152 



POrLTRY PRODl'CriON 



does not keep tlie pliniiap;e so slecl^ and i;liiss>'. It Ijeconics 

 worn and frayed. 



There is a close eorrelati(jn between tlie rclati\c size of tlie 

 comb and wattles and o\'arian acti\ity. If tliey are com- 

 paratively large, full, smooth, bard and waxy, tlie ben is 

 probably laying ]lea^'ily; if the comb is limp but warm, the 

 Itirds may be laying slowly; but if it is dried, shrunken and 

 cold, she is not laying at all. When the comb warms up it 

 is an indication that the bird is coming back into ])roiluction. 



Fig. 



Shuwiiiy the way to fiml tlie dist;ance from the pe-Uic iHinc-i to thi 

 Courtesy of T. S. TowiKsley, Urii\ersily (if .Mi-s.juii.) 



Moiling. —When a hen molts in tlie summer she almost 

 always stops laying. The great producer is usually a kite 

 molter. The length of thne a hen has been molting and 

 hence not laying is indicated by the ])n)grcss of the molt. 

 It takes about six weeks to contp]etel>- renew the primaries 

 next to the axial feathers and an additional two weeks tti 

 renew each of the remaining primaries. 



