"Bill Wright" wrote in message
news
On 06/12/2016 20:14, Rod Speed wrote:

Local farmer says, "Neck one with t'others watching. It encourages
'em."

There could be something in that statement?

Unlikely that the ones that arent necked would realise
that the reason one was necked was because they werent
laying enough and so would start laying more.

If you think about it, it's because he kills the weakest one.

You don’t know that. He might well kill the one that produces
the fewest eggs. And even if he does, that doesn’t explain why
he proclaimed that you should kill it with the others watching.

Thus the feed/egg ratio improves.

Only if the one killed produces the fewest eggs.