34 BULLETIN" 561, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



each) , beginning November 1, are as follows: 61, 49, 44, 38.5, 31.5, 24.5, 

 23.5, 24, 27.5, 30.5, 35, 39, and 49 cents, with an average* monthly 

 price for the year of 36.7 cents. However, farmers do not usually 

 receive the prices quoted for " nearby" eggs, the best of their eggs 

 being sold as "firsts." The quotations for "firsts" shipped to the 

 New York market were as follows for the corresponding periods, be- 

 ginning November 1: 40, 39, 35.5, 31, 30.5, 20.5, 20.5, 21.5, 22.5, 23.5, 

 25, 27.5, and 29 cents, or a monthly average of 28.2 cents. Using 

 the latter figures, the average value over feed cost of eggs produced in 

 1912-1913 (their pullet year) in Pens 1 to 6 was $1.51, against $2.56 

 for nearby eggs, and 93 cents, against $1.41 in 1913-1914 (their sec- 

 ond year). The average figured on this quotation for Pens 7 to 9 in 

 1914 would be $1.80, as against $2.47 for the nearby eggs. It would 

 be necessary for a poultryman to secure the prices quoted on nearby 

 eggs in order to make a fair profit on the basis of the feed costs given 

 in this bulletin. 



BROODINESS IN FOWLS. 



Broodiness has a material bearing on egg production. In this work 

 the broody hens were removed to small crates to break up their de- 

 sire to sit. The number of times that hens in each pen were put into 

 the broody coops is shown in Table 2. The length of time that the 

 hens were thus confined varied from 3 to 10 days. Pen 5 contained 

 the largest number of broody hens, there having been 111 instances 

 in 1913, 82 in 1914, and 46 in 1915. Pen 3, which had the next high- 

 est number, contained 14 Buff Orpingtons, among which broodiness 

 was much more frequent than among the 16 Rhode Island Reds 

 which made up the rest of the pen. The 11 Orpingtons which were 

 in the pen throughout the year (1912-1913) became broody 56 times, 

 an average of 5.2 times per hen, against 1.7 times per hen among the 

 Rhode Island Reds. Five of the Rhode Island Reds did not become 

 broody during the year, while all the Orpingtons were broody at least 

 three times. This undoubtedly lowered the egg yield materially in 

 Pen 3. Two or more of the Orpingtons were broody during every 

 month of the year except November, while practically all of the 

 broodiness among the Rhode Island Reds occurred between the end 

 of March and the first of August. The proportion of Orpingtons in 

 the other pens was comparatively small, but this same tendency to 

 excessive broodiness has been noted in practically all the Buff Or- 

 pingtons used at the farm. 



The broodiness in Pen 1 (Rhode Island Reds) in the hens which 

 lived through the year (1912-13) was 2.3 times per hen, which was 

 more than that of the Rhode Island Reds in Pen 3. The Barred 

 Plymouth Rocks in Pen 5 were broody more times than hens of this 

 breed in any of the other pens. The greatest broodiness occurred in 



