THE CALL OF THE HEN. 143 



While the ability to make this allowance will come to the 

 operator quickly almost intuitively after a very short ex- 

 perience I have thought best to confine all my descriptions 

 and measurements here to one breed of fowls only, the Leg- 

 horns, these being a medium-sized, representative bird, well 

 scattered over the entire country. It will be easy from the 

 measurements to work up or down, as the birds on hand may 

 be larger or smaller. It is all a matter of comparison, and, all 

 things being equal, the bird with the widest and most pliable 

 pelvic bones will be the greatest layer, while the one with very 

 narrow contracted pelvic formation will lay little, if at all. 

 Behind the pelvic bones lies the egg machinery, and it will be 

 found more abundant and roomy the wider the bones. 



SELECTING PULLETS. 

 (Leghorns.) 



Perhaps the best time to select layers for a flock is when 

 the pullets are from four to six months old. If all are in a 

 uniformly thrifty condition at this time, it is next to impossible 

 to make a mistake. The best pullets at that age should show 

 a width of about 2 inches, while the best matured laying hens 

 should show a development of about 2Vs inches. (See cut 

 No. 1.) 



Pullets of Plymouth Rocks and their class should be se- 

 lected about a month later and then show slightly larger, about 

 2 1 / inches. The best Asiatic pullet, about 2y 4 inches at 

 seven or eight months old; the Leghorns being earlier matur- 

 ers. At the end of six years of careful selecting and breeding 

 I found my Leghorn pullets quite as wide and well matured 

 at four months as my first ones were at five months. 



Second-class Leghorn pullets from five to seven months 

 old will show a development of about l 5 /s inches. (See 

 cut No. 2.) 



At six months old all Leghorn pullets showing only 1 inch 

 or less pelvic development should be discarded, regardless of 

 feather or comb. They will never make layers. (See cut 

 No. 3.) 



All things being equal, the earlier a pullet begins to lay the 

 better and longer will she lay. 



