KGG PRODUCTION. 5I 



there were also put in 600 other Barred Plymouth Rock pullets. 

 These were of the same average age as the 250 "regis- 

 tered" birds and differed in their breeding only in respect to 

 their mothers. They came from hens that had laid less than 

 200 eggs during the pullet year and more than 150. "Regis- 

 tered" cockerels (from the "200 egg line") were used as the 

 male parents for all the pullets both "registered" and "unreg- 

 istered." The 600 "unregistered" birds were divided into flocks 

 as follows : Two flocks of 50 birds each were kept in two pens 

 in House No. 2 exactly like the pens in which the "registered" 

 birds were kept. The remaining 500 birds were divided into 

 four flocks — two of 100 birds each and two of 150 birds each 

 and housed in the four pens of House No. 3. These pens are 

 essentially like those of House No. 2, differing chiefly in the 

 matter of size. 



The birds used in this experiment whether "registered" or 

 "unregistered" were not closely inbred. In the breeding work 

 of the Station for many years Professor Gowell exercised the 

 greatest care to avoid close inbreeding, which he felt to be 

 wrong in theory and dangerous in practice. The breeding prac- 

 ticed was what is known as "line-breeding." The important 

 point for the present discussion lies in the fact that the "regis- 

 tered" ("200-egg") birds were, on the average, neither more 

 nor less closely inbred than the "unregistered" birds. "Regis- 

 tered" and "unregistered" were alike in this regard. 



Except in the matter of flocl< size the treatment and manage- 

 ment of all the birds whether "registered" or "unregistered" 

 was exactly the same. All were given the same feed and care 

 in every way. 



All the birds were trap nested from November i, 1907, to 

 July I, 1908. The trap nest records were stopped at the latter 

 date owing to the necessity of giving the poultry houses a thor- 

 ough overhauling and renovating. The records obtained, how- 

 ever, cover the major portion of the year and just that portion 

 which is of most interest and significance in the study of egg 

 production. 



COMPARISON OF THE EGG RECORDS OF MOTHERS AND 

 DAUGHTERS. 

 In undertaking a discussion of the results of the experiment 

 which has been outlined the proper starting point obviously is 



