ABSTRACT
Processors, handlers, and distributors of eggs and egg products need an understanding of egg-production practices to cope more intelligently with problems of product quality and character. An area to which breeders have been giving increased attention is the quality of the freshly laid egg. The efficiency of any feeding program is dependent on its meeting the nutrient requirements of the bird. Underweight birds can result from disease, overcrowding, improper feed formulation, feed shortage, and other mismanagement practices. The intensity and daily duration of light during the growing period significantly affect the age of sexual maturity and response to lighting after egg-laying begins. The commercial egg industry in the United States is dominated by the Single Comb White Leghorn. Egg producers have a choice of brooding and rearing their own pullets for layer replacement or buying 16- to 20-week-old birds from growers who specialize in raising "started pullets."
