The Sentinel=record., 1918-07-20
BULLETS
 FOR NEXT WINTER
CuIIing Out Poor Layers and Backward Fowls Saves Feed,
 Room, Time and Labor.
MORE EGGS WITH LESS COST
Problem Is to Select Hens That May Reason ably Be Expected to Pro- duce We'll for Remainder of
 Year and After Melting.

The coming of July means to the poultry raiser that 1t is time to count the flyers for next winter and to be- gin to give them the preferential treat ment that will make them ready for good work In the season of high prices.
 Selecting According to Age.
 Hens of the small breeds may be given higher age limit than those of the medium md large breeds. Late bullets should be culled much more severely than early bullets.
 The ordinary laying flock Is made up at this season of yearlings and older hens in about equal numbers. Most of the older hens are twO-year-olds, though often there are few hens three, four or more years old, which have been kept because they are fa' vorites with the owner or he was in error about their age.
 Separate Good and Poor Layers.
 All hens over the age limit having been discarded, the problem Is to se- lect from the remainder those that may reasonably be expected to pro duce well for the remainder of this year and through quite iong period after moIting. The points to be con sidered In judging hens for this pur- pose are:
 CD How well they have laid.
 (2) Whether they are laying.
 (3) Their general physical condi- ton and it's relation to future egg pro ductiOn.
 The owner of small flock who knows the hens individually and watches them closely will usually know from daily observation that cer- tain hens are good layers. To identify the rest, some principles of selection based upon appearance or structure must be used. There are several such principles, each of which independ- ently is servieeable for the purpose. though not lnfalible. If judgments of a hen by these different principles agree as to her probable performance as layer their common verdict may he taken as in all probability correct. When they disagree the case becomes doubtful and the relative values of the several conclusions on the different points must be weighed according to circumstances which might affect them
 Strictly, culllng is the removing of the culls, or as they are sometimes called--the wasters. When these have been eliminated those which remain are presumably profitable producers. Where there has not been culling throughout the season to discard hens apparently not in good laying condi- ton. carefully culling at this time will usually leave not more than half of the yearling hens to be reserved for another year.
 Identifying the Poor Layers.
 A hen that at this season has smooth bright plumage and shanks and beak of deep yellow. or n rosy flesh color. or fresh-looking black or slate-as the case may be-thereby certifies that she has not been profitable layer. Good condition at all these points shows that she has not laid enough to drain her system of the clements that give high color to the skin and fine surface tO the feathers.
 The comb of healthy laying hen is much larger when she is laying than when she is not. It is bright red in color, suffused with blood, yet soft and flexible. The poor layer that, under favorable conditions, has nice plumage and skin usually has comb and wattles of q rather darker red looking more as if the blood were somewhat con gested in them. This is not so charac- teristic or so marked that much im-