Trends in Egg Production, Egg Weight, and Hatchability on Low-Protein and Normal Diets

TRENDS in egg production and egg weight during the first year of production have been studied by many investigators, but data relating to the trend in hatchability appear to be somewhat scanty. This paper presents data on the average hatchability of eggs, during each month of the first year of production, from pullets receiving low-protein and normal diets, together with data on average egg production and egg weight for the same birds which have been included for purposes of comparison with the hatchability data. The data herein reported were obtained as part of a study of the effects of some nutritional factors on hatchability, conducted by the staffs of the nutrition and physiology laboratories at the U. S. Animal Husbandry Experiment Farm, Beltsville, Maryland. The observations were made over a period of three years, a different group of pullets being used each year. The experimental work was usually begun during . . .