Chapter XI 

 SOME OPEN SECRETS 



SUCCESSFUL poultry keeping is not a ques- 

 tion of secret methods. If it were, the few 

 who had been initiated into the mysteries of 

 the craft would reap the harvest of eggs, and the 

 rest of us would fare but poorly. There are certain 

 "short cuts," to be sure, which have been widely 

 advertised and some of which have merit. Very 

 few of them, however, are not known in a general 

 way to experienced poultry keepers all over the 

 country. 



Take a much-exploited method of picking out the 

 laying hens, which is dependable to a limited extent. 

 The pelvic bones, which must spread to admit the 

 passage of an egg that is being laid, are examined 

 to determine their relative location. If three fingers 

 can be placed between these bones, the hen is sup- 

 posed to be laying prolifically. If room is found for 

 two fingers, she is laying fairly well. If however, 



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