EGG PRODUCTION 



211 



During this period, flock production rises from zero to a 

 maximum and then slows down somewhat toward its 

 close. This slackening is due to a cessation of produc- 

 tion on the part of most individuals while nearly all show 

 at least a slackening of egg production towards the close 

 of the winter cycle. The exact date at which the cycle 

 ends varies with the individual, and may occur at almost 

 any point during the winter months including March. 

 Miss Curtis ('14), in another connection, has published 

 the monthly records of a few hens that show this cycle. 

 They are shown in Table VII. With one exception, No. 



TABLE VII 



A Portion op Table XXV from Curtis ('14) Showing the Winter Eg« 

 Production of a Number of Barred Plymouth Rock Pullets. The 



i: I; . ..' • . : 



236, the birds all laid over 30 eggs. The evidence for a 

 winter cycle is shown by the depressed egg production in 

 January and February and is very clear. The records 

 published by Gowell, '02, '03, also show this point. 



Pearl and Surface, '11, describe the other periods as 

 follows : 



The next period (March, April and May) is the natural laying sea- 

 son. It corresponds to the egg-laying part of the natural reproductive 

 cycle exhibited by the wild Gallus. . . . Naturally, therefore, a high 

 mean and a low variability in production are exactly what we find char- 

 acterizing the laying in each of the months of this period. 



The third period (June, July and August) is characterized by a 

 gradually falling mean production and a variability gradually inereas- 



