The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-02
will at less cost than a number not culled

: should consist of wedding out, when discovered, any hen which is sick. which is very thin or emaciated, or which shows evidences of nonproduc- tion. weakness, or poor vitality.
 The whole flock should also be given a careful and systematic -culling al 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 desirapie to pick out as many of the best Ss will , be needed for breeders. Band or other wise mark these hens so that eggs from. them only will be saved for matching. Market those selected as the poor produc- CTS. Save for laying and breeding those selected as the better producers. When a single systematic culling is made, the best time to do this Is in August or September. At this time it is easier to form a fairly close estimate ot the relative value of hen as an egg producer and to weed out the nonproduc- CTS Hens which show indications of laying at this time are those which on the average have been the better pro- ducers for the year. 1t must be remem- bered, too, that the better producers during the first laying year are those l which will be the better producers in subsequent years. Hens showing fndica- tions of having been good producers throughout the year should be retained for the next year regardless of their age, but relatively few hens will prove l to be profitable producers beyond their second laying year If of the heavier breeds, such as the Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, Wyandotte or Orping- ton, or beyond their third laying year if a d o. horn. Additional culling during July is i also desirable in order to eliminate hens which have started to- mott and have | stopped laying
 HOW TO GULL
 | Tn going over the entire flock for the l purpose of culling there are a number | of points or characteristics which should ! be given special attention in selecting i the layers from the nonlayers. Where
 the different characteristics or several of them in the case of any individual agree
 as indicating good production or poor production, selection is comparatively &C., curate Where they do not agree, iudg- ment must be used in deciding which should be given the greatest weight. The following are the main points to 1 consider:
 Sickness and lack of vigor are usually
 indicated by listlessness. inactivity, ten | OoSS
 ing the day, poor appetite, dull eye, dark
 or bluish color of comb, long toe nails,
 snaky or crow head, and the tendency
 to go to roost early in the evening and
 to be one. of the last to leave the roost in the morning.
 SAVE THESE HENS
 Healthy, strong, vigorous, alert, and
 active; good eaters; not molting or just beginning to mott in September or Oc- tober; with large. moist vents; with
 bright red combs: thin, pliable pelvic
 bones we'll spread apart, wide spread be- tween pelvic bones and rear end of keel, and large, soft, pliable abdomen. In breeds with yellow skins and shanks. the
 hens saved should also show pale or white shanks, and pale or white peaks and vents.
 GULL THESE HENS
 Sick, weak, lacking vigor, inactice. poor l eaters, molted or started to mott, with small, puckered. hard, dry vents; with small, shriveled, hard, dullscolored combs: with thick or coarse stiff pelvic bonss, Ipelvic bones close together. small spread between pelvic bones and rear end of keel, and full, hard. small abdomen. In breeds with yellow skin and shanks, the discarded hens should also show yellow or medium yellow shanks and yellow beaks and vents.