Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-20
NOMINATING HENS.
Poultry Keepers Carry Many Non- producers That Should Be Found and Disposed of.


 Many conditions during July and
 August tend to decrease the egg pro-
 ductiOn of the laying stock on all poul-
 try farms, but the chief reason is
 that poor producers which lay only
 during the four spring months have
 laid all the eggs they are capable of
 producing. Every poultry keeper is
 likely to be carrying big percentage of producing hens at this time. There is no reason why the flock pro- duction on any up-to-date poultry farm should not remain above 60 per cent. until October 1 if the proper methods of selection are followed. It is very easy to pick out the birds that have stopped laying and dispose of them at good price to dealers in live or dressed poultry.
 Plenty of experimental data is avail able from colleges and experiment sta tions to prove that it does not pay to keep birds for the second year if they cease to lay before October l. This sinpliies the poultry keepers problem of selecting his breeding stock for the following season because by producers as they appear during July, August and September, he leaves only those birds which, because of their laying power and their constitutional vitality, are most desirable to improve the average yearly production of the flock.
 One of the easiest methods of se- i lecting birds. which have stopped lay ing, by external appearances, is by observing the color of the shanks, ear lobes and beak Most of the common varieties of fowls have normally bright yellow shanks as bullets, but during the process of heavy production their shanl1s fade out until they are almost 1 White. The same is true of beak and flesh. If birds with white ear lobes yIi or II lobes they are not laying. In selecting hens at this time, birds which have bright yellow shanlls, yellow peaks and yellow ear lobes are certain to be non producers, and should be eradicated from the flock immediately.
 When the birds comb begins to shrink in size and become pale in col or that is also evidence that the bird is no longer laying. As 9 check on this method of selecting non n-prOducers, it is possible to discover whether or not the bird is in a laying condition | by examining the pelvic bones, which are sharp, rigid and close together when the bird is not laying, and are two or three inches apart and plialble | if the bird is in a laying condition. Frequently 9 hen will be discovered that appears to be laying because of a bright red comb and brilliant plum age, but which has bright yellow i shanks. This is an indication that the l bird lays very few eggs, and is not a desirable individual to keep for breed ing purposes. The fact that a hen has begun to mott is no proof as to her laying condition, but the color of beak and ear Ioibes is a sure indication. POultrymen who make a practice i of going over their ftOClls every 10 days during the summer months and picking out the producers, not only save the cost of feed that these birds would be consuming if they were kept in the flock, but also tend to increase the laying power of those which are still producing some eggs, | because they are given more room and a better opportunity to eat dry mash and get other feeds that are 1 provided. When a poultryman com plains, at this season of the year, that his hens are laying less than i 50 per cent, it is good evidence that 1 that poultry keeper is not selecting ! his birds and putting forth his best ! efforts to make large profits.