THE PROBLEMS IN MATING AND IN EGG PRODUCTION 111 



Eyering.^The eyerinp; becomes bleached after the hen has 

 laid about 5 eggs. 



Ear-lobes. — ^The ear-lobes are bleached after the hen has 

 laid about 10 eggs. The ear-lobe scores are as follows: 

 Enamel white, 1; Light cream, 2; Light lemon, 3; Lemon, 

 4; Light orange, 5. 



Beak. — -The base of the upper beak becomes bleached after 

 about 15 eggs have been laid. The lower beak becomes 

 bleached after about 20 eggs have been laid. The middle of 

 the upper beak becomes bleached after about 25 eggs have 

 been laid, and all yellow leaves the tip of the beak shortly 

 after the 30-egg limit has been reached. Note: With pullets 

 indooi-s getting no green feed, and with Leghorns in par- 

 ticular, the bleaching will be much faster than where the 

 birds run at large and secure plenty of green feed. 



Shanks. — -Shank scores are as follows: Pink or white, 1; 

 Cream, 2; Lemon, 3; Light orange, 4; Orange, 5. Note: The 

 color will be laid out of the front of the shanks of a Leghorn 

 when about 40 eggs have been laid, and of a Red when about 

 60 eggs have been laid. Black shanks will lose pink and be- 

 come white and lose its shininess. 



Comb. — Comb texture scores are as follows: Oily, soft, 

 and pliable, 1; Very pliable, 2; Slightly pliable, 3; Quite hard, 

 4; Dry, hard, and stiff, 5. Note: The comb is an expression 

 of the ovary. The comb of a laying hen at the time of ovula- 

 tion becomes filled with blood, congested, red, and oily, soft, 

 and pliable, not coarse and pebbly, but with a certain degree 

 of firmness and heat. As a hen takes a short vacation the 

 tips of the comb shrink first. 



Molt. — ^Molting scores are as follows : Not molting, 1; Neck 

 molt, 2; Body molt, 3; Wing molt, 4; Complete molt, 5. 



Abdomen. — In a non-laying hen the fat accumulates in the 

 abdonimal wall and the wall becomes hard to the touch. As 

 she again comes into laying the abdomen becomes soft and 

 the skin becomes kid-glove-like in texture. The abdominal 

 scores are as follows: Soft, 1; Hard, 2. 



Capacity. — ^As indicated by span from the sternum to the 

 pubic bones: 5 finger's breadth, 1; 4 finger's breadth, 2; 3 

 finger's breadth, 3; 2 finger's breadth, 4; 1 finger's breadth, 5. 



