II22 



Poultry Laying Trials. 



[FEB., 



The cost of feeding has varied slightly month by month and 

 may be stated as under : — 



Cost per Bird. Cost per Bird, 





5. 



d. 





s. 



d. 



I St Period 



I 



3i* 



8th Period 



I 





2nd 



I 



5 



9th „ 



I 



I 



3rd 



I 



4i 



loth „ 



I 



3i 



4th „ 



I 



5 



nth „ 



I 



4j 



5th „ 



I 



5i 



1 2th 



I 



6 



<6th „ 



I 



I 



13th „ 



I 



5i 



7th 



I 











During the trials a varied food sheet was possible, though at 

 times it was necessary to use such foodstuffs as were available, 

 as against what was really required. The values as between 

 eggs produced and food consumed seem to have been in an 

 inverse ratio, the cost dropping sharply as the value of eggs 

 increased and vice versa. Thus cost of food dropped sharply 

 from £6 iis. i\d. per 100 birds for the period ending 30th Nov- 

 ember to £5 I2S. ^d. for that ending 19th April, and then rose 

 steadily until £7 12s. ^\d. was recorded for the final period. 

 On the other hand, egg values only reached £8 10 s. during the 

 first period, but rose steadily until the March period, when 

 £36 17s. 8|(i. was the value of the output per 100 birds. From 

 this highest value the decline was gradual until October, but 

 fell sharply to £12 14s. 2d. for the final month. The weight of 

 food consumed was more constant, and fluctuated between a 

 minimum of 640 lb. and a maximum of 727 lb. per 100 birds 

 per four weeks, the average per period being — cost of food, 

 £6 15s. Tid. ; amount consumed, 692 lb. ; and value of eggs 

 produced, £24 8s. per 100 birds. Such figures very clearly 

 bring out the fact that flocks which are showing a low flock 

 average output must be yielding a very low profit, and in many 

 cases are probably being kept at a loss. 



The need for egg records" is thus obvious. In this connection 

 the question whether a bird can be classed satisfactorily at the 

 end of its first three months' laying as a good or bad layer 

 seems to be decided in the affirmative by the comparison of the 

 best and worst layers in the flocks under trial. It is noted that 

 almost without exception the birds that produced a total of 

 over 200 eggs in the pullet year averaged a 47-egg output 

 during the first three months, whereas the poor layers — of less 

 than 100 in the pullet year — showed an average of only 15" 8 

 during ths first three months. Whether or not this test of 



* Price carried to nearest farthing. Another \d. per period should be added 

 to cover cost of grit and vegetables. 



