BREEDING FOR EGG PRODUCTION. 85 



her fifth year's work. She was one of the first birds selected 

 for the foundation stock of our breeding operations, consequently 

 the eggs secured from her, each of the last three years, from 

 February to July, have been incubated, and mostly found suffi- 

 ciently fertile to yield chicks, or developed as far as the 17th day. 



No. 286 was a late hatched chick in 1898, and did not com- 

 mence laying until February 12, 1899. In a year forward from 

 that day she laid 206 eggs ; 157 during the second, and 138 in her 

 third year. When nearly three and a half years old she died 

 from an accident, having laid 119 eggs during the last 160 days 

 she lived. Her eggs were remarkable for their fertility, every 

 year, very few of them failing to yield well developed chicks. 



No. 318 was hatched in April, 1899. During her first year she 

 laid 237 good brown eggs. After she had laid 200, the next 

 dozen were saved as laid, and found to weigh i it), 11^ ounces. 

 In her second year she laid 102 eggs, and 49 in her third year. 

 She now looks the picture of perfect health and vigor, and is not 

 over fleshy or "baggy." Vigorous as she has always been, but 

 very few of her eggs have yielded chicks, or been well fertilized, 

 although she has been bred to different males. 



Two other birds were remarkable for their small yields. No. 

 686 laid 67 as her first full year's work, and No. 693 laid 47. In 

 May of their second working year, after their winter vacation, 

 the 15 eggs they both laid during that month were found to be 

 completely infertile. In these cases it certainly was not heavy 

 work that caused infertility. Both birds always appeared to be 

 in good health until about three months after the test when No. 

 693 failed and died. 



Although in a general way we may regard infertility as likely 

 to result after hens have been laying long and heavily, it is by no 

 means true that it is always so. 



