The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-01-08
FEEDING FOR
EGG PRODUCTION
Ina Three-Year Experiment Speei'
alists Learn Values of Rations
Under Different Conditions.

with 2-year-old mems, anu IL =
with 3-year-old hens, in three
year feeding test recently reported
by poultrymn of the United States
Department of Agriculture. These
were the cost figures Of feed at the
time of the experiment, which be.
gan in 1912, and must be corrected
to present prices. Tables of rationls
and costs presented in the report
enables poultrymen to make these
corrections when compared to 1917
prices. In Bulletin SCI of the de-
partment '.Feed Cost of Egg Pro
duction," the specialists describe IN
detail this test, which was under
taken to compare the costs Of yarl--
GUS conditions also was learned N IN
the experiment. ss-
~ Test Included 366 Fowls ~ y, /
Starting with s pens Of 20 pullets
each, the test was enlarged 70 IN
clude is pens containing s66 fowls,
Most of the pens were made up OF
30 standardized pullets, bred and ~
reared under the same conditions
and selected for vigor, standard
shape, and color, Some focks con-
sisted of fowls Of one breed, while
others contained more than one kind
Of pure-bred fowls Of the genral
purpose type. Pens Of cross-bred sast
pullets also we're used. 3.5
with the exception Of three focks
which were confined to good-sizedi
yards ali the fowls / were allowed ','
free range over several iacres OF
rough land. Detailed records were
kept of the feed used, the weight OF
the eggs, and careful observation
were made of the conditions which
affect egg production, such as mott
ing and broodiness. The test was
conducted ON the experiment farm
Of the Bureau Of Animal Industry,
at lBeltsville, Maryland. Summar-
izing the resultakof the tests, the
81, specialists draw these conclusions:
The average} egg yield for the
first laying year in all pens was lSl
eggs, and the highest pen average
yield was 1895 eggs. In the second
year the average egg yield of all
pens was sa7 eggs, which decreas-
ed to 1872 eggs in the third laying
year. g. ~ II 81 &. , Il; Z;
The average value of eggs over
feed cost the first laying year was
s2.56 per hen, falling TO s1.41 the
second year, and to so.79 the third
year. The highest average value in
any pen was $3.41 i:
The general-purpose fowls con-
sumed annually 72 pounds of feed,
which cost $1.13, while the Leg
horns ate 55 pounds, which cost 81
cents. s,;als-s.. X
Good results were obtained with
rations both with and withoutoats
The use of this grain added variety
to- the ration without increasing the
cost I
Effect Of Feeding Beef Scrap
Fowls not fed any feed scrap o,
other animal protein laid only 90
eggs during their pullet year, com:
pared with 137 eggs from the beef.
scrap pens, and "a compared with
83 in their second year. The eggs
Of the no-beef-scrap pens cost about
% cents per dozen more to produce
the first laying year, but these cost:
were about equal during the seconc
year Thefowls not fed beef SCRAP
laid very poorly in winter, thus ma
terially reducing the value of theil
eggs.
Cottonseed meal used in place Of
beef scrap as high-protein feed ir
the ration produced brown or greer
ish spots on the yolks of the eggs
especially in warm weather, making
considerable proportion of then
unfit for market. Eggs were pro
duced more cheaply and at a con
siderably greater profit on the beef
scrap ration. s:s z !,
Fish meal at 81 a ton less thar
beef scrap proved to be good high.
protein feed, which can be used te
advantage to replace beef scrap
The fish meal did not in any way