Influence of Length of Day on Reproduction in Turkey Hens

USE of artificial light is known to bring turkey hens into egg production earlier than if the birds are exposed only to normal daylight (Albright and Thompson, 1933). Moreover, blue light was found to be ineffective by Scott and Payne, 1937, presumably because the light intensity was reduced below the required level. Turkey hens require a light intensity of about 2 foot candles (Asmundson, Lorenz, and Moses, 1946). Data on the optimum length of day are not available for turkeys, hence further tests were started. MATERIALS AND METHODS Bronze hens were used. They were selected in such a way that, for example, the first bird banded in one pen was of similar ancestry (usually a full or half sister) to the first bird banded in any of the other pens; they weighed about the same at the time the tests were started. Thus the ten birds in one pen could . . .