100 POULTRY 
of the body at the time of maturity a cer- 
tain amount of yellow coloring matter. This 
coloring matter is a thin layer of fat which is 
used up by the hen in the manufacture of 
the egg. The more rapidly eggs are produced 
and the greater the number, the more will 
this coloring matter disappear. It disap- 
pears first at the vent, after a week or ten 
days’ production. Next, after the pullets 
have laid four or five weeks, it disappears 
on the beak, beginning at the end and gradu- 
ally extending toward the point of the beak. 
After five or six months of production the 
coloring matter leaves the legs, first on the 
front and then on the back of the legs. ' 
It follows from this that any pullet which 
in June, July, or August still has golden-col- 
ored legs has been a poor producer. We 
know that if she has been a poor producer 
she will continue to be the same. She should 
be culled out and sold. 
Shape of Body. Another factor to be 
considered is the body conformation. This 
can be judged as follows: 
If we put our thumb and finger behind the 
wings and move them toward the hips the 
