The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1919-10-03
prepared by the United States Depart
ment OF Agriculturc)

Sherlock Holmes used high-power
microscopes, chemicals, finger-print
records and rogues' gallery photos in
rounding up offenders against justice.
The poultry owner must rely chiefly on
the past production records of the
fowl, as well as on their external ap-
psarance, condition, and general con-
formation, In his task Of separating
the chaff from the wheat. 1t Is essen
tial that he go through the flock In late
summer and make a thorough culllng,
discarding all the Improbable pro-
ducers SO they may not be parasitic on
the profits Of the flock during the sea-
son when range Is not available and
the expenses Of feeding the birds are
correspondingly increased.
AS rule the hens which have
stopped laying by the middle Of Sep
TENDER are the poorest producers in
the flock and, consequently, will be the
lowest yielders in successive seasons.
Hence 1t is necessary to rid the flock
of such lazy drones in order that the
better producers may be favored in
care, feed, and general poultry man.
agement.
When Test Is Best.
Specialists of the United States de-
rartment of agriculture say that the
best and most easily applied test to
ascertain the best-laying fowl Is the
date when the hens begin to mott.
Most hens, when they start to molt,
stop laying, or nearly cease egg pro-
duction. Furthermore, 1t Is easy to ex-
anime the plumase Of each hen in or
der to ascertain whether any pin
feathers or partially grown feathers
are shown. In case the hen Is through
melting, the poultryman can convince
himself Of that condition by the pres
ence Of clean, unworn plumage.
In the case of the acknowledged
birds, the color of the legs Is some in
dication Of good producing capacity
and persistency, as the hens tend to
lose their bright yellow color as the
laying season progresses. Good pro-
ducers usually have white or pale yell
low legs during the late summer and
early fall, while poor producers will
show straw-colored or medium yellow
ish legs. If the flock has access to
good grass range, the birds, as a rule,
will maintain their leg color longer
than where there is little grass or
where only bare yards are provided.
Accordingly, on the grass range not as
much Importance is given to leg color.
Comb Is an Indicator.
The color Of the beak applies along
similar lines. except that 1t disappears
and reappears more rapidly than the
pigment in the legs. Furthermore, the
appearance Of the comb is an indica-
ton of whether or not the hen Is lay
ing. The bird with the red comb,
which is full of blood and thoroughly
expanded, usually Is laying, while the
fowl having q comb which Is smaller,
shrunken, and dull red in color, harder,
and covered with winter scales, is Or
dinarily not laying. Generally speak
ing, a laying hen usually shows greater
distance between the pelvic bones, two
bones which are felt rs points on
either side Of the back. In the case of
hens which are laying, the pelvic bones
feel thinner and more, flexible, while
there is spread Of two fingers or
more between them. A smaller spread
usually indicates that the hen Is not
laying.
Usually the laying hen shows
greater extension of the abdomen,
which may be measured by placing
the fingers between the pelvic bones
and the end Of the keel. In the case
of the smaller birds, such as the White
Leghorns, the spread Of abdomen is
usually three fingers or more, while
with the larger birds, such as the
Plymouth Rock. the spread Is four
fingers or more. The laying hen usual
ly has an, abdomen which Is softer and
more flexible, and feels like the partly
milked-out udder Of COW. When the
hen is not laying the abdomen Is
harder and more contracted.
Consider. All Factors. Il.
b Any hen. that shows signs Of sick
hess, or generally debilltated condition,
should be cullsI from the flock. In
forming an opinion as to whether Or
not the hen is laying sufficiently well
to favor her retention In the mock for
another season or so. It Il not advis-
able to place too much importance on
any one Of the factors discussed above,
but rather to summarize the appear.
ance and production qualities of each
bird rather than to rely on any one
symptom as cause Of culllng certain
birds from the flock.
Generally Il n desirable for the
ewnsf q practiee epptinval epillns y