ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 671 



The starved fowls lost an averaiie of 0.42 11). in weight during the process of 

 molt, losinir weight in every case bnt many re^aininK the lost tlesh before the 

 molt was comiileted. "Abont one-half of the fowls in all of the flocks were 

 befriinunfi to molt in the first period, be^inninj: Anjinst 11, and on Sei)tember 29, 

 llt(»7, about !)0 per cent of the starved hens and 7S.S i)er cent of the fed hens 

 were molting. liy October 27 the percentaj^e of molting was abont equal and 

 continued on this equality to the end of the molt. In regard to new plumage, 

 on October 27, only 6.3 jjer cent of the starved hens and 5.9 per cent of the fed 

 hens were comi)letely refeathered. November 25 only 34.4 per cent of the 

 starved, and ('•2.2 per cent of the fed hens were comi)letely renewed, while as 

 late as December 30. there still remained lO.O per cent of the starved and 15.5 

 per cent of the fed hens which were not in their new coats. 



"On the whole it may be said that from August 25 to October 23 the starved 

 tlocks showed ;i larger percentage of individuals molting. After that time there 

 was more molting among the fed hens, though both flocks completed the molt 

 at about the same time. . . . The average time required to complete the molt 

 of the 3-year-olds was nearly 104 days; of the 2-year-olds, about 101 days, 

 and of the 1-year-olds, 82 days. The starved 1-year-olds averaged to molt 

 more quickly by 33 days, than did the fed; the starved 2-year-olds were little 

 .-ifl'ected; while the starved 3-year-olds averaged 20 days longer in molting 

 than did the fed birds. The average time required to comi)Iete the molt of the 

 three starved flocks were 93.S dajs; of the three fed flocks 97.4 days. 



"All this would indicate that the molting ijrocess continues much longer than 

 is usually supi)osed, and that there is considerable variation in the time of 

 beginning the molt between different individuals, and between flocks of different 

 ages, also a wide variation in the length of time it requires individuals to com- 

 plete the molt. One is further impressed with the fact, that, so far as this ex- 

 periment is concernetl, the method of feeding did not materially alter the normal 

 conditions of molting, except with the 1-year-old fowls. 



" It is apparent that, as molting increased, egg-production decreased. This 

 was true almost without exception with both starved and fed flocks during each 

 jieriod. It was strikingly true during the starvation period. While some of 

 the hens continued to lay after beginning to molt, and a few began to lay before 

 completing their new coat, no hen continued to lay during the entire molting 

 period. 



" Tersistent layers, uidess broody, appeared to begin the molt within a week 

 after the last egg, and were usually in heavy molt in less than 2 weeks. Those 

 beginning to molt after October 1 shed more quickly and re-feathered more 

 (luickly than those molting earlier, esi)ecially to the stage of advanced molt, 

 when their bodies were well protected. 



" Broodiness influencwl the time of molt to a great degree. . . . The mortality 

 in all the i)ens was large. It averaged 18.8 per cent among the starved and 20 

 Iter cent among the fed flocks. The two flocks of 3-year-olds had a mortality 

 of 21 per cent; the 2-year-olds ](> jier cent, and the 1-year-olds 20 per cent. . . . 

 In these observations it was found that the hens, from all pens, which began 

 to molt liefore Se|»tember 15, averaged 108 days molting, while those which be- 

 gan after that date moitwl in SI days. . , . 



" In tlu' absen<'e of reliable data as to the best method of feeding fowls dur- 

 ing tlie critical peri<xl of the molt, it would seem desirable to follow the practice 

 commonly believed to be corr(»ct; namely, to feed liberally on rations which are 

 easy of digestion and rich in jirotein and oil. . . . 



" Tlie rotation of molting was practically the same with bens nf all age.s — 

 tlu' oldest fratlier being shed flrst. The chick and hen bntli feathered more 



74921— No. 



