204 The Hen at Work 



Early to Rise and Late to Bed.' — Do these pullets 

 begin work early in the morning? Do they work 

 hard, eat greedily, and go to roost late? These 

 are important signs. They prove the "con- 

 stitutional vigor" so much spoken of in poultry 

 manuals. 



Summer and Fall Production. — Are these se- 

 lected hens still at it in the summer and early fall, 

 or do they insist on sitting and then start to moult? 

 You are reasonably safe in discarding the early 

 moulters. They seldom have big records or great, 

 vigor. There may be a danger to very late 

 moulters in Northern States of weakness from 

 cold. Unless they recover full vigor do not breed 

 from them. 



Eggs. — Do your breeders lay eggs true to tjrpe, 

 of full size, and free from important defects? 

 Imperfect eggs should not be used. 



New Blood. — This is a common remark: "Say, 

 those are good-looking cockerels. I guess I'll get 

 one of those to build up my flock." 



What do you know about the line behind those 

 cockerels? No one ever built up a strain that 

 way. If yotir strain is weak, discard it and start 

 agaitt from a line, or strain, noted for its quali- 



