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MODERN culling systems and score cards are usually based on the shape or size of a hen’s body and on certain physiological body changes that take place during the laying year. These physiological characters include pigmentation of beak and shanks, pliability of pubic bones, time and rate of molt, distance between pubic bones, distance between pubic bones and keel, and condition of skin. One or more of these characters have been studied and found to be correlated to annual egg production by Blakeslee et at (1917), Sherwood (1922), and Palmer and Kempster (1919). Considerable value is usually given to measurements of the hen’s body on the average score card for judging a hen’s egg production. While Steup (1928) claimed that certain head characters are associated with egg production, he does not present data to substantiate his head-point culling system. Few investigations show any significant relation between head and body measurements . . .

COMMERCIAL feed manufacturers faced with the problem of securing phosphorus carrying ingredients for poultry rations frequently find that they know little of the feeding value of the phosphorus in supplements available to them. There has been considerable work done to show that raw rock phosphate is a poor source of phosphorus for chickens. This has been shown by Gerry et al. (1947), whose work indicated that the fluorine content of rock phosphate was the factor that depressed the growth of the chicks when rock phosphate was used. Their work also showed that the fluorine in the product accumulated in the bones of the chicks. Rock phosphate had previously been shown to be a growth depressant by Halpin et al. (1932), and Matterson et al. (1945). Since it had been indicated that fluorine was the factor responsible for depressing growth, numerous defluorinated phosphate products were placed on the market. In general, . . .

THE housing problem of western Washington is somewhat different from that of other sections of the country. Owing to the prolonged rainy season and mild weather, wet litter is a serious problem. Poultrymen find it necessary during this season to change litter in their poultry houses every 5 to 14 days. The monetary value of the litter and the labor required in changing it is sufficiently great to justify the work reported herein regardless of the effect on egg production or health of the birds. This experiment does not deal with the two latter phases of the problem. Unpublished data collected at this station during the years 1929, 1930, and 1931 revealed that insulation of poultry houses did not have any beneficial effect on egg production. However, it was observed that in the closed-front insulated pens the litter became wet sooner than in the open-front uninsulated ones. Field observations of . . .

DURING the last year there has been considerable discussion of the problem of washing eggs because of the introduction of a great many commercial egg washing machines. Some of these machines have been advertised as the solution to the problem of spoilage in washed eggs. For years it has been recognized that washed eggs have a greater loss in cold storage than eggs which have not been washed. For this reason either dry cleaning by abrasive methods or the storing of clean eggs have been recommended for cold storage. Although some commercial egg washing machines have been in use for many years, it has been generally recognized that a marketing problem exists where eggs from these machines must be sold. Sometimes many of the eggs washed on the machines rot while at other times they seem to keep as well as unwashed eggs. Funk (1938) presented work showing that under . . .

THE apparent need for more study on the vitamin A requirements of chickens from date of hatch to maturity was responsible for the work herein reported being undertaken. Requirements studies by other workers have dealt in most instances with the first eight weeks of the chick’s life. Frohring and Wyeno (1934) found that the minimum requirements of vitamin A for White Leghorn chicks at the age of about eight weeks is approximately 65 A.D.M.A. units per day. Record, Bethke, and Wilder (1935) report that in prophylactic trials from 50 to 100 gamma of carotene per 100 gm. of feed were required to produce normal growth and prevent symptoms of vitamin A deficiency. Fifty gamma of carotene were required daily in the curative test. Sherwood and Fraps (1935) found that 150 Sherman-Munsell units per 100 gm. of feed gave optimum growth results with chicks for eight weeks. Kline, Schultze, and Hart . . .

THE work herein reported is a continuation of the studies on cannibalism in poultry reported by Miller and Bearse (1937). In that paper, evidence was presented to show that oats have cannibalism preventing properties. This article reports the results of an experiment designed to determine which part of the oat carries the cannibalism preventing property and in addition, to determine whether manganese and wood fiber would prevent cannibalism. As denned in the above-mentioned paper, cannibalism is considered as a vicious habit of picking toes, comb, vent, feathers, and other parts of the bird’s body. EXPERIMENTAL Wood fiber in the form of spruce dust was included in this experiment to give another source of fiber probably not complicated with the same possible vitamins, minerals, or other nutrient factors. A manganese sulfate ration was included because oats contain substantially larger amounts of manganese than corn. Corn was used as the principal ingredient . . .

POULTRY producers have long considered it desirable to include large amount of green feed in the ration of breeding hens. Since the discovery and development of our knowledge concerning vitamin A it has been assumed that this green feed was fed to supply large amounts of this vitamin and that vitamin A was closely associated with hatchability and chick livability. Actual corroboration of this assumption by experimental data is limited. Throughout this paper references made to vitamin A refer to vitamin A activity regardless of whether its source is vitamin A, carotene or other vitamin A active substances. Sherwood and Fraps (1934) found that the hatchability increased as the level of heat-dried alfalfa leaf meal increased up to 8 percent of the mash. Later work by these authors (1935) did not show an increase in hatchability for an 8 percent alfalfa group over a 4 percent one. Studies reported by . . .

MANGANESE salts have been used extensively as driers for oils in paint. It has been observed in this laboratory that expected fat values of feed concentrate mixtures could not be obtained when the mixtures contained both fish oil and manganese sulphate. It was also noted that as the ether extractions of the mixtures were repeated at intervals the fat extracted became less on each analysis, indicating a change of the fat possibility due to the drying action of manganese sulphate. It was observed that such mixtures upon standing had the odor of drying paint. Since the fish oils used in poultry feeds have high iodine numbers, the question is raised as to whether manganese sulphate added to poultry feeds will dry the fish oils, and if so what will be the effect on the vitamin A and D content of these oils. An instance of the incompatibility of two feed . . .

THE antirachitic value of the ultra-violet rays of the quartz mercury lamp on chicks has been known for several years. This lamp is unwieldy, manufactured generally in large units, has a high initial cost, and it is not adaptable to general poultry practices. Lamps emitting ultra-violet rays have gone through a process of evolution tending toward greater practicability in their usage. While the carbon arc lamp eliminated some of the above named objections of the quartz mercury lamp, nevertheless, it is also unwieldy and in addition presents a considerable fire hazard. A lamp known as the S-1 Mazda sun-lamp has been developed recently. Although not as efficient in transmitting ultra-violet rays as the quartz mercury and carbon arc lights, nevertheless this lamp presents possibilities for poultry or brooder house installation. Mussehl and Ackerson (1931) found that chicks exposed 20 minutes per day with the S-1 lamp at a height of . . .