Rate of Early Growth in Domestic Fowl

INTRODUCTION IN 1949 a study was begun to determine hybrid vigor in standardbred and crossbred chickens at twelve weeks of age or one arbitrary point in the early growth of domestic fowl. Using Yates’ method of weighted squares of means (Snedecor, 1946), Brant (1949) found statistically significant differences among the mean weights of eight male groups. With one exception he found no significant differences between the mean weights of corresponding female groups. This interesting finding suggested a more extended study of weight for successive points in time or early growth in chickens. Moreover, interest was aroused in the author as to the feasibility of using males and/or females and as to the feasibility of using crossbreds and/or standardbreds to measure differences in early growth responses of birds fed a standard diet. Aside from the fact that literature in the field of poultry science abounds with studies of early growth of . . .