Evening star., 1915-01-10
Distinguishing the Big Layers.

Observations first made at the Be-
thesda experiment station of the bu-
reau Of animal husbandry several years
ago have just been confirmed by the
Maine state experiment station, which
has published statement regarding
what is claimed to be a practically in
| fallible method of recognizing hens
| that have laid heavily during the pre-
| ceding laying season or year. The
Maine stations statement is to the ef-
feet that hens of yellow legged breeds.
after a season of heavy laying. lose the
| characteristic bright yellow Of their
shanks. the legs of such heavy layers
fading to a pale yellowish white.
Several years ago it was noted at the
Bethesda experiment stations poultry
farm that hens Of White Rocks, White
Leghorns and other breeds having
markedly pale shanks after a winter
of heavy laying. Hens that had laid
constantly during the winter came into
the spring with their yellow shanks
faded almost white. Other hens Of the
same breeds that had laid only a few
eggs still showed the bright yellow
in their shanks. For some reason this
discovery was not followed up by trap
nesting yellow-shanked hens and
checking the spring color OF their
egg record.
However. the Maine experiment sta
tion has carried on such experiments
and has announced that the color of
the shanks of hens belonging to the
breeds having yellow legs Is a positive
indication Of the laying proclivities. of
the individual hens. The bulletin on
this subject just issued by the Maine
station says in part:
"A laying hen generally requires
n
producing Of eggs than she can assimi-
late from the feed, consequently she
draws on the coloring matter in her
skin and especially under the skin on
faded shanks at the end of the laying
season, the fall, in those doing heavy
laying. The drones. not laying as well,
do not use as much coloring matter. re-
shanhs. s This rule or indication can
best be used in the case OF yellow
skinned classes Of poultry.
'"The drones will be the birds which
at the end of the season have bright
yellow legs. such as one is accustomed
to see in pullets which have not yet
begun to lay. On the other hand, birds
which have done hard years work
and produced many eggs will have
shanks completely white or nearly So
Examination at this station of many
hundreds of birds. whose trap nest rec
ords are known, makes 1T possible to
say positively that no DlIQs Wnicn nave
been high producers will have bright
yellow legs at the end of the laying
season"
However, the finding of the Maine
station should be accepted with a few
reservations. Birds of the yellow
shanked, yellow skinned breeds that
are constitutionally weak very often
have bleached shanks, especially in the
fall and winter. Such birds viii fool
the poultryman who attempts to go al
tooetbar on the color of the fowls
shanks as Indications Of the egg-laying
abilities of the hens. Used as breed
ers-the idea, of course. being to breed
for egg production-such constitution
ally weak fowls impart their weak
nesses to their chicks. Breeders may
safely be selected by looking out for
hens manifesting by their appearance
and actions great constitutional vigor.
and which also show pale and bleached
shanks. 1t should be borne in mind,
also, that the faded shanlSs, as a test,
can only be safely taken as a guide in
the fall or at the end of the laying
season.