THE PROBLEMS IN MATING AND IN EGG PRODUCTION 105 



Time of Laying. — In the study of egg production we note 

 that the season of the year and time in the bird's hfe are 

 factors. Some birds lay in the late fall, winter, and spring; 

 others lay in the spring and early summer. On account of 

 the fact that eggs command the highest price in the fall and 

 winter, we should select for breeders those that lay in the 

 fall and winter. In culling the offspring will probably not 

 produce as high as the culled flock. Hatching quality may 

 be taken as an index to good vitality. The following relative 

 terms have been proposed for degrees of productiveness of 

 birds. (Average opinion of 13 persons.) The figures indicate 

 number of eggs per year. 



Phenomenally low 32 . 3 



Exceptionally low 48 . 



Very low 62.7 



Low 84.2 



Fair 103.8 



Medium 119.6 



Good 137.7 



High 156.9 



Very high 176.9 



Exceptionally high 195.4 



Phenomenally high 213.8 



Inheritance and environment influence a hen as to her 

 performance. 



The quicker we can determine a hen's productive possi- 

 bilities the better from a commercial viewpoint. In arriving 

 at this determination we consider her habit of laying, as indi- 

 cated by the physical examination. This examination should 

 give us what she is or has been doing, precocity and persist- 

 ency being taken into consideration. It has been shown that 

 the longer we wait to see the quality of production the more 

 accurate we will be. 



Birds may lay too heavily the first year and partially break 

 down and not lay so many eggs the second year. Too much 

 forcing may cause a physical breakdown. In a breakdown 

 from forcing, the hen may not be able to fulfill her inherited 

 tendency. 



Climate conditions of late fall and winter affect high egg 

 production in that season of the year. 



