PRACTICAL FEEDING OF POULTRY 



feeding, and with the Leghorns also partly due to their 

 being larger sized birds than on the government farm. 



The general-purpose pullets ate in a year an average of 

 6.7 pounds of feed per i dozen eggs produced and the 

 yearlings ate 9.6 pounds. The Leghorn pullets ate 4.8 

 pounds and the yearlings 5.5 pounds. The general-pur- 

 pose pullets ate 1.9 pounds more feed in producing a 

 dozen eggs than the Leghorn pullets, and the difference 

 increases very rapidly with the age of the stock, the gen- 

 eral-purpose yearlings consuming 4.1 pounds more feed 

 per dozen eggs than the Leghorn yearlings ; therefore the 

 Leghorns produced eggs more cheaply than the general- 

 purpose breeds. 



The value of the general-purpose breeds for market or 

 for hatching and breeding makes them usually the most 

 desirable breeds for the general farmer and the backyard- 

 poultry raiser, while the Leghorns are especially adapted 

 for commercial egg farms. 



FEED COST OF GROWING CHICKENS 



The feed cost of growing chickens is a much more 

 variable factor than the feed cost of producing eggs be- 

 cause growing chicks are more affected by various factors, 

 especially by mortality and by weather conditions. The 

 mortality in laying hens will average about 10 per cent 

 in a year in pullets and yearlings of the general-purpose 

 breeds and is usually from 2 to 5 per cent lower than this 

 in the Leghorns. The mortality in growing chicks may 



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