NINETEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART IX 497 



tending to the front part of the upper beak. The lower part bleaches 



faster than the upper. On the average yellow skinned bird a bleached 



beak means heavy productions for at least the past four to six weeks. 



I 

 The shanks are slowest to bleach out and hence indicate a much longer 



period of production than the other parts. The yellow disappears from the 



scales on the front of the shanks first and finally from the scales on the 



rear. A bleached shank usually indicates fairly heavy production for at 



least 15 to 20 weeks. 



When the fowl stops laying, the yellow color will reappear in those parts 

 of the body from which it has faded, namely the beak, eyelids, earlobes, vent, 

 shanks and skin of body. As a general rule, this coloring reappears in 

 the same manner as it faded, that is in the case of the beak, the yellow 

 coloring will appear first at base of beak continuing to the tip in the 

 shanks, the fore part of shanks will color before the back part of shank. 

 The reappearance of coloring pigment is much quicker than it went out. 



CHANGES IN BODY DUE TO LAYING. 



A laying hen has a large, moist vent, showing a dilated condition and 

 looseness, in contrast to the hard puckered vent of a non-laying hen. How- 

 ever, if the vent has slight yellowish coloring and shows good lubrication 

 with a fair degree of dilation, these are indications that the hen has re- 

 sumed laying after a time, such as molting when she has not produced 

 eggs. 



In a laying hen, the width between the pelvic arches or lay bones and 

 the keel is considerable, denoting good capacity. The thicker, the more 

 blunt the pelvic arches, and the greater the amount the hard fat in the 

 abdomen, the less the production or the longer time since production. 



If the comb, wattles and earlobes are large, full, smooth or hard and 

 wavy, the bird is laying heavily. If the comb is crisp the bird is laying 

 slightly. When the comb is dried down and covered with a white scale, she 

 is not producing. 



MOLTING. 



When a hen stops laying in the summer or fall, she will commence 

 molting, as a general rule. The later a hen molts, the longer the period 

 over which she lays. Many times good layers will lay even after they 

 have commenced to molt. 



The most active birds are generally the best layers. 



If the flock is properly culled, it is necessary to follow certain principles 

 or management, inducive to good production, in order to obtain the full 

 benefits, from the standpoint of egg production. 



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