216 PRACTICAL POULTRY PRODUCTION 



the months of February, March, April, and May the birds 

 entered in the contest consumed the greatest amount of feed 

 and also produced the greatest amount of eggs. "In June, 

 July, August, September, and October the birds consumed 

 the smallest amount of feed and also produced the least num- 

 ber of eggs. From this it may be safely concluded that dur- 

 ing the period of heaviest feed consumption there is also the 

 greatest egg production." 



Experiments. It is interesting to note the results of 

 three years' experimental work on feeding for egg production 

 at the Government Poultry Farm, Beltsville, Maryland, f 

 This report stated that "the amount of feed consumed varies 

 considerably throughout the year, being greatest just pre- 

 ceding the period of highest egg production, but it does not 

 vary absolutely with production either during one year or 

 when one year is compared with another." 



Referring again to the results of the Texas Egg Laying 

 Contest it states that "the feed consumption averaged 5}/q 

 pounds for every dozen eggs produced" and that it cost an 

 average price of 22 cents for feed alone (not counting labor 

 and other production costs) to produce a dozen eggs. Further, 

 that on an average it took SJ/^ pounds of feed to produce a 

 pound of eggs and that "the birds in the contest produced 

 3}/2 times their own Hve weight in eggs." 



The results of the feeding work at the Government 

 Poultry Farmf showed in this connection that the average 

 feed consumption for each dozen eggs produced was 63^ 

 pounds. This increased amount as compared to the average 

 of 5}/^ pounds for each dozen of eggs at the Texas Contest 

 is due most likely to the fact that the feeding experiments 

 as conducted at the Government Farm covered a longer 

 period and involved a larger number of birds of the general- 



f'Feed Cost of Egg Production." U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Bulletin 561 by 

 Harry M. Lamon and Alfred R. Lee. 



