Show Hens Confined Lay LayWell LayWell Well As Those On Usual Range liens Hens kept in confinement and properly fed will lay as a many e eggs s sand and tend to lay larger eg eggs s than birds of the same age on limit limited ran range e says th the United States p De- De Department De Department of A Agriculture These conclusions are the tM outcome ut ome of ox- ox experiments ex experiments conducted since 1928 1923 at atthe atthe the Animal Husbandry Experiment Experiment ment Farm at Beltsville Md Birds kept under confinement in these experiments were fed cod cod- liver cod liver oil along with other feed and had access to sunshine through open onen windows in the the laying house boute thereby preventing possible adverse ad adverse verse erse effects vitamin from from vitamin These hens had a tendency to lay Jay a larger number of e eggs gs during the winter months instead or of in the spring as nR was the case casei with the tho hens hens- henson hens on range Electric j lights were used in both pens from i 5 a aa m until daylight each ench day from Crom September 15 until April 15 The experiment also showed that neither fertility nor of the e eggs gs was affected by the confinement of the hen hens nor was there any noteworthy difference in m mortality of the hens The Tho flocks that were not confined confined confined ed were vere fed the same rations ex- ex cent ex-cent cent that liver cod oil was omit omit- omitted omitted omitted ted and were vere allowed to ran range e- e ein in grass yards approximately 70 by feet in size The experiment was conducted I IThe primarily as a n scientific test of the I ability of hens to produce satisfactorily satisfactorily in confinement Although the test did not include a comparison comparison ison son ison of the cost of feed Depart Depart- Depart rent specialists say any that the extra cost of this item for the confined flocks focks would be more moro than offs offset t by bv the smaller area of land required required required ed better hetter control of health and p possibly other factors |