50 MY POULTRY DAY BY DAY 
birds, and to repeat the process every autumn, say about the end 
of September. The clever amateur will not need to be told which 
six to dispose of. If he has any power of observation he ought 
to be able to single out the fowls that lay frequently, and those 
that do not. With a small flock it does not require trap-nesting 
to know the most prolific birds, but if the owner has the leisure 
to trap-nest his fowls he will find it an interesting study. Trap- 
nests can be bought from any appliance maker. The principle 
is as follows :— 
You first put rings round the legs of your fowls. These rings 
are numbered consecutively. Four nests are quite enough for a 
dozen birds. When the fowl enters the nest to lay, the door 
quietly closes behind her and she cannot get out till released. 
This is where the work comes in. Those in charge of the fowls 
must visit the house every hour or so and liberate the captive 
birds, in order to make room for the others. When you release 
the fowl you observe the number on its leg, and on a paper or chart 
pinned securely to the wall of the house you record the egg laid. 
But, as I have said, a man with a few fowls need not, unless 
he pleases, bother about trap-nesting his birds. He will use his 
powers of observation to select the best birds and keep them for a 
second season. The others, who may also be good layers, he will 
dispose of if possible, to someone who wants to make up a breeding- 
pen. Second-year birds with a cockerel, if advertised, often 
fetch excellent prices, especially if one can guarantee that the 
fowls come from a good strain. It just requires a little thought- 
fulness to make the most of your own fowls. 
