The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-13
INTEREST INCREASING
IN LAYING CONTESTS
Much Useful knowledge Gained
by Egg Production Under
Competitive Conditions.
GREAT CARE rs ESSENTIAL
A., Every Detail IL Looked After
and Records Of Hens Show
Results Of Work.
ny PROF. r. 3. sToNEBURN.

''s N'"A - s's ~ As@Ns
During tho course OF tho third North
American international egg laying com
petition, which opened November /. 1919
the writer has received many requests
for details OF the method OF management
employed at the competition plant. These
Inquiries indicate that poultrymen arc
deeply interested In this event and desire
to learn exactly how the birds are housed.
fed and cared for In order to secure such
astonlshingly heavy egg production. The
present contribution presents the details
Of the system used.
But first Just word regarding these
competitions AZ the present time there
are three separate events OF this char
acter which are attracting much attcn-
ton. The North American at Thorndale.
Pa tho Missouri at Mountain Grove,
Mo. and the Connecticut at Storrs, Conn
The first named Is the pioneer. the first
aging competition TO be organized In
America. The second was announced
shortly after the first. and Ike II was
started I'm the fall OF 1911. The third
! is an offshoot of the North American
competition and is now In It's first year
Briefly stated these events all have the
same object: to stimulate interest In the
hen as u producer OF eggs a. against the
showroom demand FOR perfection in form
and color. II was believed. and the truth
q the assumption has been conclusiVeiy
demonstrated. that a very large proper
ton Of the rank and file OF the poultry
keepers are primarily interested IN the
utility side of the Industry and that they
would welcome an opportunity 20 demon
stratc the laying ability OF their stock
hv placing selected pens in the hands or
diSiut crested parties and in TINS way
establish official egg records. Further
that since the tendency toward heavy lay
N..H. - .l hg
public would freely purchase from pro
ducers Of certified layers and 40 Introduce
this blood into uunumbcrcd docks through
ont the country to the bcttermcnt OF the
industry.
The writer We'll remembers the dif'tcul-
ties which had to be overcome when the
first North American competition was IN
aur-,ir,ted. how difficult 4 was 70 interest
| those who had most TO gain, how large
mart of the poultry press either com
! meuted unfavorably or stood entirely alool
| waiting for developments. To-day the
whole situation Is changed ana puohc
| sentiment IL overwhelmingly favorable.
The North American competition is
| now nearing the close of It's third year.
| During this entire period Il has been un-
der tho same MANAGEMENT, the compete
| ton plant has been In charge OF the same
| man, the ration and feeding methods have
| been unchanged. Therefore the results
from .ycar to year are fairly comparable.
; Further the records secured, including
average production OF the whole mock
production or leading pens and Individuals
| have exceeded any which have been OBJ
| tanned In similar competitions IN Amer
! lea. iii,
The first North American competition
! contained 400 birds These averaged lof
| eggs each in the year beginning NoNem-
| her 1 1911 The leading pen OF five birds
1 ~ syg- n average -
and the leading individual made rec
ord OF 254 eggs.
| In the second competition the average
| for 500 birds was 1876 eggs the winning
nen produced 1870 eggs--234 average
| and the best individual made contest
! record Of 2S2 eggs.
At this writing the third contest mas
| closed IT'S forty-first week, or 2s7 DAYS
| The 500 coutestlng birds have N this time
laid T3.539 eggs. nearly 5000 more than
| were produced IN the same time last year.
! This is an average OF l47 eggs bird
| IN the 9S7 days which nave elapsed an
Increase of II eggs over last years aver
age during the Same period II this az
| vantage can he held to the end OF the
| contest, Il viii result In an average pro-
duction Of l73 eggs for every bird In the
flock
,rt the reader bear IN mind that the
leverage American hen Is said to produce
Iubout scventy-two cgss per year ana ne
lyul appreciate more fully what these
records mean.
At the end OF the fcGty-trst week the
leading individuals are as follows Barred
Plymouth Rock, ?34 eggs Columbian
plymouth Rock. 227 eggs; White Wyan-
Idotte. 2?5 eggs White Leshorn, 2l' egSs'
l'The four leading pens, five layers In each.
are White Leghurns, 963. 96i and $50
eggs respectively and White Wyandottes
gi4 eggs.
Tho following table flso shows the
breeds, the number os individuals of each
breed and the average egg production fur-
ling the period covered.