South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-10-19
GULL OUT STACKER
HENS TO SAVE FEED
Poor Egg Producers Are Need
less Expense and Real
Waste.

&
poultry flock this fall.
CuIling serves two purposes. First.
It insures that the feed shall be con-
sumed by the better producing hens.
thereby increasing the profit Sec
ond, it makes it possible to save
those best suited for breeders. both
on account Of their better produc-
ton and on account Of their super
Tor strength and vitality, qualities
so essential TO layers if they are
to stand up under the severe strain
of heavy laying.
Under war conditions ii is imper-
alive that the poor producers be
weeded out. The Stacker hen must
go.
In a weekly report from one Of
the government poultry extension
men IN Connecticut a statement
showed the value of culling a flock
which contained 1.4O3 White Leg
horn hens. This flock was culled
July 10; S26 hens were marketed
and ST. kept as producers. The
average daily production for the
week previous TO the culling was
500 eggs. and the average daily
production for the week after the
culling was 342 eggs. In other
words, the ST. hens averaged more
eggs than were secured from the
flock of 1903, while the feed bill
was reduced more than half
Gull All the Year.
Culling should he continuous
throughout the year. This contin-
uous culIing should consist OF weed
ing out when discovered. any hen
which is sick, very thin or ENACT
ated. which shows evidences OF non
production, weakness. or poor VI
tally
The whole flock should also be
given a careful and systematic Gull
ing at some one time. The hens
should be handled individually and
gone over carefully with the object
Of dividing them into two lots. one
the better producers and the other
the poorer producers. From the
better producers it is also desirable
TO pick out as many Of the best
as will be needed for breeders.
Mark these hens so that eggs from
them alone will be saved for hatch
ing. Market those selected as the
poor producers. Save for laying
and breeding those selected as the
better producers.
How 10 Gull.
The following are the main points
TO consider in selecting the layers
from the nonlayers:
Sickness and lack Of vigor are
usually indicated by Iistlessness.
poor appetite. dull eye, and dark
or blush color of comb.
Mott is one of the most valuable
and easily applied tests of produc-
ton. Hens cease laying complete
" or almost completely during the
mott The better producers lay late
I'm the fall, and therefore mott late.
Late molters also mott rapidly as
a rule, while early molters mott
slowly Therefore. save the hens
which did not mott by August but
begin to mott in September or in
October. and discard those which
have finished melting or are we'll
into the mott. The hens which
mott last. provided they are other
wise desirable, are the best hens TO
save for breeders. CuIling the early
molters just as soon as they begin
to mott is one Of the easiest ways
20 weed out the poor layers.
In those breeds having yellow
{ legs the color fades out slowly as
the laying season advances. The
rapidity and degree to which the
yellow color is lost depends to a
considerable extent upon the heavi-
ness of laying. During the mott
this color is slowly regained to some
extent Hens showing strong or
medium yellow shank color are al
most certainly poor layers. but oc-
casionaIly poor layers may show
pale or white shanks.
( When a hen is laying or about TO
+ lay her comb is large, full OF blood,
and bright red in color. When not
4 laying the comb Is small and
Ishrunken. pale or dull in color, COM
| paratively hard, and covered with
whitish scales. As a hen gets ready
/ to lay again her comb increases in
size dark or blush color usually
1 indicates sickness. The changes in
! the wattles and ear lobes are similar
to those Of the comb. but not so
marked.
, As a hen stops laying there is a
I tendency for her 10 take on fat. This
/ is noticeable in examining the pei
vic bones, the two bones which can
/ he felt as points on either side Of
+ the vent When the hen is laying
/ these bones are comparatively thin
| and flexible When she is not laying
! they feel thicker and less flexible,
/ due 10 the fat which has accumu-
( lated there. The spread or distance
apart OF these pelvic bones is also
a valuable indication OF whether or
not he hen is laying. When lay
: ing they are wider apart than when
/ not laying This spread can be
roughly measured for practical pur-
/ poses by determining how many
\ fingers can he laid between the
/ bones IF the spread measures two
fingers or less. the liabilities are
that the hen is not laying. while
! II the spread is greater she is prob
ably laying In measuring the