The economic value of restricted and full‐feeding during confinement rearing on two‐year egg production1

A pure strain of S.C. White Leghorns was restricted‐fed from 22 to 147 days of age. They were then placed on full‐feeding and put through a first year production test, force moulted and kept through a second year production test.

The food restriction reduced body size, delayed sexual maturity, reduced mortality, reduced food consumption, increased egg production and increased efficiency of egg production. The delay in sexual maturity associated with a greater increase in body weight in the laying‐house tended to reduce the advantageous effects of the biological response during the first production year. The absence of delayed sexual maturity and need for weight gain during the second production year revealed the full effect of the biological response in the restricted group.

The restricted birds had an increased economic return of 44 cents per bird in the first production year and 89 cents per bird in the second production year compared with full‐fed birds.