154 POULTRY I'liODCCTlOS 



Tciiipcnniicut^X ;;()0<1 l;u cr is more ;icti\i-, iktxoiis and 

 alert, yet at the same time more easily handled than the iH)()r 

 layer. She is among the first off the jjerch in tlie morning- 

 and among the last on it at night. When not on the nest she 

 is busy and business-like, scratching or ranging in an eager 

 search for feed. The great layer is a bird of a never satisfied 

 appetite. 



Change in Weight of Eggs. — Badley^ has foimd that the 

 innate producing ability of a hen is also shown by the degree 

 of increase or <lecrease in the mean weight of her eggs, when 

 this increase or decrease, calculated as i)er cent increase or 

 decrease in those ]ieriods of laying characterized by the 

 markedly increased ])roduction of the flock (particularly the 

 sprhig) . On this basis, groups of hens characterized by higher 

 production may be differentiated as accurately as by any 

 other means. The impulse to lay is manifested not only by- 

 numbers of eggs but by an increase in their weight. 



Culling. —There is but one accurate means of determining 

 the egg i)roduction of an individvud hen or pvdiet, the trap- 

 nest. As has been pointed out in other connections, the 

 practice of trap-nesting is not practicable on most general 

 farms. Fortunately, however, through the observation of the 

 presence or absence of the indications of egg producing aliility 

 in individual hens, the better and poorer layers in a given 

 Hock may be separated with a fair degree of accuracy. The 

 l)ractice of making this separation and discarding the poor 

 producers is referred to as culling. 



In practising culling it is nuich easier to judge a hen's 

 ])ast performance than to ))rcdi(t her futiu'e ])roduction. 

 I'lecause it has proved most satisfactory, the usual season for 

 culling is the late sunnner and early fall. 1 )uring the summer 

 the hens that go into a molt and displa)])ignientcd shanks may 

 be sent to nuirket without reducing the Hock ])ro<hu'tion. 

 Such a i)ractice does reduce the feed bill. During the fall 

 the culling shoidd be more cautious but should be continued 

 until the Hock of hens is reduced to the size (k'sired for carry- 

 ing over winter for laying in addition tv the jiullets, and for 



' American Naturalist, \(il. liii, No. 628. 



