296 THE BEGINNER IN POULTRY 



gradually up to 1909, the figures read, 163, 152, 166, 

 1 7 1, 173, 1 80, 1 80. The cost of feeding was reported at 

 $1.62 in the 1909-1910 test, and the average profit over 

 cost of feed was $1.58. This basis of comparison en- 

 ables any Beginner to figure what any desired number 

 of birds may bring in for him, always assuming the best 

 of care and feed and conditions. 



In the ninth Australian contest, seventeen pens of 

 Indian Runners competed against one pen of Cantonese 

 ducks and two pens of Buff Orpington ducks. The 

 Runners stood first to ninth, the Cantonese next, the 

 Orpingtons sixteenth and seventeenth. Five other pens 

 were in a second-year test at the same time : four were 

 Runners, one Orpingtons. The Orpingtons finished 

 lowest. The first three pens of hens in the second year 

 laid 994, 958, 939; the first three pens of Runners laid 

 1244, 1094, and 1075, respectively. This speaks well 

 for the Runners, the best pen averaging above 207 in 

 their second year, and the lowest of the three giving 

 179 in the second year. As this is nearly double what 

 United States hens average, it may be considered a re- 

 markable record of performance. 



It remains now to consider a matter which, no doubt, 

 affects the finals very greatly, yet which many students 

 of these reports would entirely fail to take into consider- 

 ation. I call the especial attention of all Beginners to 

 the fact that these layers were handled without the 

 annoying presence of males in the laying pens, and that 

 they were penned in groups of six. This agrees closely 

 with the practice of two of our American " Systems" 

 which require that the birds be kept in very small 

 groups. They differ widely from the tenets of another 



