The Correlation Between Egg Number and Egg Weight in the Fowl: An Investigation of Its Inconstancy

Abstract

DESPITE the fact that they are expressions of one process, the relation between mean egg weight and annual egg production has not been found consistent in the studies made upon it; evidence of this lack of agreement is briefly reviewed in Jull (1940). Marble (1930) has pointed out that many of the earlier conclusions were based on an unconfirmed premise that the association between the two variables is linear. In his own extensive investigations he was able to demonstrate that non-linearity existed in so far as the scales of measurement he used were concerned. As the latter may have had an effect in bringing about his results it is as well to specify them; egg number was measured over 365 days, with trapnesting of all birds starting on the same day in any particular year, and mean egg weight based on weighings made in 1 week of every 4 for . . .