THE CALL OF THE HEN. 129 



words, each finger out of "condition" means how many more fingers 

 "capacity" or depth of abdomen if the same hen was in normal "con- 

 dition?"' 



7. What is meant by "egg- type?" by "dual-purpose type?" by 

 "beef- type?" How do you determine each of the three types? 



8. Do we find all three "types" in all varieties of poultry or are 

 each of these "types" confined to certain varieties or breeds of poultry? 



9. A hen in good condition, with a two-finger abdomen or "ca- 

 pacity" and J^-inch pelvic bone, should lay about how many eggs during 

 her first year? 



10. A hen in good condition, with a five-finger abdomen or "ca- 

 pacity" and a 1-16-inch pelvic bone, should lay about how many eggs 

 the first year? 



LESSON 11. 



SELECTION AND BREEDING FOR EGG- PRODUCTION. 



1. Should we breed from poultry with straight or crooked pelvic 

 bones? Why? 



2. What does it indicate, in judging males or females for "pre- 

 potency," as described in this method, if the thumb is 1-8 of an inch 

 ahead of the forefinger? If the thumb is J^ of an inch behind the fore- 

 finger? 



3. Which of the two would make the best breeder in transmitting 

 its good qualities to its offspring? 



4. Some poultrymen mate females with a record of 150 eggs 

 each to males of the 150-egg type of males bred from hens with equally 

 good records, and the offspring from such matings often lay only 100 

 or 125 eggs on the average. In your opinion, what causes this decrease 

 in the number of eggs? 



5. Other things being equal, would you prefer to breed from a male 

 bred from a high-laying hen, or from one bred from a medium layer? 

 Why? 



6. What is meant by "stamina" and "vigor" in poultry? 



7. Which has the most to do with determining the number of eggs 

 a hen will lay the breeding, the feeding or the housing? Why? 



8. What difference would there be in the probable number 

 of eggs laid by a hen with lots of "capacity," a six finger abdomen, with 

 a thick pelvic bone, 1 inch in thickness, and a hen with but little "ca- 

 pacity," a two-finger abdomen, with a rather thin pelvic bone, 5-16 

 of an inch in thickness, both hens being in good condition. 



9. What, if anything, has the width or the distance between 

 the pelvic bones themselves got to do with egg production? 



10. Do we feed hens for the purpose of feeding eggs into their 

 bodies, or do we feed them to develop the eggs which selection and breed- 

 ing or nature has placed within the hen? 



