INBREEDING IN RELATION TO EGG PRODUCTION 291 



Table 20 shows the mean weight of the eggs that actually hatched from the 

 different females. The check pen birds all laid very large eggs and all were 

 appreciably heavier than 56.7 grams which is considered a satisfactorj' weight. 

 Inbred pen 1 also gave very large eggs with the exception of one bird whose eggs 

 averaged but 54.7 grams. Inbred pen 2 contained one small-egg bird, and half 

 of the females in inbred pen 3 laid small eggs. 



Hatchabihty was low from the very large eggs. The hatching record of 

 inbred pen 2 was superior to any of the other pens and the eggs were slightly 

 below the other pens in mean weight. It is probable that the most satisfactory 

 egg weight for high hatching in this flock ranges from 55 to 60 grams. 



Chick mortality to September first ran highest for inbred pens 1 and 3 and 

 lowest for inbred pen 2. There was one female each in the check pen and in 

 inbred pens 1 and 2 that showed no chick mortaUty to September first. In 

 general, there was a shghtly greater chick mortality for the inbred pens than for 

 the check pen. 



The mean numbers of chicks produced per hen in each pen were approximately 

 equal. To the age of four weeks, there was no significant difference in mean 

 weight in the four pens. At the four-week weight the check group of chicks were 

 somewhat heavier than the inbreds, and this difference was increased at the age 

 of 150 days. In mean weight of pullets at first egg, the check pullets were slightly 

 superior as might be anticipated from the fact that thej^ traced to heavier foun- 

 dation stock than did the inbreds. The experiment was concluded March 1, 

 1929, so that weights at one year were not recorded. 



Table 21. — Record to March 1 of All Surviving Daughters from the 1928 



Matin GS 



Dam Number 



Bird 

 Number 



Age at 

 First Egg 



Weight at 

 First Egg 



Average 

 Winter Clutch 



Check Pen 



Days 

 - Inbred 



Pounds 



Eggs 



* No eggs. 



