BODY CHANGES DUE TO LAYING 539 



Vent. A laying hen has a large, moist vent showing a dilated 

 condition and looseness as compared with the hard, puckered vent 

 of non-laying hens. 



Abdomen. The abdomen is dilated as well as the vent, so that 

 the pelvic arches are wide-spread, and the keel is forced downward 

 away from the pelvic arches, so as to give large capacity. The 

 more eggs the bird is going to lay in the following week, the 

 greater will be the size of the abdomen in proportion to the size of 

 the bird. The actual size of the abdomen is, of course, greatly in- 

 fluenced by the size of the bird and, to a certain extent, by the size 

 of the egg laid. 



Quality of Skin. Heavy production is shown by the quality of 

 the skin. Fat goes outfromthe skin and the body with production, 

 so that the heavy producers have a soft, velvety skin that is not 

 underlaid by heavy layers of hard fat. The abdomen, in particular, 

 is soft and pliable. 



Pelvic Arches. Heavy production is shown by the quality 

 and the thickness and stiffness of the pelvic arches. On heavy 

 producers these are apt to show high qualities by being thin and 

 pliable rather than stiff and thick; so that the thicker and blunter 

 the pelvic arches, and the greater the amount of fat and meat 

 covering them, the less the production or the longer time since 

 production. 



Lateral Sternal Processes. These, like the pelvic arches, 

 should, on a bird of good production or on a bird which is producing 

 heavily, show good quality by being soft and pliable, prominent 

 and generally bent outward. 



Head. One of the finer indications, but yet one of the most 

 valuable in picking the high layers, is the fineness of the head. 

 The head of a good layer is fine. The wattles and ear lobes fit close 

 to the beak, and are loofee and flat. The face is clean cut. The eyes 

 are full, round, clear and prominent, especially as seen from the 

 front. 



Feathering. The high layer is trimmer and always apt to be 

 somewhat more angular, that is, the feathers lie closer to the body 

 than on the poor layers, and after a heavy production the oil from 

 the base of the feathers does not keep the plumage relatively so 

 sleek and glossy as on a poorer layer; but the plumage, on the other 

 hand, becomes worn and threadbare. 



