Two years work with a fall hatch each year gave results that checked 

 closely. When the lights are started with the day-old chicks and continued 

 into the late spring, one. can expect about two weeks delay in maturity. The 

 lights should be continued in the spring until the last of April. One can also 

 expect a larger egg size. Up to a fifty percent production level, the increase 

 in egg size is sufficient to make about one third of the eggs grade into the 

 next higher weight class. Experimentally both an all night light (dim, 1 watt 

 to ten square feet) and fourteen hours of light (bright. 1 watt per four 

 square feet) were used with essentially the same results. 



Based on the results from one year's work, an attempt to delay maturity 

 of fall hatches by using a special feed and restricting feed on a time basi> 

 was without effect. 



R. C. Ringrose, L. M. Potter 



Abnormal (Bulging) Eye in New Hampshires. 



An abnormal type eye has been found in a certain line of the Station 

 New Hampshires. The area behind the pupil in such an eye appears to fill 

 with excess liquid, thus causing the bulging appearance. Affected birds may 

 exhibit frequent shaking of the head, and the sight may seem to be partially 

 affected. 



The character is being studied to determine its mode of inheritance. 



W. M. Collins 



The Effect of Frequency of Gathering Eggs From the Nest on Hatchability. 



A controlled study was made at the University of New Hampshire Poultry 

 farm in order to obtain hatchabilit\ records on a seasonal basis from egg.-, 

 that had been collected from the nest one, two, three, and four times daily. 

 Collections were made during the months of November, February. April, and 

 July, as it was felt that these months were typical of their respective seasons. 



Collections were made at the arbitrarily selected hours of 8 and 11 in 

 the morning and at 1 and 4 in the afternoon. When eggs were collected once 

 daily they were picked up at 4:00 p.m.; twice daily at 11:00 a.m., and 4:00 

 p.m.; three times daily at 8:00 and 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and four times 

 daily at 8:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. Control eggs for 

 each collection trial were collected hourly during the day either preceding or 

 succeeding the experimental trial. 



Although pen temperatures varied from a winter average of 37°F. to 

 78°F. during midsummer, no significant differences in hatchability occurred 

 as a result of more frequent egg collections. All results were inconsistent in 

 relation to the frequency of egg collections and in no case were differences 

 significant even when eggs were held 14 days prior to incubation. 



In addition, a field survey was made covering approximately forty-five 

 farms throughout southeastern New Hampshire and eastern Maine, in ordei 

 to obtain first-hand information as to the frequency of egg collections prac- 

 ticed by commercial poultry breeders. This study revealed no farms that were 

 collecting eggs four times daily but 52 percent of them collected three time.-, 

 daily throughout the year and more often during severe weather conditions: 

 41 percent collected eggs only three times daily; five percent collected eggs 

 two times daily and often three, times daily during very cold or hot weather, 

 while another two percent collected eggs only twice daily . 



43 



