1917] ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 871 



they gradually declined to the end of the season, while the Leghorns reached 

 their maximum a month or more later, but continued to produce heavily for 

 several months and then rapidly fell off at the end." 



Selection: The basis of improving' the poultry flock, H. R. Lewis {New 

 Jersey Stas. Hints to Poultriimen, 5 (1917), No. 12, pp. //). — Brief directions are 

 given for improving the egg production of floclcs of hens by eliminating the 

 poor producers, the basis of selection being the external appearance of the 

 individual hens. It is stated that when culling a flock of yearling hens in the 

 fall the following factors should be studied in the order named, and the final 

 decision with regard to the possibilities of each bird made on the basis of a 

 combined grouping of all the factors : Health, or freedom from disease ; weight, 

 or condition of flesh ; vigor and stamina ; condition of comb ; pigmentation — 

 amount of yellow in vent, ear lobes, beak, and shanks ; condition of pelvic 

 arch — size and pliability of lay bones, and distance between lay bones and from 

 keel to pelvic bones ; and condition of plumage — degree of molt, if any. 



Feed cost of egg' production. Results of three years' experiments at the 

 Government poultry farm, H. M. Lamon and A. R. Lee {U. S. Dept. Agr. Bui. 

 561 (1017), pp. 42, pis. S, fiiis. 5).— Owing to the lack of complete data on the 

 feed cost of egg production on general farms, this experiment was undertaken 

 at Beltsville, INId., in 1912 with 6 pens of 30 pullets, later increased to 16 pens. 

 Only the feed costs are considered, as the fowls were mostly on free range. 

 Some of the results of the work are as follows : 



The average egg yield for the first-year pullets was 131, at a cost for feed 

 of 10 cts. a dozen; the second year, 92.7, at a cost of 14 cts. ; the third year. 

 78.2, at a cost of 19 cts. The average value of eggs over feed cost the first 

 year was $2.56 per hen, second year $1.41, third year $0.79. 



Oats were not foimd necessary in the ration, but added variety. With the 

 young fowls, especially, great gains were made with beef scrap or other animal 

 protein. Cottonseed meal apparently produced brown or greenish spots on the 

 yolks, rendering many of the eggs unfit for market. Fish meal at $7 a ton 

 less can replace beef scrap with no unfavorable effect on the quality of the 

 eggs. 



No advantage was found in allowing the fowls to select their own mash con- 

 stituents over feeding the mixture. 



In comparison of Leghorn and general-purpose fowls, it was noted that the 

 Leghorns ate an average of .55 lbs. of feed annually at a cost of 87 cts., the 

 general-purpose fowls 72 lbs. at a cost of $1.13. The Leghorns produced eggs 

 about 3 cts. per dozen cheaper during their first year than the general-purpose 

 fowls, G.4 cts. cheaper the second year, and 9.8 cts. cheaper the third year. 

 The annual decrease in production was much less with the Leghorns than with 

 the general-purpose breeds. The average weight per dozen of the eggs from 

 the Leghorns during the first year was 1.45 lbs., second and third years 1.49 

 lbs. ; from the general-purpose fowls, first year 1.53 lbs., second year 1.6 lbs., 

 and third year 1.63 lbs. 



Eggs were produced at the lowest cost in the spring and at the highest cost 

 in the fall. 



Poultry feeds and feeding results, R. N. Habvet (Texas St a. Bui. 206 

 (1917), pp. S-16, figs. 4). — Part one of this bulletin consists of a discussion of 

 Texas-rai.sed feeding stuffs suitable for poultry, and includes methods of feeding 

 and some rations that have proved satisfactory. 



Part two is a report of results of a feeding test carried on for five periods 

 of four weeks each for the purpose of comparing meat scrap, cottonseed meal, 

 meat scrap and cottonseed meal, and sour skim milk as supplements of mile 

 maize, wheat bran, and wheat shorts for laying hens. The fowls receiving meat 



