POULTRY EXPERIMENTS. 69 



10 eggs, by the length and shape of the toe nails. Another was 

 sure that large combs are infallible indications of great egg lay- 

 ing capacities. 



There are 80 birds in one yard at the Station each one of 

 which has laid from 200 to 251 eggs in a year. So far as can 

 be discovered, they differ from each other sufificiently to upset 

 any theory of selection thus far put forward. One feature is 

 common to all these hens. They all have strong constitutions. 



EARLY MATURITY INDICATIVE OF GOOD LAYING. 



A year ago last August and September, 29 pullets were 

 selected on the range that were laying in the brooder houses, or 

 about commencing doing so, as shown by their red combs, and 

 their prating and following the caretaker about the field, talking 

 about the things they were going to do, in true hen language, 

 which is easily understood and not to be mistaken, by any one 

 who knows chickens. These young birds were carried into the 

 laying house, banded, and given the regular treatment for laying 

 hens. Records were kept with each individual for 365 days 

 forward from the day on which each one gave her first egg. 



Four birds died during the year, and the 25 remaining aver- 

 aged laying 180 eggs each. Two of the 4 that died had done 

 good work ; one having laid 148 eggs up to July 30, and the 

 ) other. 150 up to April 7. Eight of the 29 birds laid over 200 

 eggs each. The only poor layers in the lot were two of those 

 that died; one laying 58 to March and the other 113 to June. 



The average production of all the pullets kept in the regular 

 work last year was 144 eggs per bird. The average of 180 

 made by this lot, and the small number of poor yielders in it, 

 show the advantages of selecting the early layers for breeding 

 purposes. Those selected were of the most forward pullets. 



To the farmers and small poultrymen who do not use trap 

 nests, this plan of selecting the breeding females has much to 

 commend it. The method is simple. There is no secret about 

 it. It is just common sense. Such pullets, bred to males, pur- 

 chased from some reliable breeder, who practices trap nest 

 selection of his breeding stock, ought to improve the egg yield- 

 ing capacities of the flocks. 



The table shows the individual records of these pullets, during 

 the 365 days following the recording of their first eggs ; and it 

 also shows their yields up to the end of October, — the regular 

 time of closino- the vear's records. 



