46 Maine: agriculturaIv expdrime^nt station. 1909. 



Moved by these circumstances it has been decided to adopt a 

 new set of units in future discussions of egg production records 

 in the work of the Station. It is impossible at this place to go 

 into an extensive discussion as to the biological reasons for 

 finally deciding upon the units which have been chosen. The 

 plan which is now followed in the discussion of the egg produc- 

 tion work here is to break the year up into four parts. The 

 first of these includes the months of November, December, 

 January, and February. Broadly speaking this period is thus 

 seen to be the period of winter laying. The second period 

 includes the months of March, April and May. This, broadly 

 speaking, obviously corresponds to the breeding season. The 

 third period includes the months of June, July and August and 

 is clearly the summer period. Finally, the fourth period 

 includes the months of September and October and is the period 

 in which molting and its associated drop in egg production com- 

 monly occur. In future discussions of egg production it is pro- 

 posed to consider separately the egg production in each of these 

 periods. By this method it will be possible to compare for 

 example the production in the winter laying period of different 

 lots of birds, or their ability to lay during the breeding season, 

 and so on. 



Tut Me;asure;me:nt Op Egg Production. 

 It has been shown in the previous section that the total yearly 

 production of a hen is not always the most desirable measure 

 of her egg producing capacity. A little consideration of the 

 matter will show further that no absolute figures whatever are 

 so significant as a measure of egg production as are relative 

 figures. In making any statement regarding the egg producing 

 ability of a hen the time tmit discussed must always be held in 

 mind. This is apparent enough in the ordinary treatment of 

 the subject. When one speaks of a "200 egg hen" the implica- 

 tion is that a hen is meant that laid 200 eggs in 365 days. 

 Almost any hen will lay 200 eggs if allowed long enough time in 

 which to make the record. The time factor must always be 

 taken account of in egg production work. It seems desirable 

 to take explicit account of this factor by making the time 

 involved an integral part of the measure of egg production used. 

 The simplest method of doing this is to put all records of pro- 



