128 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I906. 



oat Straw every week. The 100 birds eating the mangolds 

 averaged laying 63.9 eggs each, during the 4 months. The 

 100 birds eating the clover, averaged 59.6 eggs during the 

 same time. The slight difference between the yields of the 

 two lots can hardly be regarded as indicating greater value 

 for the mangold ration. 



The vigor and apparent healthfulness of the two lots were 

 "equally good. In the general feeding both mangolds and 

 clover are used daily. Formerly it was thought necessary 

 to steam., or wet the clover with hot water in order to get good 

 results from it. It is now cut and fed dry, in the bottom of 

 cement barrels, cut off about ten inches high. About 5 pounds 

 are eaten daily, by 100 hens, with very little waste. Appar- 

 ently as good results are gotten from it as when it was scalded ; 

 the labor of preparation being very much lessened. 



Time Required to Establish Fertility in the Eggs of 

 Hens When First Mated. 



Fifty Barrsd Pl37mouth Rock hens, one year old, that had 

 been laying well throughout the preceding winter and spring, 

 and had been kept away from male birds since they were 12 

 weeks old, were mated with cockerels- and their eggs incubated, 

 to determine how soon after introducing male birds into pens 

 of virgin hens, the eggs may be sufficiently fertilized for incu- 

 bating purposes. 



Table sho-wing the results of incubating the eggs from jO hens 

 during the first / days of mating. 















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Jnne 23 

 Jaae 24 

 June 25 

 June 26 

 Jane 37 

 Jnne 28 

 Jnne 25 



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23 



13 



7 



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21 



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18 



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