540 DOMESTIC ANIMALS, DAIRYING, ETC. 



at the head, increasing in size as it approaches the shoulders, nicely 

 arched, and carried well back; abundant hackle of good length, 

 sweeping over the shoulders, with long and plentiful saddle 

 feathers; full round breast, carried prominently forward; plump, 

 compact, and symmetrical body; wings large, the points carried 

 low, the secondaries slightly expanded; full expanded tail carried 

 at an angle of 40 from the horizontal, and furnished with long 

 curving sickle^ and coverts ; short thighs, and short, clean, tapering 

 shanks. 



The head of the hen should be small and neatly rounded ; eyes 

 bright and full; comb of the same character as the cock's, but 

 smaller; flat, smooth ear lobes; small wattles; the neck should be 

 short, tapering, and carried well back; the back short; the breast 

 full and prominent; the -body compact; wings large; tail full and 

 expanded; thighs short, and shanks short and tapering. 



The plumage of the Rose-comb Black Bantam is lustrous 

 black, and of the White, pure white. The beak of the Black is 

 black, or dark horn color; of the White, white. The ear lobes of 

 both varieties are pure white. The shanks of the Black are dark, 

 leaden blue, or -black; of the White, white. (Agr. Dep. F. B. 51.) 



(Publications quoted and consulted: F. B. 51; Pa. B. 87; 

 Minn. B. 91 ; Ark. B. 99; Colo. B. 164; Minn. B. 119; Kan. B. 150; 

 N. Dak. B. 78.) 



INCUBATION. 



Selection of Laying Hens. The first thing to notice concern- 

 ing the shape is, as to whether or not the hen is rangy or blocky. A 

 blocky hen indicates a meat producer, while the more rangy one 

 indicates the production of eggs. Since the development of the 

 egg, to a large extent, takes place in the region of the body below 

 the broad part of the back, that part of the body should be broader 

 than the fore part. This gives to the body a V-shaped appearance 

 as viewed from the top, the small part of the V lying toward the 

 front. When a hen is in heavy laying condition, her abdomen is 

 lower than the breast line. This gives the body the appearance of 

 being V-shaped as viewed from the side along the top and bottom, 

 lines, with the small part of the V toward the front. This enlarge- 

 ment of the body in the abdominal region makes the back appear 

 somewhat narrower, giving the body a V-shaped appearance from 

 the back downward on the sides as viewed from the rear. Thus, a 

 body V-shaped in three directions indicates large productive powers. 



A large hen usually lays the larger eggs. This rule may not 

 hold true if she happen to be a heavy producer, for then the ten- 

 dency is to produce smaller eggs. With such fowls as the Leghorns, 

 whose tendency is to lay smaller eggs, the selection should be for 

 large size of body rather than small. A good layer is longer in 

 body, neck and legs than a meat-producing hen. She stands up 

 well and has a well spread tail. Observation has shown that a pinch- 

 tailed Leghorn is not generally as good a layer as is a fan-tailed one. 



The character of the head furnishings is an indication of the 

 hen's laying condition. When a hen is in full laying her comb is 



