74 A REVOLUTION IN EGG PRODUCTION 



came home at eleven p. m. found the birds as busy as at 

 noonday. 



We, therefore, substituted two candle power lamps for 

 the smaller lights, and got over this difficulty. 



At the time we turned on the electric light, we had re- 

 ceived for that day and eleven days previous eleven, nineteen, 

 eighteen, seventeen, eighteen, thirteen, seventeen, twenty-six, 

 twenty-one, twenty-one, twenty-one, and twenty-six eggs re- 

 spectively, a total of two hundred twenty-eight eggs in twelve 

 days ; and in the twelve days after turning on the light we 

 received eggs as follows : Twenty-two, twenty-nine, twenty- 

 nine, thirty-four, thirty-seven, forty-three, forty-six, fifty-four, 

 forty-six, sixty-one, seventy-three, and on February 2nd 

 eigthy-three, a total of five hundred fifty-seven for twelve 

 days ; which is over double the number of eggs for the twelve 

 days immediately preceding. 



The other conditions remained the same. The hens had 

 plenty of feed and water, always available, before them, if the 

 light was strong enough to see to get it. By merely lengthen- 

 ing the hen's business day we doubled the output in twelve 

 days. We must also make allowance, for anyhow three or 

 four days, while the fuel boxes were enabling the hens to re- 

 plenish their bodily conditions. 



We now use the same candle power in the larger house 

 as when the light was first installed ; but we use onlv one 

 Tungsten lamp, of one hundred candle power, in the smaller 

 house in one socket, and the small two candle power lamp in 

 the other socket. 



A reference to the laying record on Page 82 will show 

 1,943 eggs laid in twenty-eight days of February, an average 

 of 69.39 eggs per day. There were 160 members of the flock 

 for 13 days, 160X13=2,080 single hen days, and 159 members 

 for the other 15 days, 159X15=2,385 single hen days, making 

 4,465 total single hen days; and this divided into the number 

 of eggs — 1,943 — gives an actual average percentage of 43.52 

 per cent of an egg a day for each member of the flock. 



This month of February was extremely cold with us — on 

 five days the temperature reading touched from one to nine 

 below zero Fahrenheit, and twelve days showed a maximum 

 temperature during the day of twenty-five degrees, and less, 

 Fahrenheit on a registering thermometer. 



