266 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 258 



and C 4746 was a closely inbred hen. A marked degree of uniformity in age at 

 first egg was exhibited by these six sisters, the range being between 161 and 186 

 days. All were genetically early maturing. 



These six sisters were also rather uniform in body weight at first egg, ranging 

 from 5.00 to 5.88 pounds. Foundation dam C 1124 was a small hen weighing 

 but 4.81 pounds when she laid her first egg. 



Winter pause was shown by all the sisterp, except C 6287, and was present 

 in the foundation hen C 1124 and inbred hen C 4746. Lines of birds descending 

 from such a foundation would, therefore, be expected to carry winter pause. 



The characteristic intensity or clutch size in the six sisters was variable. Three 

 of the birds probably carried both genetic factors for large clutch size, and the 

 other three were low for intensity. Both foundation hen C 1124 and inbred hen 

 C 4746 were high in intensity. 



Broodiness was present in but one of the four sisters completing the year. In- 

 bred hen C 4746 was non-broody, but foundation hen C 1124 carried broodiness 

 in the pullet year. 



All of the females with a complete record showed high persistency. Such 

 foundation females should therefore be very satisfactory foundation breeders 

 from the standpoint of high persistency. 



Only three of the sisters had a complete annual egg record. These records 

 were 166, 171 and 226. Hen C 6286 was able to make a record of 226 eggs 

 because she carried early maturity, high intensity and high persistency. The 

 other two sisters were notably deficient in intensity. Inbred hen C 4746 carried 

 early maturity, high intensity, high persistency and non-broodiness but showed 

 a long winter pause. Her record was 214 eggs. Foundation hen C 1124 laid 

 238 eggs. She carried winter pause and broodiness as major defects. On the 

 whole, such foundation females could not be expected to estabhsh superior lines 

 for egg production under inbreeding because they possessed too many undesir- 

 able characteristics. 



Results of Matings — 1923 



The sex ratio observed in chicks living until their sex could be recorded by 

 external appearances is of little value the first year of the experiment because of 

 the small number of offspring. In the check groups there were 18 males and 31 

 females, and 6 males and 6 females came from the one successful inbred mating. 



