38 



BULLETIN 561, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



in the pens with which it is directly comparable (Nos. 1,2, and 3 ir 

 1912-1913). 



The lower the nutritive ratio the higher the cost of feed per 100 

 pounds, because of the higher protein content. The nutritive ratio 

 widened considerably in 1915 in all the pens which were allowed to 

 balance their own ration (Nos. 3, 4, and 7), regardless of whether it 

 was their second or third laying year. The hens apparently did not 

 relish the beef scrap as well in 1915 as in the previous year, although 

 the same brand of beef scrap was used. This widening of the ration 

 in Pens 3,4, and 7, compared with Pens 5 and 8 where the beef scrap 

 was constant, did not change the relative position of these pens in 

 cost of egg production, but may have tended to lower the actual 

 production. The highest-priced ration, that used in Pen 6, was high 

 in price because of the small proportion of ground feed, and produced 

 eggs at the highest cost of any pen during its first two years, regardless 

 of conditions. The rations fed in the different pens are given in 

 Table 1. 



Table 11. 



-Proportion of grain and mash in ration, cost per 100 pounds, and nutritive 

 ratio. 









Ration. 





Nutri- 









Ration. 





Nutri- 

















Year. 



Pen. 



Grain. 



Mash. 



Cost 

 per 100 

 pounds. 



tive 

 ratio. 



Year. 



Pen. 



Grain. 



Mash. 



Cost 

 per 100 

 pounds. 



tive 

 ratio. 







Percent. 



Percent. 











Percent. 



Percent. 







1913 



1 



65 



35 



SI. 58 



1:4.5 



1914 



7 



53 



47 



SI. 56 



1:4.7 



1914 





56 



44 



1.57 



1:4.0 



1915 





45 



55 



1.50 



1:6.4 



1915 





45 



55 



1.59 



1:3.4 



























1914 



8 



57 



43 



1.58 



1:4.5 



1913 



2 



76 



24 



1.59 



1:5.6 



1915 





52 



48 



1.60 



1:4.2 



1914 





58 



42 



1.59 



1:4.3 















1915 





47 



53 



1.62 



1:3.7 



1914 

 1915 



9 



70 

 52 



30 



48 



1.43 

 1.43 



1:7:8 



1:7.4 



1913 



3 



64 



36 



1.56 



1:5.5 















1914 





52 



48 



1.55 



1:5.1 



1915 



10 



61 



39 



1.49 



1:4.9 



1915 





43 



57 



1.49 



1:6.9 



























1915 



11 



54 



46 



1.50 



1:4.6 



1913 



4 



67 



33 



1.57 



1:5 















1914 





54 



46 



1.56 



1:4.8 



1915 



12 



48 



52 



1.61 



1:4.1 



1915 





50 



50 



1.48 



1:7.7 



























1915 



13 



50 



50 



1.51 



1:4.5 



1913 



5 



59 



41 



1.53 



1:5.2 















1914 





47 



53 



1.57 



1:4.7 



1915 



14 



46 



54 



1.57 



1:4.1 



1915 





43 



57 



1.57 



1:4.5 



























1915 



15 



56 



44 



1.49 



1:4.6 



1913 



6 



S4 



16 



1.63 



1: 4. 8 















1914 





74 



26 



1.60 



1:4.9 



1915 



16 



69 



31 



1.50 



1:5.4 



1915 





73 



27 



1. 55 



1:5.9 















The nutritive ratios are narrower in all the pens except Pen 6 in 

 their second year, especially in Pens 1 and 2, because the proportion 

 of mash was considerably increased. These ratios are still narrower 

 in their third year (1915), except in those pens allowed to select 

 their own mash constituents. The feeds and method of feeding 

 have as much if not more influence on results as the nutritive ratio, 

 as shown in the case of Pen 9, which has a very wide nutritive ratio 



