46 HATCH EXPERLMENT STATION. [Jan. 



daily respectively 40 and 42 ^ggs. For the second period, 

 May 13 to September 23, inclusive, the averages were : on 

 the oat ration .38 eggs per hen day, on the rice ration .46 

 eggs per hen day ; or, from 100 hens daily respectively 38 

 and 46 eggs. The food cost of the eggs has been as follows : 

 for the oat ration during the first i>eriod 1.019 cents, for the 

 second period .935 cents ; for the rice ration for the first 

 period 1.103 cents, for the second period 1.048 cents. The 

 cost of food per hen per day has varied for the oat ration from 

 .32 to .40 cents ; for the rice ration from .412 cents to .423 

 cents per day. The rice ration, as last year, has given a 

 very satisfactory yield of eggs, but, as was then stated, its 

 high price at the present time renders it poor economy to 

 use it. We are employing it in these experiments because 

 it contains less fiber than any other grain, and we are trying 

 to throw light upon the influence of fiber in egg production. 

 The indication this year, as last, is very clear that this influ- 

 ence is unfavorable. 



The nutritive ratios in the food combinations used in the 

 different experiments of the past year have been as follows : 

 for the rations where wheat is compared with corn with 

 beef scraps for animal food and high fat content, — for the 

 Avheat ration, between 1 to 4.57 and 4.26 ; for the corn 

 ration, between 1 to 6.69 and 5.81 ; for the experiment in 

 which wheat is compared with corn with milk albumen and 

 beef scraps for animal food, — for the wheat ration, between 

 1 to 4.03 and 4.54 ; for the corn ration, 1 to 6.28 and 5.84 ; 

 in the experiment in which oats and rice have been compared 

 with high fat content, — for the oats, between 1 to 5.88 and 

 6.49 ; for the rice, between 1 to 5.84 and 6.53. 



Our experiments clearly do not support the view that a 

 narrow nutritive ratio is essential to good egg production. 



