

AGRIC. 

 UBBABY 



UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 

 COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE 



AND 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 CO-OPERATING 



[DIVISION OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 



FARM ADVISORS 



AGRICULTURE CLUBS 



HOME DEMONSTRATION AGENTS 



OFFICE OF THE STATE LEADER 

 COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE 

 BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 



21 



_r 



POULTRY CULLING 



Prepared by R. B. EASSON 



Trapnesting and scientific breeding are more reliable and much more far reaching in results than judging 

 the productive ability of fowls by means of body characteristics such as conformation, pigment color tests, etc. 

 These latter tests, however, which are visible or can be determined by handling, are fairly accurate during 

 certain seasons of the year, and therefore aid the commercial poultryman and farm flock owner in culling the 

 low producers and indicating the better producers that are to be kept as layers or breeders for the following 

 season. 



The culling out of the unprofitable layers will increase the average productiveness of the flock and lower 

 the feed bill. The use of the best layers as breeding stock will aid in building up the laying qualities of the 

 offspring, especially if males out of high producing females are mated to these better layers. 



WHEN TO CULL 



The general management, and the use of electric lights especially, will influence the time of culling. As 

 a general rule, flocks should be gradually culled beginning with the decrease of egg production (May and 

 June) and heavily culled during July and August. For the selection of breeders to be used the following season 

 an additional separation can be made even later. 



CULLING POINTERS 



Practical culling will give best results by using a combination of tests to eliminate the poor producers 

 rather than using one test alone. 



Molting. The molting of a fowl before September 1st is fv (5ne indication of a poor layer. These poor pro- 

 ducers in the flock molt early and slowly and do not produce as many eggs as generally supposed during the 

 fall and winter months. The majority of their eggs are produced during the spring months. The better pro- 

 ducers lay late and hence molt late (see PI. II) and fast. Cull the early molters in July and August. 



Pigment Color Changes. With the yellow shanked varieties the amount of coloring material in shanks, 

 beaks, earlobes, and skin (especially at the vent) is a fairly accurate guide to the laying ability of different 

 fowls of the same flock. The amount of yellow coloring material contained in the ration fed may effect the 



The catching coop permits the convenient handling of the flock at 

 all times. It is especially useful during the culling season. 



