Milford chronicle., 1922-03-24
Progress and Profit in Poultry A T:'7' rs as Rs1
TIE HOGAN METHOD
OF SELECTING LAYERs'

What is meant BY the Hogan syS-
temp - J. W. NJ, Huntsville. Ala
Miller PurviS. in the Breeders Ga
Eette' replies as follows:
The Hogan system or method of
euhing hens and selecting good lay
ers was discovered BY the late Wal
ter Hogan about twenty years ago.
At hrst this method WAS doSorIb o.
In small booklet. but later AEP. IEo-
gan published quite q large bOOk, in
which he went into great doeail IN
describing his metheA = is not nOs.
si0ls to give full DSFtIauSars wfthls
the limits of this artIOIA, ut ~ ysaap
points may be given.
Ihe conformation an1 1aFSAgaa aagaV
the shape ana pOBitl08 Of OogoalS
PNrts OF the skeleton GrO UsOG D g.
Lerininins the laying ahtllAV -
heh' certain conditions e ~ salan
eye, beak and shank are aiuS go? ?
when selecting or oulling hers.
In those varieties haVtnr y0sIow
SKIN the shanks and beak Az aIse
yeIloW, as Is the eyerinE, or sA:n ~
inc lnnerstde OF the eye ooVSFAag n
= hen In laying condition gAOSss
palo beak, shanks and eyorinT = -
iaet indicates that she has been I'm.
IHS regularly for some time. as tSe
yeiioW coloring matter in the ska
peak and shaunks fades out IL ths
men Is good layer. Whsre a b..
mas yellow shaunks late in the iEssaEs
season. 1t is safe to conclude tRap 81
has not laid many eggs.
The good layer. has a deem hre, St
bright eye, comb that is Ner4, re-, /
ana WaXy texture. Her vent .E lea.
pale ana moist. A pucke1sd Yea. /.
layer. -
Fhe largest bone in a hens bes-
is the keel or breastbone This iss
one division that runs along tEo Law. {
OF part OF the body and another tIx.
rorms the back, this ending in tv1!
prongs' which may be felt just b..
meath the vent. These are the pelv,s
bones. If the breast bone Is deep in
'front.' and slopes downward towar:
the rear, away from the line of tAs
back, that fact denotes good layinr
ABILITY. Tho pelvic bones in a gooc
layer are thin and flexible, and Wide
part.
Tn cullIng hens we first note the
color Of shank, beak and eyerinG
The condition OF the vent Is then de-
termined. Then we note the width
Of the pelvic arch, and the distance
from the pelvic bones to the point
Of the keel. If the pelvic bones are
20 far apart that two fingers of the
hand will lie between them, the hen
10 fairly good layer; IL three fingers
Will lie between the bones, the hen
10 q good layer, and II four fnEera
Will lie between them, she is an ex-
cellent layer; provided that the dis
lance between the ends Of the pelvic
bones and the rear end OF the keel is
wide enough to allow three or four
ingers to lie between them. Such
hens are called two, three or four
inBer hens and, as a rule, their lay
ing ability is in close proportion toi
he width of these measurements.
IF hen has the lower side OF her.
Seel horizontal to the line of the
'ack, she is likely to be a moderate
aver. If the rear end Of her keel
urns up 1t is quite safe to condemn
Ter.
ut will be noticed that a hen that
would be selected as a good layer
must have good health, as indicated
" the bright eye and the healthy
ooking comb. The width between
he pelvic bones and between these
zones and the keel indicate plenty of
DOM for the ovaries and the imma-t
ire yolks attached to the ovary, and
ne deep breast indicates constitution 7
! vigoF.
Taking the indications here given
nd trying them on hens known to
e good or poor layers will soon show
ow to apply the method. A good
Ian for a beginner is to separate II
10 poor layers those culled out
'om those selected as layerB-and ii
oBerve the results In the egg pro-
lction of the two lots. Frequently
Is found that those selected as
bod layers have been producing
uch the larger part Of the eggs OBJ
ined from the dock." "