514 Kbport of the First Assistant op the 



fill indication of the relative digestibility of the two rations. It is 

 possible that the ration fed to No. 3 was a trifle too li1)eral in amount 

 for fowls of a breed so inactive and liable to excessive fat. During 

 the first two months although the diy substance in the ration for 

 pen No. 3 was about 22 per cent, less than pen No. 4, the average 

 gain in live weight was considerably greater. The average live 

 weight was also greater during most of the laying season, but toward 

 the end of the year pen No. 4 attained to the highest in average live 

 weight. It appears probable that the better results from the 

 Cochins having whole grain may be due to the fact that by feeding 

 the grain in straw it was possible to insure considerable exercise, 

 while in feeding the ground grain ration less opportunity was 

 afforded to induce any'activity. The more rapid increase in weight 

 at the beginning even on less food, seems to show this. 



On the average for the year there were 10.22 pounds of water-free 

 substance in the food eaten by pen No. 3 for each pound of eggs laid 

 and in the food for No. 4 — 8.47 pounds of water-free food for one 

 pound of eggs. During the period when the yield of eggs for the 

 food consumption was the best, pen No. 3 consumed 5.14 pounds of 

 water-free food for each pound of eggs produced and pen No. 4 — 

 -4.61 pounds of water-free food for one pound of eggs. For No. 3 

 the market value of the eggs laid was less than the cost of food, 

 For No. 4 the market value of the eggs exceeded the cost of the 

 food by 18.6 per cent. 



The Cochins are generally classed as indifferent layers and 

 with good reason. Narrow confinement, however, affects them 

 less unfavorably' than it does such breeds as the Leghorn and 

 possibly for this reason the one pen of Cochins No. 4 nearly 

 equalled in total average egg production, the pens of Leghorns. 

 The average product from the two pens of Cochins was consider- 

 ablv short of that from the Leghorns, but a comparison between 

 the results from the better laying pen of Cochins and the pen of 

 Leghorns which was fed a similar ration is of interest as showing 

 the relative profits from hens of large and small breeds, when the 

 egg yields are about equal, and the egg yield from the smaller fowls 

 does not exceed the usual yield from the larger. This comparison 

 is made simply because of the opportunity of comparing the profit 

 over food for large and small hens when the egg products are equal 

 and the rations alike, and not as a comparison between the breeds, 

 for the necessarv conditions were such as to much more unfavorably 



