232 



PRACTICAL POULTRY PRODUCTION 



The kind to cull. Hens possessing the following char- 

 acteristics or a combination of such characteristics should 

 be culled as poor producers: Those that are sick, weak, 

 lacking vigor, inactive, poor eaters, as well as those that 

 have molted or started to molt early, those with small, 

 dry, puckered vents, with small shriveled, hard, dull colored 

 combs, with thick rigid pelvic bones, with pelvic bones that 



are close togeth- 

 er, small spread 

 between p e Iv i c 

 bones and rear 

 end of keel, and 

 small hard abdo- 

 men. In yellow- 

 skinned breeds 

 poor producers 

 also should show 

 yellow or medi- 

 u m yellow 

 shanks, yellow 

 beaks and vent. 

 See pages 348, 

 349, for the color 

 of the skin, ear 

 lobes,and shanks 

 of the standard 

 breeds. 



Figure 224. — The hen on the left has a full, flexible, ex- 

 panded abdomen, indicating that she is laying. The hen 

 on the right shows a hard contracted abdomen, indicat- 

 ing that she is not laying. 



The kind to save. Such hens that are healthy, strong, 

 vigorous, alert, active, and good eaters should be saved 

 as good producers, that is, those that have not molted or are 

 just beginning to molt by September, having large, moist 

 vents, with large, bright red combs, thin flexible pelvic bones 

 well spread apart, a wide spread between the pelvic bones 

 and rear end of keel, and a large, soft, pliable abdomen. 



