The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1920-06-22
JUDGING HENS
|S|bEST MEANS
TO CETRESU[TS
High Production F|ocks Depend
on Elimination of Non.Pro.
ducing fowIs---Some Timely
Hints
By PREM MOORE
Poultry Husbandman, University of
Idaho.

Poultry Husbandman, University of
Idaho.
The farmers of Idaho are rapidly
learning that there is vast differ
ence in the predicting abilities of hens
and that judging for egg production is
no longer an experiment.
The time was, and not so many
years ago, when people had the idea
that one cow was as good as another,
and that it was only matter of feed
and care to make one cow produce as
well as another. The use of the Bab-
cock test and scale has taught US that
some cows are by nature high produ-
GERS and that a profit cannot be fed
out of other cows.
There are many people today who
have. the idea that one hen is as good
as another, but the trap nest has
taught us that some hens are high
producers and some are low produ-
GERS. The trap nest has taught us,
also. that there are those hens, and
many of them, that never lay.
The trap nest has taught us the
characteristics of the laying hen SO
that with practice, anyone can Gull
out his Improbable hens. The proper
application of this knowledge makes
it possible to Gull the flock at any
time. 1t is true that, by judging hens
for egg production from the signs
of the laying hen, it may not be pos
sible to tell quite as well how many
eggs hen will lay before she has
laid them as the trap nest record
will show at the close of the year.
No one should presume to know just
how many eggs hen is going to lay
in given time but she can be judged I
well enough for all practical purposes.
The practical thing is very essential.
The farmer produces about sc per cent
of all the poultry and eggs in the
United States. The farmer has a null
titude. of duties and must necessarily
adopt any practical method that has
a tendency to reduce requirements of
labor and time. If farmer can per-
form a task in two or three hours that
would require little time out of
every day in the year, and produce
the same results, it certainly is the
better business to take the short cut.
Judging fowls for egg production is
the practical thing.
High production hens have width {
and depth proportonate to their
length. They are broad through the
back and shoulders, and the breast
bone is parallel with the back bone.
The breast bone of some hens makes {
! straight line from the front of the {
breast bone to the pelvic bones. Such =
hens lay few eggs. if any. G
There should be great expanse be-
'ween the pelvic bones and the rear ("
md of the pelvic bone, which allows $
'or a great amount of intestinal de-
'elopment. Some hens have no more
Intestinal development than contained \
n the bony cavity of the body, while n
'ther hens have more intestinal de-
'elopment back of the bony cavity
han is contained in the bony cavity
fself. Hens must have great amount
IT intestinal development to lay eggs. c
Intestinal development may be deter Il
mined by the fullness and flexibility of o
he posterior. Many hens have full Il
'osterior that are not intestinal de- IL
'elopment In such hen the pos u
erior will be solid not pliable, and n
he development is solid fat. Such u
ems are light producers. II
The pelvic bones of high producing II
ems are wide apart. straight, thin, q
nd pliable. High producing hens are
ard-feshed. This may be determined d
y the feel of the flesh on the breast
iany hans have flesh that is as hard n
5 pheasant's. High producing hens D.
ave good handling qualities with IL
oft, flexible posteriors, but nicely
lcked up. They have soft, flexible
rim. The skin on many hens is very
ght to the body and feels harsh. b.
he handling qualities of hen should Y
.ver be overlooked, as It is the de- OF
rmining factor in egg production. l
The hens head tells much. High az
hens have large heads in ei
oportion to the size of the hen, but
4. large enough to give them n.
urse appearance. In fact, the head IL
ould indicate refinement although .
{ over-refnement. Over-re6nement al
" be determined by the indication su