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Show HARM (N CROWDING THE HEN Experiment at Maine Experiment Station Sta-tion 8howa That Money Is Lost In Too Common Practice. The Maine experiment station recently re-cently furnished a test to ascertain the number of hens most profitable to keep In pens. All tho pens were 10 10 by 16 feet, giving 160 square feet The hens were Brahmas and Plymouth Rocks, and these tests continued elx months. The hens were 15, 20, 25 and 30 to a pen. The conditions and hens were as much alike 'as possible to make the test a conclusive one. The pen with 15 bens mado a show-profit show-profit of 80 cents per hen, and the eggs laid numbered 976. The pen with 20 hens made a showing show-ing of 1,208- eggs for tho pen, and a profit of 71 cents per hen. Tho pon with 25 chickens made a laying record of 1,328 eggs, and a profit of 35 cent3 per hen. , Tho pen with 30 hens had an..egg production of 1,200 and a profit of 30 cents per hen. Tho experiment shows distinctly that hens can bo so crowded as to rcduco tho profit of nn egg farm. The difference of 25 eggs por' hen for six months Is g-eat. On the basis of 15 to the pen tho profits of the total 90 hens were $72. On a basis of 30 o the pon tho profits were $36. In each case tho actual cost of feed was deducted. |