THE CALL OF THE HEN. 81 



-teenths pelvic, bones, on account of becoming a little more 

 fleshy, and score 220 egg type and if we can get her in three 

 fingers better rendition, she would then be in normal condi- 

 tion, and her pelvic bones might be three-sixteenths or one- 

 fourth of an inch thick, if the latter she would score 235 egg 

 type. (We will have more to say on the changing of thickness 

 of the pelvic bone, in la^t of chap'.er 18.) 



We will continue r.'.-.'tcting or separating the good from 

 the poor layers, in the same manner, keeping every hen for 

 another year in the tVee finger abdomen class that is five- 

 sixteenths of an inch pelvic bone and thinner, sending every 

 hen to market that is over five-sixteenths of an inch pelvic 

 bone in the t. 1 ree hngrr abdomen class, keeping every hen in 

 the four finger abdomen class that is seven-sixteenths of an 

 inch pelvic bone and thinner, and sending every hen to market 

 that is over seven- six teenths pelvic bone in the four finger ab- 

 domen class, keeping e\ery hen in the five finger abdomen 

 class that is nine-sixteenths of an inch pelvic bone and thinner, 

 and sending every hen to market that is over nine-sixteenths 

 of an inch pelvic bone thick, keeping every hen in the six finger 

 abdomen class that is eleven-sixteenths of an inch pelvic bone 

 and thinner, and sending every hen to market that is over 

 eleven- sixteenths of an inch pelvic bone thick. 



1 want to say acre that there is nothing arbitary in regard 

 to the chart- 44 and 45. Each poultryman can draw the lines 

 where he ihinks it will best suit his purpose. A great many 

 years of experimenting has led the writer to believe these 

 charts answer the purpose very well. 



We have disposed of all the one year and four-months old 

 hens, and will move our outfit to the two year and four-months 

 old hens, and arrange catching coop and charts as in the first 

 case. 



The first hen we take from the coop may be a one finger- 

 ed hen in good condition. All one and two fingered hens in 

 good condition over one year and four-months old, as a rule 

 should be disposed of. There is no profit in them after they 

 have laid their allotted number of egg their first season, or in 

 other words, after they commence to moult in their first lay- 

 ing year. So after this we will not consider them in this con- 

 nection. There is a great difference in the number of eggs a 



