1921.] Recent Research in Ecu; Production. 1025 



he who manages his flock so as to produce eggs when they are 

 scarce. In this connection it may be emphasised that th - high- 

 producing hen lays a greater proportion of eggs at those times 

 when eggs are scarce. 



Attempts have been made to modify this variation in pro- 

 duction due to time of year by obtaining pullets hatched at 

 certain seasons of the year. 



Elford( n ) in Canada found that, in both Leghorns and 

 Plymouth Rocks, early hatched pullets laid the most eggs in 

 the year, and consequently a greater proportion in the months 

 when eggs were scarce. Buckley < 7 ) in England, who experi- 

 mented with several breeds, obtained the following results: — 





February 

 I'ullets. 



March 

 Pullets. 



April 

 Pullets. 



Mav 

 Pullets. 



Hens of previous 

 Year. 



No. of eggs laid between 

 October and March . . 



64 



62 



1 



48 | 39 



39 



Buss< 12 ) in America found that White Leghorn pullets 

 hatched in different months of the year produced the following 

 average number of eggs per annum: — 



February hatched. April hatched. June hatched. 



167. 156. 144. 



Variation with Age of Hen. — BuckleyC 7 ) found that hens did 

 not produce so well as pullets which had been hatched in time. 

 Ball, Alder and Egbert( 13 ) have studied this point in a flock of 

 White Leghorns over a period of eight years; the average egg 

 production per hen for each year of life from their investiga- 

 tions was as follows: — 



Years of Life. 



1 



2 j 3 



1 ' 



5 



6 



' I 8 



No. of eggs laid per year 

 (approximately) 



130 



12 J | 110 



.; 1 

 85 j 7.) J 65 



1 



In the Copenhagen egg-laying trials it was found that 

 the older hens, as compared with the younger, lay a smaller 

 percentage of their eggs during the winter months, when eggs 

 are most valuable. 



Rhythm of Egg Production. — It has been noticed by several 

 investigators that egg-laying takes place in cycles (i.e., periods 

 of consecutive egg-laying at the rate of one egg per day) and 



(11) Canada Expt. Farms Bept.. 1915. 



(12) Monthly Bui. Ohio Sta., No. 3. 1919. 



(13) Utah Sta. Bah. 1916. 



(14) 84thRs.pt. Royal Vet. and Ayri. <W. Copenhagen. 1914. 



