96 POULTRY CULTURE 



The fixing and intensifying of the egg-laying characters is 



beyond the experimental stage. While the jungle fowl Ban- 

 kiva only layed one or two clutches of 12 or 15 eggs each 

 year, the present Leghorn, as well as some carefully selected 

 and bred fowls of other breeds, lay close to 300 eggs a year and 

 close to 1000 eggs in their lifetime. After weight, constitu- 

 tional vigor, and conformation comes their egg-laying faculties. 

 It is well, in building up an egg-laying strain, to hatch the 

 birds the first week in April, as then by proper care and feed 

 these birds wiU be mature and begin laying by the time the 

 high price of eggs is on, and will probably not molt till the 

 second fall. Whereas, if hatched earlier, they may commence 

 to lay while eggs are still a low price, and by the time the high 

 prices come the birds go into a molt and cease laying for a 

 while and thus interfere with their egg production at a time 

 when eggs are most desired from a commercial standpoint. 



In making the selections one should select for longevity, use 

 carefully selected early producing pullets, use fall and winter 

 layers, select heavy eaters, select early risers and late retirers, 

 and select mature birds. The pubic bones should be wide 

 apart and straight; the bird should possess capacity, that is, 

 at least four finger's-breadth from the posterior point of the 

 sternum or breast-bone to the pelvis; the ischium should be 

 thin, as a thick, meaty ischium means a meat type. The 

 market prefers a white egg and the number ones are required 

 to weigh at least 24 ounces to the dozen eggs. In selecting 

 the hen the skull should not be too broad; the eyes should be 

 prominent; the comb, face, and wattles fine in texture; the 

 eyes snappy and the bird alert; they must stand square on 

 their feet, legs wide apart, front end of body shghtly higher 

 than the posterior end; they should be wedge shaped (Fig. 

 38) ; the back should be long and a long breast-bone or keel; 

 they should be of happy disposition; the breast should be full; 

 the legs not too coarse and of fine texture and not too long. 

 The body medium size with no coarseness, tail carried rather 

 high. It is noted that the legs should be yellow, but in heavy 

 layers as laying season progresses the legs become bleached 

 out. 



