110 POULTRY CULTURE 



and are not loose and flabby. The face is clean-cut. The 

 eye is full, round, and prominent, especially when seen from 

 the front. The high layer is trimmer; that is, the feathers 

 lie closer to the body, and after heavy production the oil does 

 not keep the plumage sleek and glossy but the plumage be- 

 comes worn and threadbare. 



Changes in Secondary Sexual Characters. — ^The comb, 

 wattles and ear-lobes enlarge or contract, depending on the 

 ovary. If the comb, wattles, and ear-lobes are large, full, 

 and smooth, or hard and waxy, the bird is laying heavily. 

 If the comb is limp the bird is only laying slightly, but is not 

 laying at all when the comb is dried down, especially at molt- 

 ing time. If the comb is warm it is an indication that the 

 bird is coming back into production. 



Molting. — When a bird stops laying in the summer she 

 usually starts molting. The later g, hen lays in the summer 

 or the longer the period over which she lays, the greater will 

 be her production, so that the high producer is the late layer 

 and hence the late molter. The length of time that a hen has 

 been molting or has stopped laying can be determined by the 

 molting of the primary feathers. It takes about six weeks to 

 completely renew the primary feathers next to the axial 

 feathers and an additional two weeks for each subsequent 

 primary to be renewed. 



A bird molts one feather tract at a time, usually alternate 

 "tracts. A bird may grow feathers and lay, but does not lay 

 while dropping feathers. All secondary feathers may be 

 dropped at the same time, but this is not true of the primaries. 



Temperament and Activity. — A good layer is more active 

 and nervous and yet more easily handled than a poor layer. 

 A high layer shows more friendliness and yet elusiveness than 

 a poor bird. A low producer is shy and stays on the edge of 

 the flock and will squawk when caught. 



KEY TO PHYSICAL INDEX METHOD OF JUDGING LAYING 

 CAPACITY (AS WORKED OUT ON S. C. WHITE LEGHORNS) 



Vent.— The vent becomes bleached after about 3 eggs have 

 been laid. 



