Relation of Fall Moult of Leghorn Pullets to Month of Hatch

Abstract

Part I.

On many farms, eggs are hatched in February in order to get pullets for early fall egg production. On other farms they are hatched in April and May in order to avoid a fall moult in pullets.

From the records kept for three years of Leghorn pullets at Purdue University the indications are that the month of hatch is not necessarily the limiting factor for fall moult of pullets.

Beginning October 1, 1916 for the first year and continuing every two weeks until all the pullets had finished their moult, observations were made of fifty-four pullets. Thirty-three, or 61 per cent went through a partial or complete moult. Twenty-seven of the thrty-three were March hatched. The balance, or six, were April hatched. Considering the twenty-one birds which did not moult, thirteen were March hatched and eight April hatched. On the basis of the total, fifty-four birds, 67½ per …