62 Experiment Station Bulletin 345 



maintained, for the smaller chicks soon made up the initial difference and 

 by the fourth week all groups averaged to weigh approximately the 

 same. At the end of the twelve-week period of growth those chicks 

 from 24-25 ounce eggs averaged 3.125 pounds whereas those from 26 

 ounce and over eggs averaged but 2.537 pounds. The group of chicks 

 hatched from 20-21 ounce eggs averaged 2.875 pounds per chick, second 

 in growth rate. 



During the ninth week of this test an outbreak of coccidiosis oc- 

 curred in all pens, but heaviest mortality was experienced in the 26 ounce 

 and over group. This disease may reasonably have caused the poorer 

 growth of this lot of chicks. 



An analysis of the average weekly feed consumption per bird for 

 all groups was made together with the calculated feed efficiency 

 factor based on the pounds of feed required to produce one pound of 

 gain in weight. The chicks hatched from eggs weighing 24-25 ounces 

 per dozen were most efficient in feed utilization; chicks hatched from 

 the largest eggs were least efficient in the utilization of feed consumed, 

 requiring 3.9 pounds or 0.4 additional pound of feed per pound gain in 

 weight over that required by the 24-25 ounce egg group. 



Most careful records and tabulations indicated that the size of hatch- 

 ing eggs as used in the production of broiler chicks influenced but slight- 

 ly the efficiency of results subsequently obtained. Probably crossbred 

 broiler chicks hatched from eggs of standard weight per dozen (24 

 ounces) are to be preferred, but actual differences resulting from the 

 use of small, intermediate, and large hatching eggs are small and incon- 

 sistent. (A. E. Tepper, R. B. Halpin, T. B. Charles) 



Poultry Autopsies 



Autopsies were made on 2,641 birds comprising 610 cases, consisting 

 chiefly of adult chickens, chicks, adult turkeys, and poults. 



Most troublesome diseases of adult fowl were leucosis, bluecomb, 

 chronic coccidiosis, ruptured egg yolk, and roundworms. Chick and 

 growing stock diseases most encountered were omphalitis, acute cocci- 

 diosis, chronic coccidiosis, epidemic tremors, gizzard erosion, and losses 

 from pneumonia, chilling, and overheating. Autopsies were made on 

 twenty-one miscellaneous specimens other than poultry. (A. C. Corbett, 

 F. E. Allen, E. F. Waller) 



Pullorum Testing 



The pathology laboratory of the poultry department tested 980,872 

 blood samples from poultry for the State Department of Agriculture. 

 This represents an increase of 149,052 samples, or 19 per cent, over the 

 previous testing season. On first test a total of 106 reactors were found 

 in six flocks. A total of 579 flocks were tested, and all but six of these 

 were free of pullorum disease. However, considering all flocks, the in- 

 fection was negligible and amounted to only 0.011 per cent of all birds 

 tested, including chickens, turkeys, and any other poultry found on these 

 farms. (A. C. Corbett, F. E. Allen, E. F. Waller) 



