EGG PRODUCTION OF DIFFERENT BREEDS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 87, 14 April 1899, Page 3

EGG PRODUCTION OF DIFFERENT BREEDS.

During the past year 'Farm Poultry,' of Boston, U.S.A., has been gathering together statistics as to the egg yield of birds of various breeds in all parts of the United States. This experiment (writes Mr Edward Brown in the 'Agricultural Gazette') was not confined to one place or one district or one lot of birds, hut breeders of all kinds could enter their birds for the competition, and thus the results are more reliable than in a single instance. As a case in point, the number of Plymouth Rocks entered for competition was 1390. The results of this competition are interesting- and worthy of quotation. 1 give them herewith, the first column showing the total number o£ hens entered for the competition, and the second the total average number of eggs produced in the nine months from January Ist to September 30th:—

No. hens. Eggs. Earred Plymouth Rocks 1390 99 White Plymouth Rocks .... 239 9D Buff Plymouth Rocks 15 117 "White Wyandottes 701 99 Silver Wyandottes 54 117 Buff Wyandottes 22 117 Golden Wyandot.tes CO 108 White Wonders 70 81 Single-comb White Leghorns 674 117 Rose-comb White Leghorns. 31 ■99 Single-comb Brown Leghorns GB4 117 Dominique Leghorns 5 117 Black Minorcas 61 117 Anconas 10 g0 Black Langshans ...' °' ■ •»/ Light Brahmas 154 °] Buff Cochins 25 54 Mixed varieties 1317 99 Crosses 3if Jj:' Grades 409 99 Mongrels 230 90

It will be seen from this that there Is no remarkable average, and the figures are in some directions a little disappointing on first reading them. But when we remember the number of birds entered, many of which had doubtless not been selected for egg production, so that tne highest would be pulled down by the low- ■ est, the averages are very good. It is interesting, taking the first on the listbarred Plymouth Rocks - we find the highest and lowest returns as follows.Highest. Lowest. General. January 20 2-3 - 6 14-17 February -21 - ' 1-12 March 26 6S 17 1-8 April 24 6-7 7 3-7 14 1-18 May 24 4 13 RB^V.-V.-.V.^Sw 2 2-3 111-5 August 191 . T H September .... 14 10-17 12 *i Of course we have no means of Compaq ing; how the highest of one mdnth acted laWe may add to the^foregoing that these records confirm what we have so often stated in the columns of the Jarmer• «£ I latlve to the superiority in egg Productl°^ of the Minorca and Leghorn breeds, ai though it is true that two of the Wyandotte varieties come out f^™ 1 *_ *[£ Mediterranean breeds in tWs compeu tion. It is somewhat, remarkable to note the uniformity in a number of: cases m the averages given, no 1^ than eight Afferent lots of fowls reaching the aye rage o f m eggs per head which may -*e ; called the top score. Ban.e^/ n vn r ieties Plymouth Rocks and roix| d fqf I a"yin| : come out very well in comparison, tying i with Rose-comb Leghorns and ™u» Wyandottes with an average of 99 eggs per hen. The lowest average in the nsi ia made by Buff Cochins,.v^» _??•"„. being their record out of .the small rvum_ : ber If 25 fowls tested. What White^won ders are we cannot say; tjj» vg*^ m any rate, of 81 per hen is very iar "v .vronderful.-'N.Z. Farmer.