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Egg Weight, Day Old Chick Weight and Rate of Growth in Single Comb Rhode Island Red Chicks*
EGG WEIGHT, DAY OLD CHICK WEIGHT AND RATE OF GROWTH IN SINGLE COMB RHODE ISLAND RED CHICKS* CHAS. W. U P P
TABLE
l
W E I G H T S — P UI.LKTS
Breed
Station
W. P. Rocks R. I. R e d s R. I. R e d s W. P. Rocks Heavy Breeds
PurdueStorrs* N. C.?> 111." N. J."
0 Weeks 2 Weeks 4 Weeks 1 2 Weeks lbs. gins. lbs. gms. lbs. gms. lb^. gms. .084J37.993J .2135)96.561 .4115 [186.121 2.28 11031.2 .0 82 J37.0881 .162 | 7 3 . 2 7 | .364 1164.63) 2.29 11035.7 j [ .17 176.8 j .40 1180.9 I 1.94 j 877.4 J46.0 j [85. ] [163. | 602. 1.2oz.|33.9 j 2.8 oz.|79.1 j 6.1 oz.J172.3 ] 33.7 oz. 952.3
The present study was conducted using S. C. R. I. Reds that were produced in connection with a time of hatch experiment. The birds reported on were hatched bi-weekly at dates ranging * S u b m i t t e d for p u b l i c a t i o n w i t h t h e a p p r o v a l of t h e director of t h e Oklahoma Agricultural E x p e r i m e n t Station.
151
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Tufts University on December 5, 2014
(Received for Publication 1-6-28) It is a common opinion of poultrymen that large eggs produce large chicks and that large chicks are stronger and grow more rapidly than others. There has been some evidence presented to show that the larger eggs produce heavier chicks at hatchingtime, but the author has been unable to find any reference to a study of the relationship of chick weight at hatching to subsequent rate of growth. The purpose of this paper is to aid in determining whether or not heavier eggs produce heavier chicks at hatching time and whether or not heavier chicks grow more rapidly than those that are lighter in weight when hatched. The work of Halbersleben and Mussehl1 (1922) revealed that the heavier eggs produced the heavier chicks. The weight of the chicks averaged to be 64.9% of that of the eggs from which they were hatched when brown eggs were considered. Jull and Quinn 2 (1925) found that yearling hens' eggs, which were heavier, produced larger chicks than did pullets eggs. While no work giving the relationship between day old chick weight and subsequent weights was found the average weights obtained for chicks of various ages by several workers are given in Table 1 for comparison purposes.
152
POULTRY
SCIENCE
TABLE
2
M E A N WEIGHTS
Standard Deviation 1858 i n d i v i d u a l s 3.908 185 8 i n d i v i d u a l s 4.439 15 81 i n d i v i d u a l s 4.731 958* i n d i v i d u a l s 5.434. 14441 individuals 3.790 1444 i n d i v i d u a l s 4.115 Average percentage chick weight of egg weight 08.004%. * Practically all cockerels removed prior to 12 weeks of ago. t Considers only chicks used in egg weight to day old chick weight correlations.
Mean Mean Mean Mean Mean Mean
day old weight 37.69 8 gms. two week weight 60.686 gms. four week weight 115.626 gms. twelve week wt. 6 6 4.9 04 gms. day old weight 3 9.035 gms. egg weight 57.401 gms.
In Table 2 is given the mean weight of the chicks considered in this paper at various ages and the mean weight of eggs used. It may be noted that the weights given, except day old weight, are below those obtained at other stations as shown in Table 1. As previously mentioned the chicks were hatched at dates ranging from November to early May and the chicks of some lots, noticeably the late spring hatches, averaged considerably lighter in weight and tended to reduce the mean weight for all lots. The most rapid growing lots equalled in growth rate any given in Table 1. The class ranges used in determining the mean weight for the various ages and also used in the correlation studies were as follows: Egg weight 1 gram, day old chick weight 1 gram, two
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Tufts University on December 5, 2014
from November 16 to May 4. Approximately half of the chicks were hatched during 1925-26 and the other half during 1926-27. The chicks were in both cases hatched from pullets, those hatched during 1926-27 were daughters of the 1925-26 pullets. The pens of breeders both years were mated to males from high producing, healthy hens. All chicks were hatched in a No. 2 Petersime Electric Incubator. They were brooded in a 15 by 75 foot brooder house with small outdoor runs and were grown, after heat was removed, in range houses with large yards in whicli were grown some green feed. The Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station growing ration including green feed and buttermilk was fed to the chicks. All chicks were pedigree hatched. They were weighed when one day old and every two weeks thereafter until sold, or if pullets to be retained, weighed until the first year of production is completed.
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17, 1, Dee. IE 29, 1925. 16, 30, Dec. : 28, 1926. 12, Jan. : 9, 1926. Jan. 11, Jan. ! Feb. 8, 1927. Feb. 23, Mar. Mar. 23, 1926. Feb. 22, Mar. Mar. 22, 1927. Apr. 6, Apr. 2 May 4, 1926. pr. 5, Apr. 19, May 3, 1927. Dates ranging from NOT. 15 to May 4. —.01
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Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Tufts University on December 5, 2014
Dates Hatch
RATE
153
+1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1
+ +
154
POULTRY
SCIENCE
week weight 3 grams, four week weight 7 grams, twelve week weight 35 grams. The percentage chick weight of egg weight (68%) obtained in this work is somewhat higher than other workers have abtained. Halbersleben and Mussehl1 (1922) obtained 64.9% for brown eggs and Jull and Quinn 2 (1925) obtained percentages varying from 65.56%, to 66.56% iising Rhode Island Reds and Barred Plymouth Rocks. Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Tufts University on December 5, 2014
Table 3 gives egg weight correlated to day old chick weight, and day old chick weight correlated to two week weight, four week weight and twelve week weight for birds hatched at various dates. The correlation between egg weight and day old chick weight is high in all cases showing an intimate degree of association between these characters. The size of the eggs largely determined the size of the chicks at hatching time. No appreciable difference is noted for chicks hatched at the various seasons, although in the case of the late spring group the co-efficient is somewhat smaller. When day old chicks weight and two week weight were correlated for all groups a negligible co-efficient ( + .0826 ± .0155) was obtained, although for some individual groups larger coefficients were secured. At best, the day old weight was an unreliable index of the weight of the chicks when two weeks old. Corrlation of day old chick weight and four week weight also showed practically no association (-)- .0066 ± .0169) between these characters when all groups are considered. In only two cases were co-efficients of appreciable size obtained ( + .4039 ± .0380 and +2892 ± .0354. There was less correlation between day old weight and four weeks weight than between day old weight and two week weight. Day old weight and twelve week weight were correlated and for all groups a very slight, insignificant negative co-efficient was secured (— .0014 ± .0217). In two cases with individual groups positive co-efficients of appreciable size were obtained and with two other groups slight negative co-efficients were obtained. The highest co-efficient obtained for any group at any age was with a late spring group twelve weeks old. This group grew less rapidly than most of the others and only 96 individuals
RATE OF GROWTH IN CHICKS
155
LITERATURE CITED i HALBEHSLKDEN, D. L. AND F. E. MUSSEIII,.
1922 Relation of egg
weight to chick weight at hatching. P. Sci. 1:143-144. 2 JULL, M. A. AND J. P. QUINN.
1925 The Relationship between the
weight of eggs and the weight of chicks according to sex. Jour, of Agr. Res. XXXI: 223-226. 3 MOULTON, C. R., H. L. KEMPSTER, A. G. HOGAN AND S. BRODY.
1923 Normal growth of domestic animals. Bui. 62. * CARD, L. E. AND W. F. KIKKPATBICK.
Mo. Agr. Expt. Sta. Res. 1918 Rearing Chickens
Storrs Agr. Exp. Sta. Bui. 96. = KAUPP, B. F. 1921-1922 The rate of growth of Single Comb Rhode Island Reds. P. Sci. 1:39-43. e MITCHELL, H. H., L. E. CARD AND T. S. HAMILTON.
1926
The
Growth of White Plymouth Rock Chickens. 111. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bui. 278. ~' HANNAS, R. R. 1924 Baby Chick costs and weights at New Jersey's egg laying and breeding contests.,; P, Sci, iy> 40^42.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Tufts University on December 5, 2014
were considered. Correlation of day old weight t o twelve week weight revealed, in genral, little association between these characters. SUMMARY The chicks considered i n this p a p e r grew somewhat more slowly t h a n those reported by several previous investigators. D a y old chicks averagd t o be 68.00% of t h e weight of t h e eggs from which they were hatched. A high degree of association was found between egg weight a n d d a y old chick weight. The size of the eggs largely determined the size of t h e chicks at hatching time. D a y old chick weight proved to be an unreliable index of t h e chicks when two, four or twelve weeks of age. R a t e of growth was in most cases independent of chick size at hatching, a n d indirectly of size of eggs set. E n v i r o n m e n t a l conditions as weather, etc., probably affected the results with certain individual groups. I n none of the three sets of correlations was there shown a n y consistent Variation in the relationship of d a y old chick weight to r a t e of growth for birds hatched a t different dates (Dates r a n g i n g from Nov. 16 to May 4 ) .
TABLE
l
W E I G H T S — P UI.LKTS
Breed
Station
W. P. Rocks R. I. R e d s R. I. R e d s W. P. Rocks Heavy Breeds
PurdueStorrs* N. C.?> 111." N. J."
0 Weeks 2 Weeks 4 Weeks 1 2 Weeks lbs. gins. lbs. gms. lbs. gms. lb^. gms. .084J37.993J .2135)96.561 .4115 [186.121 2.28 11031.2 .0 82 J37.0881 .162 | 7 3 . 2 7 | .364 1164.63) 2.29 11035.7 j [ .17 176.8 j .40 1180.9 I 1.94 j 877.4 J46.0 j [85. ] [163. | 602. 1.2oz.|33.9 j 2.8 oz.|79.1 j 6.1 oz.J172.3 ] 33.7 oz. 952.3
The present study was conducted using S. C. R. I. Reds that were produced in connection with a time of hatch experiment. The birds reported on were hatched bi-weekly at dates ranging * S u b m i t t e d for p u b l i c a t i o n w i t h t h e a p p r o v a l of t h e director of t h e Oklahoma Agricultural E x p e r i m e n t Station.
151
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Tufts University on December 5, 2014
(Received for Publication 1-6-28) It is a common opinion of poultrymen that large eggs produce large chicks and that large chicks are stronger and grow more rapidly than others. There has been some evidence presented to show that the larger eggs produce heavier chicks at hatchingtime, but the author has been unable to find any reference to a study of the relationship of chick weight at hatching to subsequent rate of growth. The purpose of this paper is to aid in determining whether or not heavier eggs produce heavier chicks at hatching time and whether or not heavier chicks grow more rapidly than those that are lighter in weight when hatched. The work of Halbersleben and Mussehl1 (1922) revealed that the heavier eggs produced the heavier chicks. The weight of the chicks averaged to be 64.9% of that of the eggs from which they were hatched when brown eggs were considered. Jull and Quinn 2 (1925) found that yearling hens' eggs, which were heavier, produced larger chicks than did pullets eggs. While no work giving the relationship between day old chick weight and subsequent weights was found the average weights obtained for chicks of various ages by several workers are given in Table 1 for comparison purposes.
152
POULTRY
SCIENCE
TABLE
2
M E A N WEIGHTS
Standard Deviation 1858 i n d i v i d u a l s 3.908 185 8 i n d i v i d u a l s 4.439 15 81 i n d i v i d u a l s 4.731 958* i n d i v i d u a l s 5.434. 14441 individuals 3.790 1444 i n d i v i d u a l s 4.115 Average percentage chick weight of egg weight 08.004%. * Practically all cockerels removed prior to 12 weeks of ago. t Considers only chicks used in egg weight to day old chick weight correlations.
Mean Mean Mean Mean Mean Mean
day old weight 37.69 8 gms. two week weight 60.686 gms. four week weight 115.626 gms. twelve week wt. 6 6 4.9 04 gms. day old weight 3 9.035 gms. egg weight 57.401 gms.
In Table 2 is given the mean weight of the chicks considered in this paper at various ages and the mean weight of eggs used. It may be noted that the weights given, except day old weight, are below those obtained at other stations as shown in Table 1. As previously mentioned the chicks were hatched at dates ranging from November to early May and the chicks of some lots, noticeably the late spring hatches, averaged considerably lighter in weight and tended to reduce the mean weight for all lots. The most rapid growing lots equalled in growth rate any given in Table 1. The class ranges used in determining the mean weight for the various ages and also used in the correlation studies were as follows: Egg weight 1 gram, day old chick weight 1 gram, two
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Tufts University on December 5, 2014
from November 16 to May 4. Approximately half of the chicks were hatched during 1925-26 and the other half during 1926-27. The chicks were in both cases hatched from pullets, those hatched during 1926-27 were daughters of the 1925-26 pullets. The pens of breeders both years were mated to males from high producing, healthy hens. All chicks were hatched in a No. 2 Petersime Electric Incubator. They were brooded in a 15 by 75 foot brooder house with small outdoor runs and were grown, after heat was removed, in range houses with large yards in whicli were grown some green feed. The Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station growing ration including green feed and buttermilk was fed to the chicks. All chicks were pedigree hatched. They were weighed when one day old and every two weeks thereafter until sold, or if pullets to be retained, weighed until the first year of production is completed.
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M
17, 1, Dee. IE 29, 1925. 16, 30, Dec. : 28, 1926. 12, Jan. : 9, 1926. Jan. 11, Jan. ! Feb. 8, 1927. Feb. 23, Mar. Mar. 23, 1926. Feb. 22, Mar. Mar. 22, 1927. Apr. 6, Apr. 2 May 4, 1926. pr. 5, Apr. 19, May 3, 1927. Dates ranging from NOT. 15 to May 4. —.01
<§s y old 4 wk.
OF GROWTH
+1
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y i i
+ +
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+
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IN
+ ++
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So
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31
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Tufts University on December 5, 2014
Dates Hatch
RATE
153
+1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1
+ +
154
POULTRY
SCIENCE
week weight 3 grams, four week weight 7 grams, twelve week weight 35 grams. The percentage chick weight of egg weight (68%) obtained in this work is somewhat higher than other workers have abtained. Halbersleben and Mussehl1 (1922) obtained 64.9% for brown eggs and Jull and Quinn 2 (1925) obtained percentages varying from 65.56%, to 66.56% iising Rhode Island Reds and Barred Plymouth Rocks. Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Tufts University on December 5, 2014
Table 3 gives egg weight correlated to day old chick weight, and day old chick weight correlated to two week weight, four week weight and twelve week weight for birds hatched at various dates. The correlation between egg weight and day old chick weight is high in all cases showing an intimate degree of association between these characters. The size of the eggs largely determined the size of the chicks at hatching time. No appreciable difference is noted for chicks hatched at the various seasons, although in the case of the late spring group the co-efficient is somewhat smaller. When day old chicks weight and two week weight were correlated for all groups a negligible co-efficient ( + .0826 ± .0155) was obtained, although for some individual groups larger coefficients were secured. At best, the day old weight was an unreliable index of the weight of the chicks when two weeks old. Corrlation of day old chick weight and four week weight also showed practically no association (-)- .0066 ± .0169) between these characters when all groups are considered. In only two cases were co-efficients of appreciable size obtained ( + .4039 ± .0380 and +2892 ± .0354. There was less correlation between day old weight and four weeks weight than between day old weight and two week weight. Day old weight and twelve week weight were correlated and for all groups a very slight, insignificant negative co-efficient was secured (— .0014 ± .0217). In two cases with individual groups positive co-efficients of appreciable size were obtained and with two other groups slight negative co-efficients were obtained. The highest co-efficient obtained for any group at any age was with a late spring group twelve weeks old. This group grew less rapidly than most of the others and only 96 individuals
RATE OF GROWTH IN CHICKS
155
LITERATURE CITED i HALBEHSLKDEN, D. L. AND F. E. MUSSEIII,.
1922 Relation of egg
weight to chick weight at hatching. P. Sci. 1:143-144. 2 JULL, M. A. AND J. P. QUINN.
1925 The Relationship between the
weight of eggs and the weight of chicks according to sex. Jour, of Agr. Res. XXXI: 223-226. 3 MOULTON, C. R., H. L. KEMPSTER, A. G. HOGAN AND S. BRODY.
1923 Normal growth of domestic animals. Bui. 62. * CARD, L. E. AND W. F. KIKKPATBICK.
Mo. Agr. Expt. Sta. Res. 1918 Rearing Chickens
Storrs Agr. Exp. Sta. Bui. 96. = KAUPP, B. F. 1921-1922 The rate of growth of Single Comb Rhode Island Reds. P. Sci. 1:39-43. e MITCHELL, H. H., L. E. CARD AND T. S. HAMILTON.
1926
The
Growth of White Plymouth Rock Chickens. 111. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bui. 278. ~' HANNAS, R. R. 1924 Baby Chick costs and weights at New Jersey's egg laying and breeding contests.,; P, Sci, iy> 40^42.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Tufts University on December 5, 2014
were considered. Correlation of day old weight t o twelve week weight revealed, in genral, little association between these characters. SUMMARY The chicks considered i n this p a p e r grew somewhat more slowly t h a n those reported by several previous investigators. D a y old chicks averagd t o be 68.00% of t h e weight of t h e eggs from which they were hatched. A high degree of association was found between egg weight a n d d a y old chick weight. The size of the eggs largely determined the size of t h e chicks at hatching time. D a y old chick weight proved to be an unreliable index of t h e chicks when two, four or twelve weeks of age. R a t e of growth was in most cases independent of chick size at hatching, a n d indirectly of size of eggs set. E n v i r o n m e n t a l conditions as weather, etc., probably affected the results with certain individual groups. I n none of the three sets of correlations was there shown a n y consistent Variation in the relationship of d a y old chick weight to r a t e of growth for birds hatched a t different dates (Dates r a n g i n g from Nov. 16 to May 4 ) .