THE CALL OF THE HEN. val 
use the figures 1, 3, 5, and we 1s for the three-, four-, five- and six-finger- 
abdomen hens. You perceive that the older the ‘hen the greater the 
number of eggs she must have laid in her first year. Here in California 
we keep large numbers of hens, and in this way we can sort out and 
market here each year in a short time, as we do not have to stop and 
figure out the percentage of loss for each year of age, as these figures 
come near enough to suit our purpose. If they do not suit the local 
market, the reader can use any figures that will. 
dt shall give a few examples only to show how we would proceed to 
cullout the hens. The reader must be familiar with the general principles 
of capacity, condition, and type. He should by this time have familiar- 
ized himself with the charts. Now, if he prepares the figures as I have 
directed, he will experience no difficulty in determining in a moment 
just where and what to do with each individual hen. We establish a 
certain standard of production for the first laying season, in order to 
know how long to keep her. You may take 80 eggs for one season, 120 
eggs for two seasons, and 150 eggs for three seasons, or any other set 
that suits your local conditions. Here we take about 120, 150, and 180 
eggs as the standard; that is, a hen must be able to lay about this number 
in her first laying year in order to stay with us for two, three, or four 
seasons.. With this explanation, we shall proceed to cull, putting into 
the shipping-coop all hens that fall below our standard, and dropping 
in the yard where we stand any that we desire to keep. 
Now, take a hen out of the catching-coop as in Fig. 3, and hold her 
as near as possible as in Fig. 5. Place hand on abdomen. She may 
be one-finger abdomen, ih good condition; her pelvic bone may be #/16 
of an inch thick; her capacity is three dozen eggs her first laying-year. 
She has laid all these eggs and will lay no more until the next spring 
when the crows lay, and eggs are cheap; so we decide to put this hen in 
the shipping-crate, to be sent to market. 
We take another hen from the catching-coop, and go through the 
same process. She may bea two-finger abdomen hen, in good condition; 
her pelvic bones 1/15 of an inch thick; this indicates a hen that may lay 
eight dozen of eggs her first laying year. As a rule, when hens are so 
fed and cared for, they will lay their maximum number of eggs their 
first laying year; they will, as a rule, lay about 15 per cent less each year 
after, provided, they are ‘given the same care and feed. In this case 
the hen in hand might lay about 85 eggs; if you think that will pay you, 
let the hen drop out of your hands into the yard where you are standing; 
if you think it will not pay to keep her, put her in the shipping-crate 
for the market. 
The next hen may be two fingers abdomen, one finger out of condi- 
tion, as in Fig. 20, with pelvic bones 14 of an inch thick. If this hen’s 
comb and wattles are:red, and the hen is strong and active, being one 
finger out of condition indicates that she is not being properly cared for, 
either in food or environment, or both; in the condition she is in at 
present, if continued the whole year, she might lay about 69 eggs, while 
if kept in normal condition, she might lay 138 eggs. (See Chart 3.) 
So we will call her a good hen, and drop her. 
The next hen may be three fingers abdomen, */1.-inch pelvic bone, 
and in normal condition. If this hen were in Petaluma, we would drop 
her, as she would be a paying hen. By referring to the chart, you will 
see that she is a 124-egg type hen. You must bear in mind constantly 
