548 JUDGING AND CULLING FOWLS 



In studying the table it will be noted that there is a very great 

 positive correlation between the shortness of the rest period and 

 the number of eggs laid. Out of a total population of 532 birds, 

 347 laid over 150 eggs and rested only from 1 to 70 days; w^hile out 

 of 120 birds W'hich rested longer than 70 days only 30 laid over 150 

 eggs. Out of 422 birds which rested from 1 to 70 days, or a short 

 rest, there were only 75 w^hich did not lay over 150 eggs. The curve 

 drawm over the correlation table shows that as the days of rest 

 decrease the number of eggs increases. It will be noted that every 

 bird which rested more than 130 days, with the exception of only 

 one individual, did not layover 150 eggs. So it may be said that the 

 number of eggs laid by a hen in a year is in definite direct propor- 

 tion to the length of her rest period during the summer. It is also 

 an assured fact that the earlier a hen starts to rest in summer the 

 longer wdll be her rest period. Hence, by culling the hens which 

 rest early in the summer, say from June to the middle of August, 

 we are automatically eliminating the poor hens or those which 

 rest a long time and which lay less than 150 eggs. Again, by keep- 

 ing those hens which lay late and which do not rest until about the 

 jEirst of September Ave keep those hens which lay a relatively large 

 number of eggs. 



At the bottom of the correlation table will be seen figures which 

 show the number of hens coming back into laying following a 

 summer rest period taken before November 1. It will be seen that 

 out of 56 hens resting from 1 to 10 days, only 1 came into laying 

 again. But what is of even greater significance and importance is 

 the fact as shown by these figures that out of the 532 birds which 

 took a rest period from June 1 to November 1 only 45 came back 

 into laying again by November 1, and these 45 succeeded in laying 

 only 135 eggs, or an average of 3 eggs per bird. 



It seems to be an assured fact that the culling of hens that stop 

 laying and take a rest period in the early summer is a safe practice, 

 for by so doing the low producing hens are naturally sold and the 

 expenses of caring for these slacker birds are eliminated. Further- 

 more, it is perfectly possible to detect hens which have stopped 

 laying and which have gone into their rest period by studying 

 certain external characters. The culling of hens by external char- 

 acters is bound to take a more and more important place in poultry 

 management. It is one of the surest and quickest means of re- 

 ducing the cost of production. 



