LEGHORNS THAT LAY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 428, 10 February 1909, Page 5

LEGHORNS THAT LAY.

THE LARGE HENS ARE LAZIEST. INTERESTING TESTS. The smallest Leghorns are found to lay the largest eggs and to lay them oftencst. I Although it is good to look upon a line 1 white neavy square-framed Loghorn hen I that fills the eye, it is not so,nice to refleot ■ that she doesn't fill the pocket. The- large I birds are generally referred to as of tho "exhibition typo, and are now becoming very raro among the utility flocks of New I Zealand. There is both good and evil iu this, for, although egg yield is the most im|(portant consideration, for Leghorn keepers, I,the poor table quality of the cockerels has been a constant causo of regret. • A strain of 1 Leghorns that will possess, high egg-jaying 1 abilities and also good table qualities in tho cockerels is as much, desired fts is the "dualI purpose coWj" which could givo a great and rich" milk yield, an annual calf which will grow into good beef, and a carcass which will turn into prime beef at" the end of her term.,, Will Mr. Hjde, or Mr. Willoughby Knight or some other enthusiast produce us a strain of dual-purpose Leghorns? , Meantime let us take facts as they arc, and see how the little ones beat tno big ones in. some recent tests in England. The "Feathered World" reports them. . They were conducted at the Heading College Poultry Farm, and were among tho following pens of birds. Tho weights also are given:— 7 Danish brown Leghorn pullets, 31b. Boz. 15 Danish white Leghorn pullets, 31b. 4}oz. 12 Danish white Leghorn liens, 31b. 3Joz. 4 American white Leghorn hens, 31b. Doz. 4 exhibilioa white Leghorn hens, 51b. Thus tho birds of tho Danish and American types wore- only about two-thirds - , as heavy as tho exhibition birds. But see how they laid! Here .are their performances for five months:— r-v'—n \t-e • ,i^t. . w; Eggs per bird. ■ Danish brown pullets 98.00 Danish white pullets 81.13 Danish white hens 87.75 American white hens 82.50 Exhibition white hen 3 ... , ... 35.75 They laid more than twico as many eggs as the large exhibition hens. .Thon seo what big eggs these little Leghorns laid.— - ■ • Weight 'Weight per egg. per bird. oz. lb. oz. Danish,brown pullets ... 2.12 12 15.06 Danish .white pullets ... 2.15 10 15.14 Danish white hens ... 2.15 11 12.63 American white hens ... 2.3 11 13.53 Exhibition white hens ... 1.96 4' 9.15 • Evenness of sizo is better than a collection of donble-yolked eggs and small eggs that arc unsaleable. The eggs of these little Leghorns wore even. . How few of them wero under market sizo is seen in tho 'following table:— Eggs undei 2nz. weight „ . , . (per cent.) ' Danish brown pullets 1.16 ' Danish white pullets 1.31 , Danish white hens 1.14 American white hens 0.6 Exhibition white hens 34.26