THE CALL OF THE HEN. 13 



The general body conformation of a heavy producer conforms 

 very closely to a rectangle with pronounced angles rather than smooth 

 curves. 



A male shows the same general characteristics except that the 

 abdomen is not so deep. 



The keel bone should be long and the body relatively deep in pro- 

 portion to weight or length. 



Cull These Hens. Sick, weak, lacking vigor, inactive, poor eaters, 

 molted or started to molt, with small, puckered, hard, dry vents; with 

 small, shriveled, hard, dull-colored combs; with thick or coarse stiff 

 pelvic bones, pelvic bones close together, small spread between pelvic 

 bones and rear end of keel, and full, hard, small abdomen. In breeds 

 with yellow skin and shanks the discarded hen should also show yellow 

 or medium yellow shanks and yellow beaks and vents. 



Save These Hens. Healthy, strong, vigorous, alert and active; 

 good eaters; not molting or just beginning to molt in September or 

 October; with large, moist vents; with large, bright-red combs; thin, 

 pliable pelvic bones well spread apart, wide spread between pelvic 

 bones and rear end of keel, and large, soft, pliable abdomen. In breeds 

 with yellow skins and shanks, the hens saved should also show pale 

 or white shanks, and pale or white beaks and vents. 



GET RID OF THE DRONES. 



Before carrying your birds through another season, take one more 

 look at them, and keep the following rules in mind when making your 

 selection : 



1. Market those which have been slow to feather or seem to lack 

 vitality. 



2. Keep the pullets which mature quickly and start laying first. 

 Those which start laying when less than 200 days old will be the best 

 layers if they have the right care. 



3. Keep the late molters. 



4. Keep the birds with rather large, plump combs and wattles. 



5. Hens with pale vents, pale beaks and pale legs have been good 

 layers. 



6. The skin of the best layers should be rather loose and flabby 

 on the abdomen between the vent and breastbone. 



7. The pelvic bones must be thin, straight, flexible and wide 

 apart. 



8. Market the hens which are baggy behind and which have a 

 heavy, fat, thick abdomen which hangs down below the point of the 

 breastbone. 



9. Keep the hustlers and heavy eaters that go to bed late and 

 with full crops. 



10. Birds that have long toenails and show no signs of being 

 workers are usually unprofitable. 



11. If a bird meets the above requirements, it should have a 

 broad back, long body, be stoutly built and in good flesh. 



12. If a bird is not molting and still has a small dried-up comb 

 covered with a sort of whitish substance, or if a bird has thick or crooked 

 pelvic bones, which will be found on each side of the vent and above 

 the point of the breastbone, these are always money losers. 



