1024 Recent Research in Egg Production. [Feb. 



different times of the year. The causes of these variations 

 require to be carefully analysed. Temperature may be 

 only one of the factors influencing this point ; there may be 

 others, such as differences of light and darkness, or the amount 

 of green food available, which cause increased production 

 dining the spring months. 



Research is required as to the effect of a rise of temperature 

 on the egg production of fowls which have become used to a 

 low temperature, to determine whether it is the change of 

 temperature or the actual temperature which causes increased 

 production of eggs in the spring months. 



Variation with Time of Year. — Numerous investigators have 

 recorded the variations in productivity that occur as a result of 

 the time of year. The following table summarizes some of 

 the results obtained : — 



Average Egg Yield per Bird per Month. 



Authority. 



Jan. 



Feb. 



Mar. 



Apr. 



May. 



June. 



July. 



Aug. 



Sept. 



Oct. 



Nov. 



Dec. 



Pearl ( 6 ) 



(U.S.A.) 



11-71 



10-87 



16-11 



15-85 



13-92 



l'J-46 



10-87 



9-84 



* 





4-63 



8-91 



Buckley ( T ) 

 (England) 



5-50 



791 



13-97 



13 23 



12-90 



9-70 



801 



6-33 



5-30 



3-70 



3-60 



5-46 



Iri?h Egg 

 Records ( 7 a) 



6.3 



9 3 



jlo-9 



15-8 



14-9 



11-5 



10-1 



8-3 



6-0 



3-9 



2-4 



4-0 



* No data. 



Simpson^ 8 ) in Edinburgh found that the highest egg produc- 

 tion took place in April and May. Data collected by the 

 author of this paper show that in Norfolk the highest 

 production is reached in March and April. This monthly 

 variation in production is probably due to variations in tempera- 

 ture, as in Australia^) the highest egg production is reached 

 in the months of September and October, which correspond to 

 our months of March and April. 



Economically this monthly variation in production is impor- 

 tant, as it governs the price of eggs, which bears an inverse 

 ratio to the number produced. The curve of the rise and fall 

 in price follows and lags slightly behind the curve of produc- 

 tion.' 10 ) It follows that the most successful poultry keeper is 



(6) The Canadian Thresher man and Farmer, Vol. XX,, No. 2, 1915. 



(7) "Farm Records and the Production of Clean Milk at Moundsmere" London, 

 1917. 



(7a) Dept. Aqr. and Tech. Instr. for Ireland, Vol. 13, p. 366. 



(8) Proc. Roy. Soc. of Edinburgh, Feb., 1912. 



(9) Queens/and Agricultural Journal, N.S. Vol. I., 1915. 



(10) Maine Sta. Bui. 105, 1908. 



