were fed also to accustom the chicks to the oats. At six weeks of age a 

 change was made to growing pellets, 20 percent feed restriction was started 

 and of the total amount of feed allowed, whole oats made up approximately 

 25 percent. The pullets were fed on this basis to 20 weeks of age. 



At eight weeks of age the pullets were moved to range plots of one- 

 quarter acre each. The vegetation was only moderately good and con- 

 tained some ladino clover. From 8 to 20 weeks of age, both treatment 

 groups could eat as they wished of the range vegetation, with the restricted 

 treatment being limited to 80 percent of the feed consumed by the full 

 fed treatment groups. 



At 20 weeks of age the pullets were moved to laying pens. Feed restric- 

 tion was continued until five percent production was reached, at which 

 time the pullets were placed on full feed. 



The data from this experiment is presented in Table 2. 



In view of the results obtained up to this time there was considerable 

 interest in the extent to which pullets might be delayed in egg production. 

 For this reason, in Experiment 6 more severe feed restriction was prac- 

 ticed starting at the early age of two weeks. 



Experiment 6 was started in November, 1954. and the pullets were grown 

 in confinement. Duplicate pens of 45 sexed pullet chicks from the previ- 

 ously used commercial strain of New Hampshires were used. The chicks 

 were full fed to two weeks of age at which time the treatments of full 

 feed, 80 percent, and 70 percent of full feed were established. All-mash 

 feeds were used throughout the experiment with the starting feed being 

 fed to eight weeks of age after which time a growing feed was used. At 

 20 weeks of age all groups were fed an all-mash breeder ration. 



The data from Exoeriment 6 is presented in Table 2. 



At this period in the development of the research, current comment was 

 to the effect that restricted feeding should be used for rearing all tvpes of 

 chickens, not only meat-type chickens to be used for the production of 

 hatching eggs. For this reason it was decided to conduct experiments using 

 White Leghorn stock. Two experiments were conducted using the same 

 commercial strain of White Leghorn chicks for each experiment. 



Experiment 7 was started in April, 1955. with duplicate pens of 78 sexed 

 White Leghorn pullet chicks on each feed treatment. The chicks were 

 brooded and full fed to six weeks of age at which time they were moved 

 to range and the treatments of full feeding and restricted feeding were 

 started. The experimental design was developed on the basis that 70 per 

 cent of full feeding would be studied. However, due to an outbreak of 

 Blackhead disease in all experimental groups, it was necessary, for a period 

 of about three weeks, to full feed the restricted groups in order to secure 

 adequate feed and drug intake to control the disease problem. Following 

 control of the disease, restricted feeding again was nracticed at the 70 

 percent of full feed level. Over-all restriction amounted to 21.3 percent. 



At 20 weeks of age the pullets were moved to the laving Dens. Feed re- 

 striction continued until 23 weeks of age. at which time the full fed groups 

 were laving their first eggs. At this age feed restriction was terminated and 

 full feeding of both groups was practiced. 



The all-mash feeding system was used throughout the experiment. Start- 

 ing mash was fed to six weeks, growing pellets while on range, and breeder 

 mash during the laving period. 



The results from this experiment are presented in Table 3. 



