66 THE CALL OF THE HEN. 



Our next hen may be a six-finger-abdomen hen, in good condition; 

 pelvic bones 1 inch. We look on Chart 6, and find that 1-inch pelvic 

 bones indicate the 55-egg type hen. 



Our next hen may be a four-finger-abdomen hen; she may be two 

 fingers out of condition, as in Fig. 21, and her pelvic bones may be 

 Vie of an inch thick. We would read her as four fingers abdomen; 

 two fingers out of condition; this would make her a six-finger-abdomen 

 hen if in condition. We look on Chart 6 at Yw-mch pe lvic bone, and 

 find our last hen is a 280-egg type hen, if in condition, and it is up to 

 us to put her in condition and keep her there as nearly as possible. 



I will admit it is a hard proposition to keep the non-setting typical- 

 egg type hen in condition, but the man that comes the nearest doing 

 so is the best feeder. I will have more to say in regard to the matter 

 of condition in the chapter on Judging Utility Fowls at the Poultry 

 Shows. This work is a matter of line upon line, and I must necessarily 

 repeat the same matter in some respects time after time. But as this 

 is an educational more than an entertaining proposition, I hope that 

 my readers will bear with me. 



As I said before, there are three types of hens. The hen listed 

 on Chart 1 as Yie-mch pelvic bone is a typical egg-type hen, because 

 all she consumes over bodily maintenance goes to the production of eggs. 

 The hen listed as 3 / 8 -inch pelvic bone is a dual-purpose hen ; half of her 

 vitality is used in producing eggs and half in producing meat. The 

 hen listed as 5 / 8 -inch is a typical meat- type hen; all she consumes goes 

 to the production of meat, except what she uses in bodily maintenance. 

 The hen listed as Yie-inch pelvic bone on Chart 2 is a typical egg-type 

 hen; the hen listed as 3 / 8 -inch pelvic bone on same chart is a dual-pur- 

 pose hen; and the one listed as 3 / 8 -inch pelvic bone is a typical meat- 

 type-hen; the same rule follows in all the charts. All the hens listed 

 as Yie-inch pelvic bone are typical egg-type hens and they can't be 

 made to pay as a meat proposition. The hens listed in the center of 

 each chart are the dual-purpose hens ; they can be used as an egg and as 

 a meat proposition. The hens listed on the bottom of each chart are 

 the meat- type hens. Nature has fitted them for the production of flesh, 

 and there is no human energy that can change them to a paying egg 

 proposition. 



Between the above three distinct types there are combinations 

 of each adjoining type. This allows sufficient latitude for the preference 

 of each individual breeder. A person can breed the typical egg-type 

 hen and cock bird with pelvic bones Yie of an inch thick. If he thinks 

 this type is too delicate, he can breed from the 3 /i 6 -inch pelvic bone 

 stock; this is my favorite type; the hen of this type is better able to 

 withstand the vicissitudes of the poultry yard than her finer-bred 

 sisters. I will have more to say along this line in the chapter on Broilers. 

 I think we have given sufficient examples in Chapters III, IV, V, VI 

 and VII, to enable the reader to examine a hen so he may be able to 

 arrive at her approximate value for the purpose he wishes to use her for. 



In a previous chapter we have said there is occasionally found a hen 

 seven fingers abdomen. If the reader finds one, he can score her by 

 Chart 6 and add 15 eggs to the number indicated. For instance, if the 

 hen is in good condition and measures seven fingers abdomen and her 

 pelvic bones are 8 / 8 inch thick, Chart 6 would indicate she is a 205-egg 

 type bird; we then add 15 eggs to the 205, which gives the hen 220-egg 



