New York AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 93 
that were fed these rations had been grown on rations similarly 
contrasted which had been fed to them since they were hatched. 
The vegetable food ration, however, which the one lot had while 
growing included some skim milk and curd.. The records under the 
final rations cover about seven and one-half months including the 
greater part of the laying season, although some of the pullets in 
both lots had been laying for several weeks under the first ration, 
those having the animal food starting a few weeks the sooner. 
Under the final rations over 30 per ct. more eggs were laid and 
about 13 per ct. more food was consumed by the hens having animal 
food, at an average rate of 3.7 pounds of dry matter in food for 
each pound of eggs. The contrasted lot produced one pound of 
eggs for every 4.3 pounds of dry matter in the food. 
The two lots of older hens in their second laying season had 
been treated alike under average rations until this feeding trial 
began. During six and one-half months covering the greater part 
of the laying season the hens having the ration with animal food 
laid over 36 per ct. more eggs and ate nearly 15 per ct. more food 
than those of the contrasted lot, one pound of eggs being produced 
for every 4.3 pounds of dry matter in the food as against a ratio 
of one pound for every 5.5 pounds for the hens under the vegetable 
food ration. 
With the two lots of younger hens already under contrasted 
rations the difference in egg production was apparent from the 
start. With these older hens no great difference in laying was 
shown on the average for the first twelve weeks, although for the 
first eight weeks production was considerably greater under the 
vegetable food ration; but after this more than twice as many eggs 
were laid by the hens having the animal food, no decrease in pro- 
duction occurring with them during the last twelve weeks of the 
trial. 
During several months cockerels were kept most of the time in 
the several pens. They were fed separately and alternated fre- 
quently to obviate any general differences attributable to individual 
males. Eggs were tested several times as to fertility and hatching 
power. With the younger hens there were more fertile eggs, fewer 
weak germs, and a larger proportion of- chicks hatched from the 
tested eggs from the lot fed animal food. With the older hens the 
percentage of fertile eggs was larger from those fed animal food, 
but there was little difference in the vitality of the germs. 
From two other lots of older hens fed for a few months these 
