‘THE CALL OF THE HEN. 55 
Our next hen may be a six-finger-abdomen hen, in good condition; 
pelvic bones 1 inch. We look on Chart 6, and find that 1-inch pelvic 
bones indicate the 55-egg type hen. 
Our next hen may be a four-finger-abdomen hen; she may be two 
fingers out of condition, as in Fig. 21, and her pelvic bones may’ be 
3/16 of an inch thick. We would read her as four fingers abdomen; 
two fingers out of condition; this would make her a six-finger-abdomen 
hen if in condition. We look on Chart 6 at 1/,,-inch pelvic bone, and 
find our last hen is a 280-egg type hen, if in condition, and it is up to 
us.to put her in condition and keep her there as nearly as possible. 
I will admit it is a hard proposition to keep the non-setting typical- 
egg type hen in condition, but the man that comes the nearest doing 
so is the best feeder. I will have more to say in regard to the matter 
of condition in the chapter on Judging Utility Fowls at the Poultry 
Shows. This work is a matter of line upon line, and I must necessarily 
repeat the same matter in some respects time after time. But as this 
is an educational more than an entertaining proposition, I hope that 
my readers will bear with me. 
As I said before, there are three types of hens. The hen listed 
on Chart 1 as !/is-inch pelvic bone is a typical egg-type hen, because 
all she consumes over bodily maintenance goes to the production of eggs. 
The hen listed as */s-inch pelvic bone is a dual-purpose hen; half of her 
vitality is used in producing eggs and half in producing meat. The 
hen listed as °/s-inch is a typical meat-type hen; all she consumes goes 
to the production of meat, except what she uses in bodily maintenance. 
The hen listed as 1/1s-inch pelvic bone on Chart 2 is a typical egg-type 
hen; the hen listed as */s-inch pelvic bone on same chart is a dual-pur- 
pose hen; and the one listed as oy s-inch pelvic bone is a typical meat- 
type-hen; the same rule follows in all the charts. All the hens listed 
as }/y.-inch pelvic bone are typical egg-type hens and they can’t be 
made to pay as a meat proposition. The hens listed in the center of 
each chart are the dual-purpose hens; they can be used as an egg and as 
a meat proposition. The hens listed on the bottom of each chart are 
the meat-type hens. Nature has fitted them for the production of flesh, 
and there is no human energy that can change them to a paying egg 
proposition. 
Between the above three distinct types there are combinations 
of each adjoining type. This allows sufficient latitude for the preference 
of each individual breeder. A person can breed the typical egg-type 
hen and cock bird with pelvic bones 1/1. of an inch thick. If he thinks 
this type is too delicate, he can breed from the */16-inch pelvic bone. 
stock; this is my favorite type; the hen of this type is better able to 
withstand the vicissitudes of the poultry-yard than her finer-bred 
sisters. I will have more to say along this line in the chapter on Broilers. 
I think we have given sufficient examples in Chapters III, IV, V, VI 
and VII, to enable the reader to examine a hen so he may be able to 
arrive at her approximate value for the purpose he wishes to use her for. 
In a previous chapter we have said there is occasionally found a hen 
seven fingers abdomen. If the reader finds one, he can score her by 
Chart 6 and add 15 eggs to the number indicated. For instance, if the 
hen is in good condition and measures seven fingers abdomen and her 
pelvic bones are */s inch thick, Chart 6 would indicate she is a 205-egg 
type bird; we then add 15 eggs to the 205, which gives the hen 220-egg 
