Show I 0 I 1 1 J Ji 4 i lWI i Ji t s j YOUNG TURKEY HEN HENBEST HENBEST HENBEST BEST FOR BREEDER I t Birds Under r Two Tiro Years Are Arc Most l Desirable on ny t y C Taylor Associate tate w College fi WN J U Service ic Recent turkey breeding studies f conducted by University of Califor Califor- California California nia indicate that it Is not desirable to use turkey hens ot of more than two years of age as breeders t J This year six study on the age ot of turkey breeders and the resulting progeny showed that average egg production decreased from eggs the first year to eggs the second laying year Production the third and fourth years years was 44 eggs while only eggs were produced the filth fifth year Although production decreased with the age of ot the turkeys it was found that the fertility of eggs did not change significantly with age Hatchability of eggs decreased after the s second cond year The eggs laid in the second year t were larger than those produced the first year hatched from irom the larger eggs were larger at the hatching time but there was little difference in lit sizes of birds at 16 weeks of age Mortality was a trine trifle higher among the progeny of the old year old hens than among mong those ot of the year two hens r |