at a high figure. (Table 16.) 



Influence of proliflcacy on molt. 



By an inspection of individuals it was found that pullets which laid 

 a succession of eggs, no matter how many nor how few, did not usually 

 molt while laying. When egg ])roduction stopped, they molted at least 

 a few feathers, possiblv a complete molt. A comparison of the layers, 



