A. J. MACDONALD AND S. BOSE 153
The average egg size in all groups increased
steadily during the first three periods but there was
a drop in egg size during period 4. In Groups 1, 3
and 4 the apparent reduction in egg size was due
to many of the laying birds going into moult.
In Groups 2 and 5 moulting was not common
and there was a correspondingly smaller decrease
in egg size. Thereafter the egg size increased for
all groups but decreased again as the temperature
rose. The maximum percentage reductions in egg
size in Groups 1-5 were 4.8, 3.8, 6.2, 5.2 and 2.8
respectively.
Food consumption. Table IV gives details of the
average daily consumption of mash, grain, milk and
meat offal, the total food consumption per bird per
day and the weight of food consumed per pound of
egg produced. The percentage protein consump-
tion of each group is also given. In order to give
comparative figures for the total daily average food
consumption per bird, the separated milk consum-
ed by Group 2 was calculated on the basis of a dry
matter content of 10 per cent. Similarly the meat
offal consumed by Group 5 was calculated on the
basis of a dry matter content of 30 per cent.
TABLE IV
Food consumption and utilization
Group
Average daily consumption of mash per bird (oz.) . .
Grain (oz.)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Milk
(oz.)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Meat offal (oz.)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Average daily total food (oz.) . . . . .
Percentage protein . . . . . . .
Lb. food consumed per lb. egg produced
.
.
.
.
1
1.64
1.83
..
..
3.47
10.4
5.11
2
1.65
1.99
4.02
..
4.04
13.7
4.12
3
1.60
1.80
..
..
3.40
13.8
5.08
4
1.45
1.86
..
..
3.31
13.5
5.34
5
1.80
1.81
..
0.87
3.87
14.0
4.24
Over the whole period, the average consumption
of food per bird was significantly greater in Groups
2 and 5 than in Groups 1, 3 and 4. Though the
birds in Group 2 consumed slightly more food than
those in Group 5, the difference was not significant.
The food consumptions in Groups 1, 3 and 4 showed
no significant differences. In Group 1 the average
protein consumption for the whole period was only
10.4 per cent. In Groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 the average
protein percentages in the food consumed were
13.7, 13.8, 13.5 and 14.0 respectively. Every
effort was made to keep constant protein percent-
ages in Groups 2-5 and the slight differences in the
figures obtained were due to the birds consuming
unequal amounts of mash and grain. For every
pound of egg produced, the food consumption in
pounds in Groups 1-5 were 5.11, 4.12, 5.08, 5.34
and 4.24 respectively.
Hatchability. In order to obtain information
regarding the value of the different supplements
for breeding fowls, six separate hatches at weekly
intervals were made with eggs from each of the
groups. Two White Leghorn cockerels were placed
in each of the pens 10 days prior to collecting eggs
for the first hatch. Thereafter the males were
moved in rotation into different pens every week
in order to minimize differences due to individual
idiosyncrasies in the males. The eggs for each
hatch were never more than one week old at setting
and they were all incubated under standard condi-
tions in a forced-draught, electric incubator run at
99.5-99-75°F. Table V gives details in regard
to the eggs set, and to the percentages of infertile
eggs, dead germs, dead in shell and hatchability
of fertile eggs.