ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



275 



entire feeding period of 12 weelis, the cost, including all items, amounted to 

 25.8 cts. per cliick for all flocks; the average returns were 31.1 cts. per chick, 

 making a loss on the experiment of 4.7 cts. per chick. 



Eeport of the poultry expert, D. F. Laurie (Rpt. Dept. Agr. So. Aust., 

 1911, Ji9-€S). — This report includes a summary of the results of egg-laying com- 

 petitions concluded on March 31, 1911. 



In experiments on the occurrence of broodiness in Leghorns, 47 pens out of 

 61 pens recorded finished the year with less than 6 cases of broodiness, indi- 

 cating that this character is being almost eliminated in the breed. In an 

 experiment to test the practicability of systematic fattening of table poultry, 

 25 birds were crammed 17 days, with resulting average increase of from 6 oz. 

 to 2 lbs. 1 oz., with an average cost of food during the period of 2.73 d. per bird. 

 In a feetling test of 12 months with 8 pens of 10 White Leghorn pullets each, the 

 largest egg record (1,317 eggs) resulted from a ration of mash, oat flour, wheat, 

 bran, meat meal, green feed, and oats in litter. 



A series of tests was conducted to ascertain the relative weights of eggs of 

 the light and heavy breeds, 24 oz. per dozen eggs being established as a standard. 

 One pen of Brown Leghorns and 6 pens of White Leghorns failed to reach the 

 weight prescribetl, while 7 pens just reached it. Among the heavy breeds, of the 

 14 pens of Black Orpingtons only one fell short, with 22i oz., the highest weight 

 being 26* oz. When the eggs of 61 pens of birds of the light breeds and 28 pens 

 of the heavy breeds were weighed 34 months after the first test, in both cases 

 the general results showed a fall in the average weight during the period, this 

 tending to disprove the theory that the pullet that lays a small egg will develop 

 the habit of laying eggs of larger size. A table is included giving data on the 

 monthly egg production and average weight of eggs of 3 White Leghorns and 

 3 Black Orpingtons, which illustrates the periodical increase and decrease in 

 size of eggs. 



The average weight of 48 representative eggs of the various breeds of fowls 

 are given for Black Orpingtons, Buff Orpingtons, Plymouth Rocks, Silver Wyan- 

 dottes. White Leghorns, and Indian Games. These weights range from 2 to 

 2.35 oz. per egg. Data on the weight and measurement of eggs, thickness and 

 weight of shell, and the color and appearance of the shell of eggs of the various 

 breeds of fowls are included. 



The following table shows the results of experiments carried on to determine 

 the effect of various degrees of moisture and ventilation in ai'tificial incubation 

 on the percentage of hatch : 



Effect of moisture and ventilation in artificial incubation. w 



Amount of moisture and ventilation supplied. 



Fertile 



Chicks 

 hate tied. 



Chicks 



dead in 



sheU. 



Chickens 

 deformed 

 or weak. 



Half moisture. Vents closed first week, then gradually opened 

 Full moisture. Vents closed first week, then gradually opened 



Full moisture 



No moisture. Vents closed first week, then opened 



No moisture. V^ents open 



Half moisture. Vents closed 



Half moisture. Vents open 



Per cent. 

 83.33 

 86. 6t) 

 87.50 

 65.07 

 54.13 

 69.11 

 71.00 



Per cent. 

 52.00 

 47.86 

 52. 38 

 56.09 

 50.00 

 67.02 

 64.78 



Per cent. 

 48.00 

 52.14 

 47.72 

 43.91 

 50. 00 

 32.98 

 35.22 



Per cent. 

 11.5 

 7.1 

 12.7 

 52.1 

 33.0 



39.1 



In a series of tests with 2 lots of eggs, both white-shelled, placed in hot air 

 and in hot water incubators, the data show that the evaporation during the 

 second period of 6 days was less than during either the first or third period. 

 In the hot-air machine for a period of 18 days, the average loss in weight per 



