MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION 241 



and an increased quantity of animal food should be fed 

 at this time. 



September is the beginning of the fall, and at this 

 time hens lay but little. Early-hatched pullets should 

 begin to lay; these should have special care and feeding. 

 All poultry should be fed at this time with reference 

 to the winter egg production. 



MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION 



How to Ascertain the Age of Fowls. It is difficult for 

 an amateur to decide the age of fowls. Experienced 

 poultrymen are at times unable to decide from outward 

 appearance. But few rules are safe to follow; some of 

 them, however, may be depended on. 



The surface of the skin under the wing of a pullet 

 will be interspersed or marked with rose-colored veins; 

 these are totally absent in hens that are more than 

 12 mo. old. The skin of pullets will be fairly well 

 covered with long, silky hair; this disappears directly 

 after the first molt. 



In an adult hen the skin will be white and free from 

 either veins or hairs. If these are absent it can be seen 

 at a glance that the fowl, if a hen, must be more than 

 1 yr. old. 



The points of the pelvic bones grow much closer 

 together in a pullet than in a hen, yet this cannot 

 always be depended on, as the cause of the spreading 

 of the pelvic bone is prolific egg production. Hens that 

 never lay may have the points of the pelvic bones close 

 together, even though very old. Usually, however, this 

 test can be depended on. 



The scales and skin on the shanks and feet of young 

 fowls are usually smooth and tender, and the toenails 

 are longer and more pointed than the toenails of older 

 fowls. The scales and skin on the shanks and feet of 

 older fowls become rough and turn a whitish gray with 

 age. Scaly legs and roughness of any kind on the 



