Restricted Feeding on Range May Not Be Best Practice. 



Many poultrymen are now practicing restricted feeding of growing 

 pullets on range. This practice is followed with the idea that the pullets will 

 eat more grass resulting in feed savings and lower costs. Care must be used 

 in following such a program, since savings made on range may be lost in 

 the laying house. 



When feed of one group of pullets was restricted 22 percent on an aver- 

 age to good grass range, a feed saving of 3.25 pounds resulted between 12 

 and 20 weeks of age. This feed was worth sixteen cents per bird. However, 

 these pullets averaged .47 pounds less in weight than the check group. After 

 12 weeks in the laying house, on a full feeding program both groups of 

 pullets weighted the same. But the pullets grown on the restricted feed pro- 

 gram had consumed .2 pounds more feed per bird and had laid four less 

 eggs per bird. The economic value of the loss in egg production amounted to 

 slightly more per bird than the value of the feed saved on range. Thus it is 

 evident that savings made in range feeding were lost in the laying house 

 through increased feed consumption and lowered egg production. 



R. C. Ringrose, L. M. Potter 



Breeding for Meat and Eggs in the Same Bird. 



A Dark Cornish-New Hampshire cross made at this Station ten years 

 ago resulted in what is now called the Durham breed. Of the trapnested hens 

 which have finished their laying year the highest production is 252 eggs. 

 Twenty-two percent of the hens used as breeders this season hatched 90 

 percent or more of fertile eggs. The average fertility of all eggs set was 85 

 percent. 



At twelve weeks of age, offspring of Durham males mated with New 

 Hampshire females were similar in weight, but superior in width of breast 

 and in livability to straight New Hampshires, also produced from flock mat- 

 ings. Reciprocal crosses of Durhams and New Hampshires in which the cross- 

 bed and pure-bred chicks were produced simultaneously by the same sires 

 are now being studied. This test will provide an accurate comparison of the 

 pure strains, and of the crosses with each of the pure strains. Preliminary 

 results indicate that the crosses are heavier than either pure breed. Feed 

 efficiency for growth and body conformation measurements of the pure 

 breeds vs. the crosses are also being compared in this test. 



Succeeding generations of the offspring resulting from crossing White 

 Cornish and New Hampshires in 1943 have been improved and are now 

 called While Durhams. Egg production, fertility, and hatchability is not as 

 high as in Durhams but one trapnested hen which has just completed her 

 laying year laid 217 eggs. Individuals range in color from red with white 

 showing only in portions of the wings and tail, to almost completely white. 

 The under color is white. Progress has been made this year in increasing the 

 proportion of individuals in the flock which are nearly white. 



Twelve-week-old crosses of White Durham males on New Hampshire 

 females were slightly inferior in livability, but were heavier, and possessed 

 greater breast width than straight New Hampshires. A test to compare the 

 growth, feed efficiency, and conformation of White Durham, New Hamp- 

 shires, and their reciprocal crosses is planned. 



W. M. Collins 

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