542 JUDGING AND CULLING FOWLS 



ducing and have not produced for some time is surely a direct loss. 



The practice of culling poultry according to external characters 

 has two very valuable aims. First, it enables the immediate weed- 

 ing out and selling of all non-productive birds as fast as they cease 

 to lay, which in itself accomplishes a great saving. In the second 

 place, the birds which remain in the flock in the fall after repeated 

 cullings are bound to be the very best producers. They are the 

 hens which have continued to lay during the summer and fall with 

 extreme persistency. Such hens are always the ones which the 

 poultryman will need to hold over for a second year's laying and for 

 breeding stock. By practising culling in this way not only are the 

 inferior birds gradually disposed of but the best birds are auto- 

 matically saved to be used another year for breeders. 



Culling Campaigns. Appreciating the importance and prac- 

 tical value of such culling work, many states have inaugurated 

 culling campaigns, which consist of demonstrations held through- 

 out the various rural sections, in cooperation with county agents 

 and farm bureau organizations. (Fig. 228.) These demonstra- 

 tions are widely attended and those present are urged to sign a 

 pledge to go home and cull their own flocks after the manner shown 

 them at the demonstration. In this way the teaching can be widely 

 distributed. All of those attending a demonstration are asked to 

 show the method to the people in their own community. The re- 

 sult of such a culling campaign held in New Jerse} T during the sum- 

 mer and fall of 1917 is given below. It serves to show what a 

 wonderful saving can be made and how easily the method can be 

 taught and disseminated. 



Some Results of a State Culling Campaign. During this State 

 culling campaign twenty counties were covered and eighty-one 

 demonstrations were held. The following tabulated results of this 

 series of culling lessons show how profitable a practise is really 

 represented. These demonstrations were held in August and Sep- 

 tember, 1917. 



Total number of demonstrations 81 



Number of persons present 1762 



Number of birds handled 22542 



Number of birds culled 10668 



Number of culls to be kept for a short while as they were laying 



some at the time of demonstration 3256 



Number of demonstrations per week 13.5 



Average number of persons per demonstration 21.1 



Average number of birds actually handled at each demonstration 128 



Per cent of profitable birds held 52 per cent 



Per cent of birds culled . ; ; 48 per cent 



