THE RELATION OF FEATHER PIGMENTATION TO 

 INTENSITY OF LAYING IN RHODE ISLAND REDS 



By F. A. Hays 



INTRODUCTION 



Experience of exhibition breeders of Rhode Island Reds indicates that in 

 order to develop the deep rich color now demanded in both sexes a considerable 

 period of time is required before sexual maturity is attained. In other words, 

 if pullets and cockerels become sexually mature at six or seven months they are 

 likely to show a lighter shade of plumage than the Standard requires. 



In the spring of 1915, thirty-two high-class exhibition Rhode Island Red 

 pullets were hatched and reared at the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment 

 Station along with the birds being bred for high fecundity. These thirty-two 

 pullets had an average age of 291 days when they laid their first egg while eighty- 

 nine production-bred birds hatched and reared with them showed an average 

 age of 253 days when they began to lay. 



In the spring of 1929 a group of thirty-nine excellent exhibition pullets was 

 hatched and reared with chicks bred for egg production. The average age at 

 first egg was 291 days for the exhibition pullets and 197 days for 507 production 

 pullets. 



A tendency for the production-bred stock to be deficient in color was observ- 

 able as early as 1915 while in 1929 practically all stock was deficient in color and 

 some approached buff and others carried pronounced black mottling. Smut in 

 under-color was not common. 



Exhibition stock studied in 1915 was less deeply pigmented than the present- 

 day Rhode Island Red. The stock hatched in 1929 approached the bay shade 

 of Ridgway (1912). A rather large proportion of the birds carried smut in under- 

 color as well. Under-color varied in shade, but the fluff was far more intensely 

 pigmented than in the production-bred birds. 



Martin (1929) has definitely shown with Barred Plymouth Rocks that ex- 

 hibition color is associated with slow maturity and his data indicate a probable 

 correlation between exhibition plumage color and low intensity. 



There is definite need for experimental evidence on the relation of degree of 

 pigmentation in Rhode Island Reds to intensity of laying. Winter intensity 

 has been shown by Hays and Sanborn (1927) to be rather intimately associated 

 with annual production. The Standard of Perfection (1930) calls for rich red 

 plumage color in both males and females, making dark plumage color of economic 

 importance. It would seem desirable, therefore, from the breeder's standpoint 

 to combine exhibition plumage color with high intensity. 



The experiment reported below began with two foundation groups of birds 

 hatched in 1927. The first group consisted of forty-eight pullets selected for 

 very light adult plumage color. The second group was made up of forty-nine 

 pullets selected for dark plumage color. Both groups came from the flock that 

 had been bred for high fecundity since 1913. Generations two, three and four 

 were hatched the following years. The selection of breeders each season was on 

 the basis of verj' light and very dark plumage. All birds were pedigreed, females 

 were trap-nested for a full 3'ear, and both male and female progeny were de- 

 scribed for plumage color at the age of about six months. 



