Arizona republican., 1922-06-25

account, and, if the tests of some
well-known culling system are ap-
piled and they are found wanting,
it is a saving in feed to discard them
early. Obviously, it Is an object to
Gull again the spring, when the price
of eggs drops, for although this is the
one season of the year when the
culls will lay if they are ever to lay,
the number is so small that it is
hardly worth while to hold them for
the eggs that will be had at low
price.
to lay and room is needed for the
pullets, the old hens should be culled
again and culled closer, because the
hen that pays to keep over for a sec
ond and a third year must be ex-
ceptionally good.
Other Ways of curIins
When culling the old hens in the
fall. there is another way of culling
other than the body test or hoganiz-
ing, and this is the moult. A gov
ernment bulletin on this subject says
regarding the moult test: Hens
cease laying completely. or almost
completely, during the molt. The
better producers lay late In the fall,
and therefore moult late. Late
moulters also moult rapidly as a
rule, while early moulters moult
slowly. Therefore, save the hens
which have not moulted by August
or are only just beginning to moult
late in September or in October, and
discard those which have finished
moulting or are well into the moult.
The hens which moult latest. pro-
vided they are otherwise desirable,
are the best to save for breeders. A
hen which has not moulted at that
time Is characterized by soiled and
worn or broken plumage, which is
especially evident in the tail plumage,
while those moulted or moulting
show clean, fresh plumage or PIN
feathers. Culling the early moult-
ers just as soon as they begin to
moult is one of the easiest ways to
weed out the poor layers"
The Pigment Test
With the breeds such as Leghorns,
that have yellow legs and yellow
beaks, there is still another test that
will help one to select the non-lay-
ers. BY observation of many trap
nested birds, the fact has become
well established that the yellow color
gradually fades from the legs and
from the beaks. Careful observers
have checked the time that is re-
quired after a pullet begins to lay
before the pigment will fade from
the legs and also from the beak. Ex-
perts can in this way tell by an ex-
animation whether a hen is laying
heavily or not. and in many cases
can estimate very closely whether
the hen has been laying continuously
or not, as the beak will sometimes
show a ring of yellow halfway be-
tween the end and the base at the
head. This is taken to indicate that
there has been period when the
hen rested.
The pigment fades also from the
edge of the eyes and from the vent.
The ear lobe of breeds that have
white ear-lobes with a tinge of yell
low or a creamy appearance, will
fade to a white.
General Appearance
It was said at the time when the
Tom Barron hens first made their
records in the American
egg-laying contests, particularly the
at Storrs, Conn.,, that Bar
ron could go into any flock and Sc
leet the layers and the non-layers
without handling them at all. Since
then there are many experts in our
own country who can make pretty
fair "guesses" as to a hens ability
to lay just by her general appear
ance.
Chief OF these general character
istics is the appearance of health
and vigor, for without these no hen,
no ma tier what her anatomical struc-
ture may be. cannot lay. The hen
that is active, alert, and first to get
off the roost in the morning, last to
forsake the yard for the roost at
night, is always ready for feed when
feeding time comes, or is rustling at
all times, is pretty sure to be d top
notch layer.
The comb is generally considered
a very good indication of not only
a good or poor layer but an indica-
ton also of whether or not the hen
is laying. A good-sized comb. not
too "beefy," is a desirable character
istic. The comb varies, of course,
with different breeds, but conforming
to the characteristics for the breed,
the comb should indicate the health
of the fowl and the appearance will
show also whether the hen is laying
or not If the comb is a bright red,
the chances are that the hen is lay
ing. but if it seems to be covered
with a scruf and is dull in appear
ance. the hen has probably quit for
the time being.
This article is not intended as
guide for selecting laying hens, or
for the still more important job of
culling. 1t is intended only to call
attention to the importance of this
very essential part of the poultry
work There are books on the sub
ject such as the Call of the Hen"
mentioned, which may be
had of the Phoenix Seed company of
this city. There are also bulletins
which give very excellent instruc
tions. One of these is "Cuiling the
Poultry Flock" U. S. department of
agriculture publication, and the other
Is by our own Prof. r. B. Thomp-
son, and is entitled Selecting Lay
ing Hens" Either of these may be
obtained of the county agricultural
agent or at the chamber of COM
merce
A culling demonstration is to be
conducted at several points in the
Salt River valley by Professor
Thompson about the middle of July.
of exact dates and
the places will be published later.
-O------
AMENITIES
"ThiS here golf game" remarked