The Arizona copper camp., 1919-12-13
(By Francis r. Kenney, Poultry Hus-
bandmanl

bandman)
The elimination of the non-produc-
ing hen from the laying flock must
be considered as an essential feature
of sound poultry management The
margin of profit for an individual
bird is SO small even under proper
conditions that we cannot afford to
lessen our profit by retaining in the
flock the birds which lower our av-
erage. If the poultrymen in Arizona
were to eliminate forty per cent of
their birds by the use of the proper
culling methods, the egg yield would
not be greatly 1essened and the profit
would be very materially increased
Many flocks which are now return
ing little or no profit would become
profitable enterprises if the non
producers were eliminated.
Selection OF PuIets
An examination of the pullets in
the early fall before they begin to
lay will result in the elimination of
many of the birds which would not
be profitable AS the pullet becomes
fully developed, the back should he
straight, long and broad The bird
should be alert and vigorous, and in
yelloW-shanked breeds the color
should be deep yellow The ability
of bird to utilize large amounts
of food will be indicated by a large,
well-developed abdomen. This type
Of pullet should be retained in the
laying flock, while the undersized,
crow-headed, pale-legged, unthrifty
pullets should be eliminated.
Constitution
The hest layers are birds of good
vitality and healthy. bird of weak
constitution cannot be expected to
lay many eggs. Fowls of strong
constitution are alert and active, the
beak is short and blunt, the eyes
bright, and the comb, even if large,
must be of fine texture and good red
| color. The fowl with long, thin beak
crow head, dull eyes, pale, shriveled
comb, long tonsils, and inactive dis
position is not found in the high
egg record class. Fowls with
crooked backs, breast bones, or tail
should be eliminated.
Capacity
The USUAL method of determining
the relative capacity of fowls is by
| the measurement of the distance
| from the pelvic bones to the rear
end of the breast bone. The hand
should be placed across the abdomen
of the bird so that the forefnger
touches the two pelvic or lay bones.
rest against the end of the breast
bone. The distance from pelvic
bones to the end of the breast bone
should not be less than three or four
fingers, and greater distance is, of
course, desirable The distance in
bird which is laying will be some
what greater than in the same bird
after it has ceased to lay. A good
width across the abdomen from the
ribs on one side to the ribs on the
other side is also desirable. The
abdomen itself should be soft and
pliable The fowl with tightly drawn
skin and hard abdominal fat is not
| a good producer.
The Pelvic Bones
| The pelvic bones should be thin
straight and pliat1e and we'll apart.
Fowls with crooked pelvic bones and
those with thick, meaty pelvic bones,
with hard Jumps on the ends, should
| be sold.
Pigment Test
The pigment test may be used
with yellow-shanked fowls. AS the
| egg yield increases, the yellow color
| in the shanks, ~beak and vent grad
ually disappears AS productivity
| lessons, he color returns. The
change is most quickly noticeable in
the skin around the vent. During
the months of greatest production,
the shanks and beak may become
very pale, while during the time of