224 



PRACTICAL POULTRY PRODUCTION 



as breeders, other conditions being favorable, such as color, 



type, etc. 



When to cull. Culling, generally speaking, should be a 

 continuous process throughout the year. It should include 

 the elimination not only of hens that are non-productive but 



Figure 215. — A Barred Plymouth Rock Figure 21fi. — An extremely poor Barred 

 cockerel well grown and developed — Plymouth Rock cockerel. Such birds as 

 the kind to keep. these should be culled from the flock 



and marketed. 



likewise those that are sick, that are thin or emaciated, as 

 well as those that show poor vitaHty. At some one time, 

 however, the whole flock should be given a careful and 

 systematic culling. Each hen should be handled and gone 

 over carefully with the object of picking out and retaining 

 the better producers and culling the poor producers. At 

 such a time it is also advisable to pick out from the better 

 producers such hens as will be needed for breeders the fol- 

 lowing spring. These fowls should be leg banded or other- 



