Norwich bulletin., 1914-02-25
ENGLAND IS LEADING
 IN EGG LAYING CONTEST White Wyandottes Are Closely Fol- lowed by White Leshorns and R. |. Rods.

England is again leading in the in- ternational egg laying contest at Storrs, Conn. It will no, doubt be re- membered that in the first interna- t1onal contest conducted at Storrs pen of Canadian White Wyandottes finished the year such a close second ! to the White Leghorns that if the con- test had run only one more day the i Wyandottes would have tied for first place. The lead in the present com petition is held by English Wyandottes They have been able, however, during the first three months of the contest to lead pen of Leghorns by a margin Of only S6 eggs and following close upon these for third place is a pen of l White Wyandottes from Rhode Island that were 59 eggs behind at the close of the third month
 The total yield for the month of Jan uary was 3792 making grand total l to date of -10,34 The January pro-
 duction was less by 402 eggs than the yield for December.
 During the two exceedingly bitter
 cold days about the middle of the month 8 number of the birds in the contest had their combs and Wattles frosted. Naturally this did not help to
 make them lay eggs On account of these two very severe days experienced by the people and hens of Connecticut much discussion has recently arisen in the state as to whether it is finally better to leave the houses open or let i the curtains down some breeders
 maintaining that the birds ii their open
 l houses were less hurt than others in closed houses. In any discussion of 1 this sort, we must not of course lose sight of the fact that there is 8 won derful difference in the vigor and vii tality of different individuals. To be sure the lighter breeds seemed a little
 more susceptible to frosted combs than the heavier breeds in the contest, but 1 1t was distinctly noticeable that some pens of, the same breed were not touch-
 ed at all: whereas other individuals although in exactly the same sic house same style and apparently all condi- ! tionS alike, had their combs and wat l ties badly frosted
 1 The blue ribbon or first prize for the
 1 month had been awarded to a pen of 1 English Wyandottes that produced 161 1 eggs. A pen of Rhode Island Reds from Harrisburg, Pa. was awarded second prize, their yield being 131 eggs
 for the month A pen of White Wyan- dottes from Bridgeport, Conn, and a pen Of Rhode Island Reds from Blairs- town, N J., tied for third place with 123 eggs each. It is interesting to note in this connection that the ten leading 1 pens up to Feb. 1 are made up as fol- lows: l Barred Rocks. ? Rhode Island Reds, 3 White Wyandottes and f White LeS SAOFIS.
 Experimental Pens.
 I It is understood of course, that the experimental pens are not in competi- l tion. If they had been, third prize Tor the month of January must have been awarded to the experimental pen of Leghorns which are receiving reg ular contest ration with the addition of sour milk but with no beef scraps. They. produced 127 eggs during the
 month and climbed from fourth place to third of all pens in the competition. When the experimental pens of Ply mouth Rocks are considered it is found that the highest producing pen up to this time is the one receiving the reg ular contest ration with the addition of sour milk but without any green food. Hence it appears that the liberal use of sour milk will very largely take the place of either green food or meat part or the ration for hens although it aD- parently cannot take the place of both combined since the two pens, one of White Rocks and one of Leghorns that are treated in exactly this way are both the lowest producers in their re- spective groups
 It is interesting to note further that barring those two pens from which both the green food and the beef scraps are withheld the other six sour milk pens With one exception have produced more eggs than the check lots which
 are being fed the regular contest ra- ton. In other words it now looks as II more eggs could have been secured In this present contest if all pens ir- respective of their breed or national lty had been given an abundant sup ply of sour milk. The Storrs Experi- ment Station believes so thoroughly in the use of sour milk for growing chicks that water is withheld from the baby chicks for the first three days and fur theI1nofe each baby chick has it's little beak dipped into a pan of sour milk as It comes from the incubator in order that they may get the right start in life. The Storrs station has pointed out the fact that there was oftentimes as much as two pounds difference in the weight of ten chicks ct six weeks old between those that were fed sonr milk Hberally and those that did not have any and this additional two pounds in the weight of ten weeks old chicks does not merely mean 2 question of two ponnds of chicken. but 1t means a marked difference in the stamina of the chicks This is. of course. not quite so definitely meas ured as the lbs of chicken, brtS is in our opinion. none the less valuable The further fact that one group of chicks can grow faster than another and have brighter eyes and more snap means that they are likely to produce eggs earlier and in larger numbers As q matter of fact the chicks which are brought mn OH slI1r IY,iIL. 1a l.~