Growth, feed conversion and egg production of White Leghorns (WL), Barred Plymouth Rocks (BP), White Plymouth Rocks (WR), and their cross-breeds, WL (_??_ _??_)×BP(_??_ _??_), BP(_??_ _??_)×WL(_??_ _??_), WL(_??_ _??_)×WR(_??_ _??_), WR(_??_ _??_)×WL(_??_ _??_), were studied.
White Rock chicks showed faster growth than WL chicks, while their F₁ chicks showed intermediate growth. A slight maternal effect on growth was observed in these crosses. Barred Plymouth Rock, WL and their F₁ chicks showed a similar growth rate until 10 weeks of age. The average body weights combining the two sexes of WL, BP, WR, WL×BP, BP×WL, WL×WR and WR×WL at 10 weeks of age were 995, 973, 1505, 1023, 939, 1211, 1118g, respectively.
Feed conversion to 10 weeks of age was low in the chicks which showed faster growth. These rates were 3.60 in WL, 3.44 in BP, 2.74 in WR, 3.00 in WL×BP, 3.22 in BP×WL, 3.00 in WL×WR and 3.07 in WR×WL.
Mean age at the first egg in WL was about 40 days earlier than those in BP and WR. A distinct sex linked inheritance was observed in the sexual maturity of thier F₁ pullets.
Adult body size was the largest in WR, and the smallest in WL. F₁ pullets showed a intermadiate body size between the parents at the sexual maturity.
Averge egg size was the largest in WR (60.3g/egg), and the smallets in BP (53.4g/egg). F₁ pullets laid rather heavy eggs weighing around 59g per egg.
Egg production in the first layng year was superior in WL and BP pullets, and inferior in WR pullets. Egg production rates expressed on hen-day basis of WL, BP, WR, WL×BP, BP×WL, WL×WR and WR×WL were 68.5, 68.8, 39.7, 68.8, 65.5, 64.1, and 56.4%, respectively. No significant over-dominance was observed in the egg production of F₁ pullets, although heterosis over mid-parent value was observed in WL×WR and WR×WL pullets. White Leghorn×WR pullets laid more eggs than WR×WL pullets. These results alike our previous works^{1, 2)} indicate that a sex linkage is involved in the inheritance of egg production rate in the chicken.
None of birds became broody in the experimental period.

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The effect of controlled environment (20°C), season, and furazolidone administration on the growth was studied with male and female broiler chickens.
These trials were conducted separately in spring, summer, and winter with chicks from the same hatchery. In each trial chicks were divided according to sex into two groups, i.e., controlled and natural environmental conditions. Those four groups were further divided into three lots according to furazolidone administration levels, i.e., 0.0033%, 0.0055% and control lots. At weekly intervals body weight and feed consumption were recorded from hatch to nine weeks of age.
The growth of chickens to nine weeks of age was affected by the season of the year. The retarded growth observed in natural condition during summer and winter was improved by rearing in controlled environment and the improvement was especially significant in males, on the contrary feed conversion was improved by controlling the environmental temperature during winter.
Administration of furazolidone seemed to be effective on the growth of male chickens especially under the unfavorable summer environmental condition, whereas it was not effective on that of female chickens in any season of the year.

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Spermatozoal behavior in the reproductive tract of the hen is extremely characteristic as compared with that in the reproductive tract of the mammalian female. Yet there is little information available on the spermatozoal behaviour. This paper presents data concerning the fertility and the finding of spermatozoa in the oviduct of the hen after insemination.
1. The longest and the mean times intervening between insemination and the laying of the last fertile egg were 21 and 11.1 days, respectively. Above 90 per cent of the eggs laid until the 6th day following insemination were fertile. Thereafter, there was a tendency toward a gradual decline. The fertilities on and after the 13th day following insemination were shown below 40 per cent.
2. Spermatozoa were found in the smear collected from the each part of the oviduct until the 4th day following insemination. Thereafter, the positive findings were limited both in the lower region of infundibulum and the utero-vaginal junction. On the 7th day following insemination, spermatozoa were found in the smear collected from the former. In the smear collected from the latter, they were found on the 22nd day yet.
3. The results of histological study were shown that spermatozoa were contained slightly in the glandular cavity of the lower region of infundibulum until the 15th day following insemination and considerably in that of the utero-vaginal junction until the 30th day following insemination.
4. Fertility was high for the 1st week following insemination with more than 150 million spermatozoa, but it decreased rapidly when spermatozoa were decreased to 30 million. No fertile egg was obtained by insemination of 4 million. However, in the histological examination, some spermatozoa were found only in the glandular cavity of the utero-vaginal junction.
5. In the glandular cavity of the utero-vaginal junction, spermatozoa were found in spite of the fertile or unfetile durations. But in the glandular cavity of the infundibulum, the frequency of sperm finding was high in the fertile duration and was low in the infertile duration.
6. When the dead spermatozoa were inseminated, they were unable to enter the glandular cavities of both the infundibulum and the utero-vaginal junction.

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A few reports have indicated that antibodies against spermatozoa formed in domestic animals by the application of artificial insemination have detrimental effects on the subsequent fertility.
The present study was undertaken to see both the serological nature of chicken spermatozoa and of agglutinins against chicken spermatozoa in the sera of virgin pullets and inseminated hens. The results obtained are as follows;
1) Isoantibodies against chicken spermatozoa were produced by intravenous injection in domestic fowls.
2) The agglutinogens of chicken spermatozoa were impaired by heating at 56°C for 15', or by keeping at room temperature or refrigerator for over-night. However, the absorbing properties of such treated spermatozoa to the agglutinins were not influenced by the treatments.
3) There found no individual and breed (WL, WR and NH) differences of agglutinogens of chicken spermatozoa.
4) Normal isoagglutinins against the chicken spermatozoa were found in the sera of 103 day-old chickens.
5) The agglutinin titers in the sera of adult chickens were relatively constant for over two months.

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Calcium and Phosphorus requirements of laying hens seem to change due to their new feeding system, management and improvement of laying ability. Five sorts of diet with graded levels of calcium and phosphorus were given to five groups of hens to elucidate the calcium and phosphorus requirements in the conventional laying mash.
The results are as follows.
1. No influence of calcium and phosphorus level has been found on body weight, but low calcium and phosphorus diets decreased livability.
2. Average feed consumption and feed conversion did not change due to calcium and phosphorus level. But when calcium level was the same, the addition of phosphorus in diet showed advantage.
3. The egg production percentage was not different from NRC standard or calcium 3.4% and phosphorus 0.8% level, but in hot climate (July-October) the egg production percentage was lower on NRC level diet than on high calcium and phosphorus diet.
4. Percentage of brocken and soft shelled eggs owing to calcium and phosphorus level was not revealed clearly.
5. Calcium and phosphorus requiremts in conventional laying mash fitted to NRC feeding standard in this experiment but when calcium and phosphorus contents were higher than NRC standard in hot climate the egg production was improved. From this fact, in hot climate a litle higher than NRC standard level of calcium and phosphorus in laying mash seems desirable for layers.

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Five sorts of diet with graded levels of calcium and phosphorus were given to five groups of White Leghorn Hens in cage to elucidate calcium and phosphorus requirements in conventional laying mash. Calcium and phosphorus requirement were determined from their egg shell quality through feeding experiment.
The result are as follows,
1. Average egg weight did not vary with calcium and phosphorus levels in test diets.
2. When calcium content in laying mash was less than NRC standard, the egg shell weight clearly dereased, but when calcium content was higher than NRC standard, the egg shell wight increased.
3. The percentage of egg shell weight was 9.3% but when calcium content was lower than NRC standard, the percentage of egg shell weight decreased notwithstanding the phosphorus content in test diets.
4. Shell thickness varied in different parts of the shell used for measurement. The sharp end of an egg was usually thicker than other. When the calcium content was less than NRC standard, the shell was usually thinner.
5. Calcium and phorphorus requirements of laying mash fitted to NRC standard level in this experiment. But when calcium contents were higher than NRC standard, the egg shell quality was improved. For this improved shell quality, the calcium and phosphorus requirements of conventional laying mash ought to be a little higher than NRC standard level.

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Hemorrhagic symptoms were observed in the White Leghorn male chicks of 3 weeks or older in the Laboratory since September, 1963. Chicks purchased from the same hatchery and fed the diet of the same composition showed no such symptoms in the past 5 years before September, 1963. Preliminary observation at dissection of hemorrhagic chicks and on the effect of oral dose of menadion suggested that the symptom was not due to the infectious disease or to the harmful ingredients in the diet but to the deficiency of vitamin K.
Day-old White Leghorn male chicks obtained from the hatchery were grouped into lots of 15 birds each, wing-banded and reared in an electrically heated battery for 4 weeks, then the chicks were moved to cages and reared for another 2 weeks. Basal diet was prepared based on the composition of the low energy diet which caused the severest hemorrhage, composed mainly of yellow corn, soybean meal, fish meal and rice bran. Soybean meal was replaced by fish meal in high fish diet on the basis of iso-nitrogen and iso-energy. Menadion (0.53mg/kg diet) was supplemented to both basal and high fish diets and 0.05% of ε-aminocapronic acid or 5% of alfalfa meal was supplemented to basal diet.
Result of Experiment 1, which was initiated in November, 1963, revealed that feeding of basal diet caused severe hemorrhagic symptom with high mortality and prolonged blood clotting time. Supplementation of menadion was effective to prevent the symptom and to keep blood clotting time normal. Feeding of high fish diet and supplementation of ε-aminocapronic acid had little influence on either hemorrhage or blood clotting time. Almost the same result was obtained in Experiment 2, which was initiated in February, 1964, although mortality was far lower than that in Experiment 1. It was observed that alfalfa meal has high vitamin K activity.
It is certain that the hemorrhage observed in this laboratory since September, 1963 was due to the vitamin K deficiency, although it is not yet known why some chicks from the same hatchery and fed the diet of similar composition, showed hemorrhage suddenly. The findings may be important warning the possibility of the occurrence of vitamin K deficiency in field condition which was not observed previously. Fish meal was not so active to prevent hemorrhage as believed previously.

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1. Two trials were designed for examining the influences of terephthalic acid (TPA) on the viscera of chickens, i.e. the kidney, adrenal gland, liver, testis, thyroid and anterior lobe of pituitary. The suitable dosage of TPA was considered from the views of kidney, adrenal and liver in this paper. Day-old male chickens-the Single Comb White Leghorn-were used as the experimental animals. Forty birds were fed 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0% of TPA with or without chlortetracycline in Experiment I, and 120 birds were fed 0, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5% in Experiment II. Then the tissues of their viscera were offered for pathological observations.
2. The kidney fell subacute glomerulonephritis, that is to say, the marked swelling of renal corpuscles, an increase in the cell number of glomerulus, the hypertrophy of epicytes and endothelial cells of blood capillaries, the hypertrophy and multiplication of wall cells of Bowman's capsule etc. were observed in renal corpuscles. Sometimes hemorrhage occured in Bowman's capsule. Hyalinization or fibroplasia appeared when the treatment was prolonged. There was a little change in renal tubules in the lots treated with 0.3 and 0.4% of TPA. But the symptoms of nephrosis, i.e. swelling and vacuolization of epithelial cells, destruction of brush border, hyaline drop degeneration, atrophy, delatation of cavity etc. in the principal portion accompanied with glomerulonephritis in the birds fed 1.0 and 2.0% of TPA and in some birds fed 0.5%. Urinary cylinders being of protein, red cells or epithelial cells were observed in quite high frequency in renal tubules, mainly in distal tubules. The symptoms were slight in the birds fed 0.3 and 0.4%, serious in 0.5% when the treatment was continued over thirty days, and quite severe in 1.0 and 2.0%. There were statistically no significant changes in the kidney weight.
3. In the adrenal gland, the cortical tissue hypertrophied and almost lost its lipid droplets. But the vacuolization, atrophy, pyknosis, or necrobiosis of cortical cells, the atrophy of cortical tissue, and the atrophy or pyknosis of medullar cells were conspicuous when the dosage of TPA exceeded 1.0% and when the taeatment was continued over forty days in 0.5%. An increase in the number of mast cells was recognized in the rough portion of serous membrane.
4. The treatment of TPA increased the number of hepatic cells which fell into degeneration, e.g. atrophy, pyknosis, karyolysis, or necrocytosis. The symptoms of cirrhosis-formation of pseudobileduct and fibroplasia in Glisson's capsule-appeared when the dosage exceeded 0.4% if the treatment was continued over thirty days. But in the 0.3% and 0.4% the pathological changes were slight and most of the hepatic cells rather hypertrophied and had large and light nucleus, and also had normal mitochondria, nucleic acid and glycogen. There were statistically no significant changes in the hepatic weight.
5. There were few influences of the simultaneous administration of tetracycline.
6. The results obtained revealed that the suitable dosage of TPA should be not higher than 0.4% for the aim of chicken food additive, and if 0.5% be used, the treatment perihd should be within about twenty days.

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[in Japanese]

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