The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-16
SCIENCE May Be
AbLET0 REDUCE
PRICES OF EGGS
Announce That February
Matched Hens Lay in
Off Season.

Prof. Harry D. Lewis, head of the
poultry department of the New Jer-
sey State Experiment Station, and
one Of the leading poultry auth critics
TO the country, is conducting a SER
les Of cooperative experiments with
New Jersey chicken raisers which
promise to make fresh eggs more
plentiful in the future, especially in
the fall, when the real fresh article
becomes so scarce that it gets into
the luxury class.
Prof. Lewis believes the real solu-
ton OF the egg problem is to teach
the poultrymen how to manage their
f1ocks so that the egg supply will not
fall so low during the fall and winter
months.
He is putting the hen through a
postgraduate course in egg produc-
ton at Vineland, N. j., which prom
Uses to revolutionize the poultry in
dustry and be the means of speeding
up egg production all over the coun-
try.
Although increased production will
mean lower prices, the poultrymen
are lending every aid as they realize
that their full egg baskets will more
than make up for the drop in the
price.
knowing that hens will always
take a vacation in the fall, when
they mott and get ready for another
seasons laying, Prof. Lewis turned
his attention to the pullets and found
that most poultrymen were Matching
only in the natural breeding season
during April, May and June.
Z EyyV nvi,oo ,$c
is that chicks Matched about the mid
die of February would start laying
toward the end of July, when pro-
duction starts downward on most
farms. AS the hens stopped these
early Matched pullets took their
places and the gap was bridged.
They laid all fall, going into a
slight mott in the winter, but by that
time the later Matched birds were
laying well and Prof. Lewis felt that
the February Matched pullets were
entitled to short rest, as they had
solved 7the problem Of fall egg scare
ity aad had laid we'll when eggs were
bringing top prices.
Another experiment which prom
Uses great results for the poultry
industry is being conducted at the
Vineland International Egg Laying
and Breeding Contest, where 100 pens
of 10 birds each are entered for a
three years test.
Prof. Lewis predicted when the
contest started Nov. last that before
1t ends enough data will be secured to
enable all poultrymen to breed with
more certainty for higher egg pro-
duction.
Prof. Lewis is going to pedigree
the birds for two years and then is
going to breed from them in an
effort to show the owners just how
TO mate their birds to insure increased
production from generation to gem
Grafton.
model 500 plant for the contest
furnishes palatial-like quarters for
the birds, with everything arranged
for their convenience and their COM
fort
There is a free lunch counter where
such dolicacies as dry mash, oyster
shell, grit, lcharcoal and water are
always on tap, and grain is fed three
times a day in deep litter on the floor
to keep the birds busy and con-
tented.
The Legislature granted 5000 for
running expenses. There has also
been $500 received in entry fees, and
as additional money will accrue from
the sale of the eggs for the next three
years the affair is well financed
All previous egg-laying contest rec
ords were broken lin the first six
+ weeks. The total production for the
six weeks ending Dec. IL was H.
sos. |
One bird, pullet No. II. in the
Barred Plymouth Rock pen of Gar
ret w. Buck Of Colts Neck, N. J.,'laid
40 eggs in the first AZ days.