HEN HOUSES

Waipa Post, Volume 44, Issue 3181, 24 May 1932, Page 2

HEN HOUSES

Analysis shows, says "Nature," that an inverse relation exists between the amount of daylight and the price of hens' eggs in successive months of the year. That in turn is correlated with the amount of food a hen may eat per day, so that the more light, the more food, and. other things being equal, the more eggs. Artificial lighting has been used on a large scale in the United states to shorten the long nights and induce hens to lay more, but it cannot be said to be a common practice in Britain. The results obtained by J. W. Rhys and Raymond T. Parkhurst at the National Institute of Poultry Husbandry, suggests, however, that its use might well be extended. During the winter months the 120 pullets under light laid 950 more eggs than an equal number without lights. For the 48 weeks of the test the lighted pen yielded 1086 1 eggs more than the unlighted pen. The lighted pullets laid an average of 173.5 eggs and the unlighted 161.0 eggs. Financially, the "morning and evening lights'* pen was most successful, the margin of profit over food and lighting costs being 11.58 pence a dozen eggs. Hens apparently give the best results under a 14-hour day.