How to Find 
T IIE FARM HEN.—Poultry is receiving an in¬ 
creasing amount of attention, due to the fact 
that it has been one of the farmer's lines which lias 
ct ntinned to show a profit when other crops did not. 
However, not all flocks have been profitable, because 
many of them are composed largely of hens which 
lay but a few eggs in the Spring. The person who 
brags about high production from his or her flock 
in April and May has nothing to brag about. The 
crows lay eggs then. Put the flock that produces 
eggs in November, December and January is the one 
that is producing at a profit. The average farm hen 
produces 00 eggs per year. She should produce 120 
eggs per year to make a profit, and she may be made 
t<» produce 160 to 190 eggs per year as an average for 
the flock through proper methods of culling and 
selection and the use of the right type of male birds. 
STANDARDS OF PRODUCTION.—Under pres¬ 
ent economic conditions it is of the utmost impor¬ 
tance that all hens not. reaching a certain standard 
of production be removed from the flock. The cost 
of producing each dozen of eggs is greatly increased 
by the presence in the flock of a number of bens 
which are producing fat instead of eggs, from the 
feed consumed. That there are distinctive beef type 
liens and laying type hens in every breed and variety 
of fowls is no longer a disputed fact. The beef type 
hens, which are tlie low egg producers, can be elim¬ 
inated with accuracy, as has been proven in many 
States on many farms. Low producers are as prev¬ 
alent in the Mediterranean breeds as in the heavier 
American breeds. 'When the characteristics of the 
high egg producers, as distinct from the low pro- 
land 2)2 Eggs. Deluged Moiling Until Middle of 
November. Fig. 219 
dttcer, are known, the latter may be easily elim- 
ilialed. While it is important to breed purebred 
stock which appears well to the eye. our foundation 
for profits is in the eggs produced, and the breeder 
of exhibition stock should realize that only by pro¬ 
ducing stock which will prove profitable layers can 
a iii*ui foundation he laid for future profits. 
THE EGG TYPE.—There are many conceptions 
of the meaning of “egg types." Some believe that 
egg types are represented by those fowls carrying 
squirrel tails, long backs and oversize combs, others 
believe that a good layer is found by selecting fe¬ 
males with thiu pelvic bones and plenty of distance 
between them. That a hen may possess any or all of 
these factors, and still be a low producer, has been 
demonstrated at the egg-laying contests, and in 
many flocks. In our study of egg types a certain 
correlation of parts will he found, as in dairy cows. 
The contrast between dairy and beef typo cattle is 
obvious. The same contrast may he found in our 
meat-producing hen and our business hen. The art 
of selection and methods of culling poultry have 
probably been developed to as high a degree at the 
Michigan Agricultural College by E. F, Forman, 
recently made bead of the poultry department, as 
anywhere else in America. So proficient has Mr. 
Forman become in the selection ot egg types that he 
has at various times selected pens of pullets having 
never laid an egg for various contests which have 
proven his wisdom by meeting all expectations. 
CULLING METHODS—The following outline of 
culling methods are those used in Michigan by ex¬ 
tension specialists. County Agents and poultrymen. 
as perfected by Prof. Forman. Characters to he con¬ 
sidered are the head, body conformation, egg sack, 
pigmentation, time of molting and rate of maturity. 
the Bu 
THE HEAD.—The head of a hen or pullet reveals 
more about the tendencies and inclinations of the 
individual toward egg production than any other 
part of the body. Likewise the head of the male is 
an index as to his power to transmit such qualities. 
In the head we find revealed health, vigor, sensi¬ 
tiveness. refinement, coarseness, tendency to take on 
fat. masculinity and age. In the heavy producers 
we find a clean-cut head with a narrow skull, medi- 
Record 228 Eggs in Mountain Grove. Mo., Contest 
Fig. 220 
um narrow jaw, bright full eye standing out like a 
shoe button, a keen, intelligent expression, a clean- 
cut face, possessing femininity and vitality, together 
with a fine waxy skin about the head, comb and 
wattles. In contrast to this we find in the unprofit¬ 
able layer coarse, heavy beads, with broad skull, 
wrinkled face, wide, heavy jaw and sunken eye. 
representing the lazy type which takes, on fat. Then 
we find the masculine type, having lung wattles, 
heavy comb, coarse, pebbly face. Again, we find the 
crow head, with long, narrow beak, sunken eye. 
lacking constitutional vigor and readily developing 
diseases and colds. In the average farm flock we 
find various combinations of these types, ranging 
from the good to the very poor, and many times it 
has been found profitable to dispense with an entire 
flock of beef type hens and start with a strain 
known to be of the desired type. 
BODY CONFORMATION.—Our attention is next 
turned to the body conformation of the bird. In a 
series of experiments made by Prof. Forman at 
Guelph, Ontario, in order to determine the body type 
associated with the heavy producers, it was found 
by making plaster of Paris casts of the abdominal 
body cavities of hens with known records of over 
200 eggs per year, and of many with very low 
Reef-type Head of Unprofitable Hen. Fig. 221 
yearly records, that the high producers had a deep, 
wedge-shaped body conformation. The back was 
broad, the width being carried well back, while the 
rib was long and flat. In the carcass of the low pro¬ 
ducer the body was found to lack depth, the rib 
being curved, making a round hotly. In making the 
siness Hen 
body test on pullet or lieu, hold bird with head fac¬ 
ing operator, placing bauds about posterior part of 
body, thumbs touching over back, and finger tips 
touching, if possible, along keel bone of bird, with 
index fingers just back of this, and other fingers in 
front of them. In making this test the average poul¬ 
try raiser will be astonished at the variation in body 
types. He will also he surprised to find that many 
of the heaviest looking hens have round, shallow 
bodies, along with heavy, beef type heads. Unless a 
hen or pullet lias good body capacity she cannot be 
expected to produce eggs at a high rate. In select¬ 
ing pullets which have not laid, consideration Of head 
characteristics and the use of the body test are the 
principal means we have of determining their future 
productivity. 
TIIE EGG SACK.—Closely associated with body 
conformation is the egg sack. _Tfi£*term egg sack is 
Gsed to designate that portion of the hen's body be¬ 
tween the pelvic hones found at each side of the vent 
and the keel bone, or breast bone, Refinement as 
expressed in the head is always closely associated 
with quality of egg sack. In applying this test it is 
essential that the bird be properly held. Clasp the 
hen firmly in the right hand, with thumb clasping 
left thigh, fleshy part of thumb pressing against 
flight feathers, and fingers extending under keel of 
hen and supporting body. (Fig. “24 ). The right leg of 
lien should he free, so that a cramped position of the 
egg sack will not result. Held in this way the hen 
will make no effort to free herself, and measure¬ 
ments of the egg sack may be made with the left 
hand. In a hen in dormant condition the capacity 
Laid When Four Months Old and Continued Good 
Winter Lager. Fig. 222 
of the egg sack becomes greatly contracted, the 
pelvic bones are found to he close together and the 
point of the keel bone is but a short distance from 
the pelvic bones. However, when the lien ap¬ 
proaches a laying condition the intestines increase 
in size, due to greater consumption of food. At the 
same time the ovaries and oviduct increase in size 
and weight. The distance between the keel bone and 
the pelvic bones becomes greater, and as the hen 
actually lays the pelvic bones spread and remain in 
a more or less distended position during laying pe¬ 
riod. Thus the measurements of the egg sack fluc¬ 
tuate with the rate of ovulation, and only immediate 
rate of production is indicated. While a large capac¬ 
ity of the egg sack is desired, this alone is not 
enough, as all liens having large capacity are not 
good layers. The egg sack should he soft and pliable. 
By applying light pressure it should readily yield, 
springing back when released. It should be full and 
mellow, having a life-like feeling, allowing the fin¬ 
gers to sink into it somewhat when slightly pressed. 
Do not misinterpret a hollow, flabby egg sack for 
the one described‘above, as«this condition may result 
from a diet consisting largely of oats. When a 
bulgy egg sack is found full of hard fat. it is usually 
correlated with a heavy, beefy bead, and is charac¬ 
teristic of the short time Spring layer, which lays a 
few eggs and sits. A hard, gristly egg sack is found 
on the non-producer, and many times such hens are 
never known to lay. 
PIGMENTATION TEST.—The pigmentation test 
may be used on yellow-legged fowls. It has been 
found that pullets and liens not yet producing heav¬ 
ily carry a certain fat manifested externally by a 
yellowish pigment known as xanthophyl. which gives 
the color to the legs, beak, eye ring, ear lobe and 
