2,6 The Essentials of Poultry Raising 



72. External Sex Characteristics. The comb and wattles are 

 sex organs. 



72i. Changes in External Sex Organs in Laying and in Non- 

 Laying Hens. As a hen comes into laying, her comb grows 

 congested, red, oily, very flexible, pliable, and soft. The wattles 

 undergo similar changes. As the hen goes out of laying con- 

 dition, the comb again shrinks, becomes dry, hard, covered with 

 white scales, and stiff. On the day of laying, the comb will 

 be hot to the touch. 



74. The Abdomen of a Non-Laying Hen. In non-laying hens, 

 the fat accumulates in the abdominal wall and the wall becomes 

 hard to the touch. 



75. The Abdomen in Laying Hens. As a hen comes into 

 laying, the abdomen becomes soft and the skin velvety in tex- 

 ture. 



76. Laying as a Pullet an Indication of Laying Qualities. The 

 good laying hen begins to lay early as a pullet. Very heavy 

 producers in the Leghorn breed will begin to lay at about five 

 months of age. The poor layers begin: very late, many of them 

 not commencing until spring. 



77. Molting as an Indication of Egg Production. Heavy layers 

 do not go into full molt till late in the fall. Low producers will 

 quit laying early, many of them as early as July and August — 

 in fact, the latter part of June — and go into full molt. 



78. Heavy Laying Hens Undergo Vacational Molt. A vaca- 

 tional molter casts a few feathers, during which time of molt- 

 ing she does not lay. She then begins laying, and growing 

 feathers. After a few days she again stops laying for a few 

 days, during which time she casts more feathers. She keeps up 

 this process for a space of twenty-four weeks, undergoing a 

 complete molt, and at the same time continues laying, though 

 not so frequently as before she began her vacation. 



79. Wing Molting. The wing molting is very characteristic 

 in the vacational molters, There are ten primary feathers. Be- 



