92 THE CALL OF THE HEN. 



that she is not being properly cared for, either in food or 

 environment, or both; in the condition she is in at present, 

 if continued the whole year, she might lay about 69 eggs, 

 while if kept in normal condition, she might lay 138 eggs. 

 (See Chart 3.) So we will call her a good hen, and drop her. 



The next hen may be three fingers abdomen, 5 /i 6 -inch 

 pelvic bone, and in normal condition. If this hen were in 

 Petaluma, we would drop her, as she would be a paying hen. 

 By referring to the chart, you will see that she is a 124-egg 

 type hen. You must bear in mind constantly that a thick 

 bone in a hen of small abdominal capacity would mean a 

 practical non-producer, while the same thickness of bone in 

 a hen of much larger capacity would mean simply a more 

 beefy hen. 



The next hen may be three fingers abdomen, in normal 

 condition, as in Fig. 19, and pelvic bone 3 /s of an inch thick. 

 This hen has the same abdominal depth as the preceding, but 

 her pelvic bones being 3 / 8 of an inch thick would make her a 

 110-egg type hen, and with us no hen that lays 120 eggs pays to 

 keep two seasons. We put this hen in the shipping-crate for 

 market, as it will not pay to keep her any longer, if in Peta- 

 luma. She. will not pay for her board after this time and 

 leave enough profit. 



The next hen may be four fingers abdomen, in normal 

 condition, and 7 /i 6 -inch pelvic bone. She, being a 130-egg 

 type hen, it will pay to keep her another year, so we drop 

 her. 



The next hen may be four fingers abdomen, in normal 

 condition, and ^-inch pelvic bones; this hen will lay ap- 

 proximately 115 eggs her first laying year, but not enough 

 her second year; so we put her in the shipping-crate for 

 market. 



The next hen may be a five-finger-abdomen hen and in 

 good condition; 9 /i 6 -inch pelvic bone. She is a 130-egg type 

 hen, so we drop her. While this hen has a pelvic bone 9 /i 6 of 

 an inch thick, she has the abdominal capacity to supply herself 

 with food enough to lay a profitable number of eggs and put 

 on flesh at the same time. 



The next hen is five fingers abdomen, in normal condition, 

 and 5 /g-inch pelvic bones; this is a 115-egg type hen, so we 

 put her in the shipping-crate. The hen we had just before 



