60 THE CALL OF THE HEN. 



nearly as we can as in Fig. 5, and try to have her head as in 

 Fig. 6, so she can see nothing. She will then be easier to 

 handle. Place hand across her abdomen, as in Fig. 7. She 

 may be a one-finger-abdomen hen, as in Fig. 12. Then hold 



CHART 1. 

 One-finger Abdomen. 



Vie pelvic bone 36 eggs 



1 / 8 pelvic bone 32 eggs 



Vie pelvic bone 28 eggs 



Y 4 pelvic bone 24 eggs 



Vie pelvic bone 20 eggs 



Vs pelvic bone 16 eggs 



Vie pelvic bone 12 eggs 



l /z pelvic bone '. . . . 8 eggs 



Vie pelvic bone 4 eggs 



5 / 8 pelvic bone eggs 



her as in Fig. 8. Her breast may be as in Fig. 19; if so, she 

 will be in good condition. Next go through movements as 

 in Figs. 9 and 10 and hold her and examine her pelvic bone 

 as in Fig. 11. Her pelvic bone may be one-sixteenth (Vie) 

 of an inch thick, as in Fig. 24. Now look on Chart 1. Your 

 hen is one-finger abdomen, in good condition, and her pelvic 

 bone is one-sixteenth (Vie) of an inch thick. You will see 

 that she is a 36-egg type hen. That means that if this hen 

 is one of a large number on a commercial poultry plant, she 

 is capable of laying three dozen eggs her first laying year, if 

 she is fed and cared for properly, barring accidents and dis- 

 ease. So we will call her a 36-egg type hen. 



We will drop this hen and take another from the crate 

 and go through the same movements. Hold her as in Fig. 5 

 or Fig. 7, with head as in Fig. 6 (she may also be a one-finger- 

 abdomen hen, as in Fig. 12), then examine for condition, as 

 in Fig. 8. Her condition may be good, as in Fig. 19; then 

 hold as in Figs. 9 and 10, and measure thickness of pelvic 

 bone, as in Fig. 11. Her pelvic bone may be three-eighths 

 (V) of an inch thick, as in Fig. 27; in that case she would 

 read like this: One-finger abdomen; good condition; three- 

 eighths ( 3 / 8 ) pelvic bone. Now, look on Chart 1, and you 

 will find she is a 16-egg type hen. 



