TRAP NESTS VS. OBSERVATION 4." 



I have kept hens so long under this system that it is difficult for me to 

 wrile of a flock as a single unit as it is customary to do. 



To me they are a group of individuals resembling each other in out- 

 ward appearance more than in any other respect. Each bird has a dis- 

 position, a habit, an appetite, and a productive ability that is different, 

 in greater or less degree, from every other bird. You can no more tell 

 how good a layer a bird is by looking at her, feeling of her, or watch- 

 ing her, than you could tell by looking at the writer how much "copy" 

 he could turn out in a day. 



If the reader would like to know the most reliable way to pick out 

 the layers from the non-layers by observation without living in the 

 poultry house and catching them in the act I will tell him. If the 

 roosts are arranged at the back of the poultry house, where all of the 

 light comes from the front, and they are level and in pairs, the hens that 

 are laying will be found on the front roost. This is because they are 

 the last to go to roost at night. They are the last to go to roost 

 at night because they have the greatest appetite. They have the 

 greatest appetite because they have to feed themselves and also the 

 eggs. If but one roost is used the layers will be on that portion of the 

 roost that is the last to become dark. So far this theory is worthless, 

 for you have not tested it. Now place numbered leg bands on these 

 birds, for you cannot Identify them otherwise, and record the numbers 

 on the wall. Put in your trap nests and see if the birds with the leg 

 bands are not the ones that use the nests. If they are not, then this 

 theory fails. I have tried it several times and it worked. One has to 

 have trap nests, however, to test it. There is one slight difficulty that 

 I will mention. Should the rear roost be too short to hold all of the 

 non-layers, that went to roost first, some of them may be on the front 

 roost. Should the roost be single it will also be impossible to tell 

 where to begin the selection. 



Does the reader wish to know how to select his best layers by observa- 

 tion? I will tell him. Select the birds with the reddest combs and band 

 them and record the numbers. Now call on the trap nests for proof. 

 Remove the bands from such of the red combed birds as the trap nest 

 shows are not laying and place them on the paler combed birds that 

 are laying. Now the trap nests can be continued in use and the record 

 kept with their aid, or you can open them and spend all of your time 

 watching the birds. They will soon become accustomed to your pres- 

 ence in the pen and will go right about their business. When you 

 think that a bird has laid an egg, (she may announce it, or she may 

 not,) go and get the bird and the egg. If the egg is wet, and the bird 

 is on the nest, or just about to leave it, it is probably her egg. Other- 

 wise it is all off for that egg. If satisfied, then record the bird's num- 

 ber. Keep (his up for one month and you will get an approximate idea 



