46 THE CALL OF THE HEN. 



she is. These two tests can best be made on yearly hens. 

 This is where many poultrymen fail in making their tests 

 and it is why many of them condemn this system. It is 

 absolutely accurate in 99% of the cases if properly and 

 sensibly applied. Publishers. 



CHAPTER V. 



CONDITION. 

 We next come to "Condition." 



FIG. 18 Showing hen in very poor condition. The feathers 

 being plucked away shows the actual condition, of the flesh. We 

 call a hen in this condition "three fingers out of condition," which 

 indicates that her abdomen has shrunken up three fingers. If she 

 now has a capacity of one finger, when in good condition she would 

 be four fingers abdomen; if she has a capacity of two fingers now, 

 she would have five fingers capacity when in good condition. 



Fig. 18 shows a hen in very poor condition. 



Fig. 19 shows a hen in perfect condition, as indicated by 

 her full breast. 



Fig. 20 is somewhat thinner, as indicated by breast-bone. 

 We call her one finger out of condition. 



The degrees of condition show the amount of shrinkage 

 in abdominal depth. One finger out of condition shows she 



