The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-22

1 stance did not count for much. since the worst looking hens are quite apt 1 to be the most profitable. Observations made in connection with trap-nest records showed that none of the birds which were half through the mott by October 1 were
 good producers, also that only a small percentage of the late molters were poor producers. It Is believed by some that late molters do not begin laying until late in the following year. Ac- l tual records. however. do not substan- tiate this belief, since they show that the late molters mott quickly and be- l CTS, or sooner.
 BIG EATERS ARE
 HEAVY LAYERS
 | The appetite and general actions of hen indicate her ability to lay a goodly number of eggs. The hard working hen | Is almost always high producer. She | Is first off the roost in the morning and the last to go to bed. She is heavy feeder, since high productiveness neces- l sitates the ability to assimilate large
 quantities of food. The poor layer is
 generally of the opposite type. She Is inactive, a relatively small eater, and spends a large portion of her time on | the perches or in the darkened portions of the pen.
 PALE SHANKS
 AND EAR-LOBES
 In practically all yellow skinned varie-
 ties of poultry the shanks, beak and re- zion around the vest undergo a change In color when the hens are in heavy 1 laying. Instead of the rich yellow color that Is associated with these parts in l the yellow skinned varieties, there is a rapid fading of color in the regions men l dIriDU 1 change of color is consistent that 1t is possible to use it as a basis for se- lecting good and poor producers From various observations recently made along these lines, the following interesting cor relations have been noted:
 1 The color of the vent appears to be the most accurate indication of producing ability. Records made from 371 birds from November 1. 1914, to October S1
 1915. show 9S of the birds had pale vents at the end of October when the records
 were made. Over 90 per cent of these l 9S birds produced from 140 to 269 eggs and only 8 per cent of them laid less | than 140 eggs. The average production ] of the 273 remaining hens, which had l yellow vents when the observations were l taken, was approximately 135 eggs, and the average for the 9S having pale vents
 was 191 eggs. This gives a difference of
 56 eggs per bird in favor of the pale | vents.
 l In the test there were several different breeds and it is interesting to compare the production of the various breeds as shown by the color of the vent In the Plymouth Rock group S96 per cent of 1 the birds having pale vents laid from 140
 to 260 eggs; 1894 per cent of the birds 1 showing pale vents produced 140 eggs or \ less; 70 per cent of the hens having yell I low vents laid from to 14o eggs. The average production of the Rocks having 1 yellow vents was 1893 eggs, whereas the
 average for those having pale vents was 176.3
 1 Of the sS wyandottes 53 had pale vents l and over 70 per cent of these produced | from 140 to 260 eggs The average pro- duction for the pale and yellow vents l was 1872 for the former and 14OS for tho 1 latter.
 The average production of the Rhode
 Island Reds having pale vents was 171.S while for the birds of the same breed with yellow vents the average yield dropped to 12S eggs.
 The average production of the Rhode Island Reds having pale vents was 171.S while for the birds of the same breed with yellow vents the average yield dropped to 12s eggs.
 While practically all of the above ob- servations are based on the color of the | vent, the reader must not lose sight of 1 the fact that this same variation is man. I ifested in the shanks and beaks of yell | low-skinned varieties. Tn other words. | the rich yellow color of these parts seems | to fade out with heavy production. Armed
 with this knowledge, the practical poul- l tryman can examine his birds during Oc- | tober and select those which show a
 marked fading of color in the parts men, toned, with the assurance that 75 per
 cent or more of those selected are his
 best producers.
 l Nothing means so much to the success
 of the poultryman as the rearing of the young stock to furnish bullets for next
 seasons layers. Errors at this time are | likely to prove costly, not only in the loss | of the chicks, perhaps. but in the loss of time, which is of the greatest impor- | tance. Next weeks article is on the | care of the chick flock.