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Meat Production with Poultry
(Continued from page 16.)
MEAT PRODUCTION WITH POULTRY Comparison of Range and Confinement Comparison of Four Different Rations Comparison of Capons, Cockerels and Pullets Believing that there is an opportunity for poultrymen profitably to devote some special attention to meat production, the Ohio Experiment Station began in 1911 a series of experiments to secure data along this line of endeavor. The results of the first three experiments have been reported in Bulletins 262 and 284. In the experiment conducted during the fall and winter of 1915-16, results ot which are briefly presented in this paper, in addition to securing further data on the relative efficiency of the various rations and the effect of range and confinement upon economy and rapidity of gains, a comparison of capons, cockerels and pullets was made. DURATION—The experiment was begun August 31 and lasted 24 weeks, closing February 14, 1916. DESCRIPTION OF BIRDS—Five lots of capons, two of cockerels and four oi pullets were used in this work. Each lot contained 20 birds. They were Barred Plymouth Rocks. The chicks were hatched in March and April; canonizing was done July 3 and August 10. WEIGHTS—The birds were weighed individually at the beginning of the experiment and each fourth week thereafter, and were weighed by lots each intervening week. All weights were taken on the same day of the week and at the same time of day, before feed and water were given in the morning. QUARTERS—Each lot on range was kept in half of a colony house 10 by 12 feet in size, and had access, except when there was snow on the ground, to an outside yard containing one-sixth of an acre. These yards contained a luxuriant growth of blue grass and white clover. Needless to say, the twenty birds did not make use of all the grass available. Each lot in confinement was kept in a pen 7 by 9 feet in size in the brooder house and had access to a yard 8 by 20 feet in size. This yard provided no green feed. RATIONS and MANNER OF FEEDING —The following shows the rations used in this experiment: Lot Grain Capons 1 Corn 2 Corn 3 Corn 20
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Hawaii, PBRC, Kewalo Marine Lab. on May 30, 2015
THE CYCLES AND RHYTHM OF EGG PRODUCTION. The first has a short cycle but good rhythm. The second has a better cycle, but poor rhythm. The third part of the illustration shows the ovary of a hen which produces three eggs to the cycle, and after one day missing, repeats the same cycle. The fourth part shows the" ovary of a hen which produces four eggs to the cycle and the indications are that she would repeat the cycle. The fifth part of the illustration shows the entire egg organs of (he hen, showing one egg in the oviduct, and four more which would have been produced in four consecutive days. She would have produced another cycle of perhaps the same number of eggs after missing one day. Of course, feeding will influence the development of these yolks and the completion of the egg, but this illustration was taken from birds which were kept under exactly the same conditions. The second illustration shows the development of an egg in the oviduct and the eggs laid by the hen showing the cycles and rhythm of egg production. It will be observed from this illustration that the first egg of each cycle is larger and longer than the last egg of that cycle. It is worthy of note that hens laying cycles of from three to six eggs each, the best hens are the ones which show the smallest difference in size of the first and last eggs. The third illustration shows the cycles and rhythm of a number of hens. It also shows the eggs laid in the forenoon and the ones laid in the afternoon. It is interesting to note that where hens lay cycles of .more than four eggs, by far the greater per cent are laid in the forenoon. The fourth illustration the egg record of one hen for twenty-eight months, having produced 544 eggs in that length of time. It will be observed that this hen produced 116 eggs with only one or two cycles each, while she produced 438 in cycles in three or more each. In a test made where several hundred hens were used, the high producing hens were selected by using the March trapnest record, the test being based on the rhythm and cycles of egg production. All hens selected as high egg producers averaged 163 eggs each during the year. Those selected as low producers averaged 118 eggs, making a difference of 45 eggs. Another test using an equal number of hens, all which had a cycle of four eggs or more during March, averaged 156 eggs in the year; all which had a cycle of two eggs or less, averaged 110 eggs each. After studying the rhythm and cycles of egg production and comparing this method of selection of profitable hens with the other methods, I find that it is just as reliable as any one method. This
should of course be used by comparing hens where they are under the same conditions and by using this system, I believe that we will more nearly approach the ideal in egg production. C. T. PATTERSON, Mountain Grove, Mo.
MEAT PRODUCTION WITH POULTRY Comparison of Range and Confinement Comparison of Four Different Rations Comparison of Capons, Cockerels and Pullets Believing that there is an opportunity for poultrymen profitably to devote some special attention to meat production, the Ohio Experiment Station began in 1911 a series of experiments to secure data along this line of endeavor. The results of the first three experiments have been reported in Bulletins 262 and 284. In the experiment conducted during the fall and winter of 1915-16, results ot which are briefly presented in this paper, in addition to securing further data on the relative efficiency of the various rations and the effect of range and confinement upon economy and rapidity of gains, a comparison of capons, cockerels and pullets was made. DURATION—The experiment was begun August 31 and lasted 24 weeks, closing February 14, 1916. DESCRIPTION OF BIRDS—Five lots of capons, two of cockerels and four oi pullets were used in this work. Each lot contained 20 birds. They were Barred Plymouth Rocks. The chicks were hatched in March and April; canonizing was done July 3 and August 10. WEIGHTS—The birds were weighed individually at the beginning of the experiment and each fourth week thereafter, and were weighed by lots each intervening week. All weights were taken on the same day of the week and at the same time of day, before feed and water were given in the morning. QUARTERS—Each lot on range was kept in half of a colony house 10 by 12 feet in size, and had access, except when there was snow on the ground, to an outside yard containing one-sixth of an acre. These yards contained a luxuriant growth of blue grass and white clover. Needless to say, the twenty birds did not make use of all the grass available. Each lot in confinement was kept in a pen 7 by 9 feet in size in the brooder house and had access to a yard 8 by 20 feet in size. This yard provided no green feed. RATIONS and MANNER OF FEEDING —The following shows the rations used in this experiment: Lot Grain Capons 1 Corn 2 Corn 3 Corn 20
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Hawaii, PBRC, Kewalo Marine Lab. on May 30, 2015
THE CYCLES AND RHYTHM OF EGG PRODUCTION. The first has a short cycle but good rhythm. The second has a better cycle, but poor rhythm. The third part of the illustration shows the ovary of a hen which produces three eggs to the cycle, and after one day missing, repeats the same cycle. The fourth part shows the" ovary of a hen which produces four eggs to the cycle and the indications are that she would repeat the cycle. The fifth part of the illustration shows the entire egg organs of (he hen, showing one egg in the oviduct, and four more which would have been produced in four consecutive days. She would have produced another cycle of perhaps the same number of eggs after missing one day. Of course, feeding will influence the development of these yolks and the completion of the egg, but this illustration was taken from birds which were kept under exactly the same conditions. The second illustration shows the development of an egg in the oviduct and the eggs laid by the hen showing the cycles and rhythm of egg production. It will be observed from this illustration that the first egg of each cycle is larger and longer than the last egg of that cycle. It is worthy of note that hens laying cycles of from three to six eggs each, the best hens are the ones which show the smallest difference in size of the first and last eggs. The third illustration shows the cycles and rhythm of a number of hens. It also shows the eggs laid in the forenoon and the ones laid in the afternoon. It is interesting to note that where hens lay cycles of .more than four eggs, by far the greater per cent are laid in the forenoon. The fourth illustration the egg record of one hen for twenty-eight months, having produced 544 eggs in that length of time. It will be observed that this hen produced 116 eggs with only one or two cycles each, while she produced 438 in cycles in three or more each. In a test made where several hundred hens were used, the high producing hens were selected by using the March trapnest record, the test being based on the rhythm and cycles of egg production. All hens selected as high egg producers averaged 163 eggs each during the year. Those selected as low producers averaged 118 eggs, making a difference of 45 eggs. Another test using an equal number of hens, all which had a cycle of four eggs or more during March, averaged 156 eggs in the year; all which had a cycle of two eggs or less, averaged 110 eggs each. After studying the rhythm and cycles of egg production and comparing this method of selection of profitable hens with the other methods, I find that it is just as reliable as any one method. This
should of course be used by comparing hens where they are under the same conditions and by using this system, I believe that we will more nearly approach the ideal in egg production. C. T. PATTERSON, Mountain Grove, Mo.