Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-10-12
HPays to Get Rid Of Hens
That Are Loafing on the Job

"Cu}I Tie slackers" is. the slogan
IF the successful poultry man of to-
Gay. Al! during the year he weeds
put the sick, the weak, and those
luctive. weakness or. poor vitality;
but before cold weather sets in the
whole flock is given a careful sys-
tematic culling. Culling serves three
purposes, poultry specialists Of the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture say. First-It increases the
profits by insdring that the feed will
be consumed by the better-producing
hens, the profit payers, and will not
be consumed by the poor producers,
which are elSpt at a loss. Second-It
makes it possible to save those best
suited for breeders, both on account
Of their better production and on ac-
count of their superior strength and
vitality, which have enabled them to
stand up under the severe strain of
heavy laying. Third-Weeding out
the poor hen gives more room and
n better chance to those left. Where
trap nesting is practiced, culling is
comparatively simple process, as
the recorded egg record enables one
to determine whether hen should be
retained or discarded.
Market Poor Producers
The hens should be handled indi-
Vidually and gone over carefully with
The OBJECT Ol uINIulIlS luSIl lliIO lWO
lots-one the better producers and
the other the poorer producers. From
the better producers it is also desir-
able to pick out and band, or other
wise mark, as many of the best as
will be needed for breeders. Market
hose selected as the poor producers.
Save the better producers for laying
and breeding.
When single systematic culling
is made, the best time to do it is
i in early fall. At this time it is
easier to form a close estimate of
the relative value of hen as an
egg producer and to weed out the
poor layers Hens that show indi-
cations of laying at this time, are
those which on the average have
been the better producers for the
year. 1t must be remembered, too,
irst laying YER are usually those
which will be the better producers
in subsequent years.
Noting is probably the most valu.
able and most easily applied test of
production. Hens cease laying com
ing the mott. The better producers
lay late in the fall and therefore
nolt late. Late molters also mott
rapidly as a rule, while early mott
ers molt slowly. Therefore,. save the
hens that have not molted by Au-
gust or are only just beginning tt
molt late in September or in october
and discard those which have finish
ed melting or are well into the mott
Fhe hen that molts latest, provided
they are otherwise desirable, are
the best to save for breeders.
AS hen stops laying there is a
tendency for her to take on fat. This
is noticeable in examining the pelvic
bones, the two bones which can be
felt as points on either side Of the
vent. When the hen is laying
and flexible. When she is not lay
ing, they feel thicker and less fleXi-
Bile due to the fat which has ac-
cumulated there. Often poor pro
ducers are somewhat beefy in type
showing stiffer, thicker pelvic bones
even when in laying condition THAI
do good producers. The spread, OF
distance apart, of the pelvic bones
is also a valuable indication Of
whether the hen is laying. Wher
laying they are wider apart thai
when the hen is not laying. The
spread can be roughly measured fol
practical purposes by determining
how many fingers can be laid be
tween the bones. If the spread meas
ures two fingers or less. the prob
abilities are that the hen is not lay
ing, while if the spread is greater
she is probably laying.
Gin brief, Gull hens that are sick
reak, lacking vigor, inactive. poo