112 THE CALL OF THE HEN. 



over production her first year. 'A little learning is a dangerous 

 thing', is an old saying applicable to this case. When a man 

 says, "Dont Kill That Laying Hen," he should furnish you 

 with an x-ray outfit that will enable you to comply with his 

 request. 



The writer has used the pelvic bone proposition for over 

 forty years in selecting the laying hen and has found the fol- 

 lowing to be a very good method in selecting the hen that is 

 not laying: The hen that scores 130 eggs her first laying year 

 would measure about 7-8 of an inch between her pelvic bones 

 after she stops laying for the season. The hen that scores 150 

 eggs her first laying year would measure about one inch be 

 tween her pelvic bones after she stops laying for the season. 

 The hen that scores 200 eggs would measure about one and 

 one-fourth inches between the pelvic bones after she stops 

 laying for the season. The hen that scores 250 eggs would 

 measure about one and one-half inches between the pelvi,: 

 bones after she stops laying for the season. The 250 egg hen 

 does stop more or less after her second and sometimes after 

 her first season, if not cared for right: but if feed and environ- 

 ment are right, she may continue to lay more or less until 

 three years old, when her frame may become set. When she is 

 done laying her pelvic bones may remain two inches apart. As 

 liens grow older their pelvic bones become thicker during the 

 winter months when they are not laying. The thickness varies 

 according to their type, the typical egg type changing 

 little or none, while the more pronounced the meat type be- 

 comes, the more the pelvic bone changes, owing to the increase 

 or decrease of flesh on the abdomen (flank) of the fowl, as it 

 takes on or loses flesh as indicated by her breast bone. 



On pages 17 and 82, we have called the attention of the 

 reader to the subject of CONSTITUTIONAL VIGOR AND 

 VITALITY. 



As we have now reached the end of "The Call of the Hen," 

 I wish to impress upon the reader's mind the importance of the 

 five propositions that govern the Selection, Breeding, and 

 Profitable eeping of Poultry are as follows: Capacity, Con- 

 dition, Type, Prepotency, and Vitality or Constitutional Vigor. 



No doubt you have a good working knowledge of the 

 first four subjects, and you wonder why I have not written a 



