378 COMMERCIAL POULTRY RAISING 



and cows. One does not mate Percheron stock for speed in 

 horses, nor Hereford cattle for a dairy farm. The same idea holds 

 true of poultry. The general shape of the laying type of chicken 

 is agreed upon as a V or wedge when viewed from the top, side 

 and rear, the supposition being that in this conformation the 

 egg-producing organs have the greatest opportunity for develop- 

 ment. This shape is sometimes called by the term Capacity, 

 which really amounts to abdominal power. 



Capacity means the ability of the crop and digestive tract to 

 receive, consume and assimilate large quantities of food. Con- 

 tinuous egg production is an intensive, exhausting process. It 

 necessitates the consumption of vast quantities of food, other- 

 wise it would be physically impossible for the hen to turn out an 

 egg a day. This is only common sense reasoning. Beware of 

 the small eater, or the hen that goes to roost on a crop half full 

 of food. She is either a defective, a drone or an invalid. 



The depth of the abdomen, as well as the length, indicates 

 Capacity. Hence the good layer is described as having a long 

 body, deep in the keel, which is another term for the breast bone. 

 To ascertain or measure the abdominal capacity of a hen, the 

 fowl is grasped by the legs in the left hand, and its head and wings 

 are held under the arm in a horizontal position in what is ad- 

 mitted to be the correct method of holding or carrying a chicken. 

 Then the fingers of the right hand are placed on the abdomen 

 between the two pelvic bones on either side of the vent and the 

 rear of the breast bone. This distance will be found to vary 

 quite considerably with different hens. In some the width of 

 one finger will be found to be sufficient to occupy the space be- 

 tween the pelvic bones and the breast bone, in others two fingers 

 will be required, in others three, four, five and six fingers, and in 

 rare cases seven fingers. 



The pelvic bones are sometimes called the lay hones or vent 

 hones. They, too, are measured for the distance or spread be- 

 tween them; but do not mistake the abdominal measurement for 

 the distance between the pelvic bones. This latter test is for 

 another purpose. The tips of the fingers are used for this test, 



