PRAIRIE FARMER'S POULTRY BOOK 



Habit. This is the final test of productiveness. Habit is 

 the method of life. Three habits may be mentioned as bearing 

 on egg-production, viz., molting, feeding and exercising. 



Molting, or shedding of feathers, is a common habit of 

 poultry, but the time of molting is not fixed. Late molters 

 and quick molters are invariably good layers. The reason 

 assigned is that late molting lengthens out the laying season, 

 while quick molting shortens the resting period. Molting and 

 egg-production are not compatible. When a hen begins to 

 molt she slackens in egg-production. 



The hen that retains her pigmentation and molts in early 

 summer is counted as a poor layer and should be culled from 

 the flock. In culling on the basis of an early molt, this caution 

 should be observed, that good layers are sometimes throwrn 

 into an early molt because of environment or a sudden change 

 in feed. Before such hens are thrown out they should be 

 tested along other lines for further proof of unproductiveness. 



The habit of sitting is very trying among some breeds. The 

 persistent sitter, the one that, when broken, lays only a small 

 clutch of eggs before becoming broody again, is usually an 

 unprofitable layer. 



The habit of feeding varies with different hens. The poor 

 layer is indifferent. She has no occasion to hustle for food as 

 she is not a producer, and for this reason she is early to roost 

 and late in leaving the roost. 



The habit of exercise characterizes the good la5-er. She is 

 a good scratcher, and scratching makes short claws. She is 

 a hustler and works till sundown and is up before sunrise. 



Score Card for Culling Demonstrations 



{Body type 5 

 Thickness of Pubic Bones 10 

 Head Points 5 



r Vitality and vigor S 



2. Energy 20 J Prepotency and Temperament 5 



[ Capacity 10 



r Spread of Piibic Bones 10 



3. Anatomy 20 ■{ Shape of Pubic Bones 5 



I Structural Defects 5 



" Plumage 5 



Pigmentation 5 



Skin 5 



Flesh 5 



Molting 10 



Habit 20 J Feeding 5 



Exercise 5 



100 100 



[118] ■ 



4. Condition 20 



