The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1922-08-15

We have gone in many flocks
and cuilcd GA, 30 20 80 per cent "
the entire flock and the balance laid
~ rnny egg ns the entire flock.
Some N our kind friends have TAX
cn the trouble 10 confinc those We
cullcd out a. poor layers and fed
them everything they could think ~
90 make them lay, but without re-
Suits We are merely telling tins
10 show the merits Of the system.
II D. not 100 per cent perfect but Il
will do wonders when worked on
the average flock Of Texas farm
hens II might also be well to state
here that il win work equally as well
in mongrel or standardized flocks,
with the exception that among mon
grels Il may Gull out a discouraging-
IN large number II takes courage
and back bone 10 Gull chickens sue
cessfully. Don't be a piker, but
get out there in the yard and isolate
the poor layer and route them TO
the market. We have been instru-
mental TO Gull out many Texas hen
that old and grey from age was con-
sidered more or less Of fixture
on the farm They went to the but
cher because they had passed their
time Of usefulness The first step
in culling is 20 get rid Of some Of
the old timers. Those that you re-
ceived as a wedding present about
twenty years ago. In this connec-
tion Il is we'll % know that after
a hen has passed the two year mark,
she ceases TO be profitable from
he markot-cgg production stand
point
We believe that a hen that lays
so 10 POO eggs m9st look and act
entirely different than the hen that
LAYS only so % 100 egg; and there
are more IN the latter class than
the former.
The good layer molts late, say in
September. October and November
The poor layer molts early some Of
them are already Noting The later
aud quicker they mott, the better
LAYERS they are There are Of course
few exceptions 90 the rule, but
they are so few and far between
that it is not worth considering
them. Keep the worn and ragged
hen that doesn't seem 20 be able u
find time 10 stop laying long enough
10 shed her plumage.
Among yellow shanked varieties
like all Leghorns, Rocks, Reds,
MANDATES, Anconas and others, we
have observed that the individuals
with the most faded. palest and the
most hleachout shanks are the lay
ers while those with the brightest
yellow shanks. hcak and skin are
the poorest layers. When You soc
hen with pale shanks, bleached
heak. and in the case Of Leghoms,
white earlobes. they are good lay
ers The reason for that IS. that
the hen In laying eggs needs color
ing matter with which 10 color the
woke If the egg and she takes this
out Of her shanks, feet, toe nails,
skin. carlobes. beak and eye ring
The more eggs she has laid and the
more recently she has been lay
I ING. the more hleached these parts
appear; while the opposite is true
/ in the case Of the poor layer She
I did not lev many eggs. did not re-
quire so much yellow pigment and
7 hence left II IN the parts mention
cd and the story tells the extent
/ Of her performance during the year.
/ The color Of their shanks gives them
away Bright, yellow shanks means
laid few eggs and quit sometime ago.
| Pale shanks indicate heavy egg pro-
duciion and probably still AZ 1.
The above characteristics, Ike
most indications are only applicable
I I'M the case Of hens In the fall OF the
year and not among pullets or at
any other time Of the year II Is
necessary 20 bear this in mind.
A ronstitutionally strong bird. and
one that Is seldom sick. and passes
/ through the mott quickly and easily
Is much better layer than a hen
that molts slowly and develop
weakness during the molting time.
A hen that does not 20 broody
often and soon starts 10 laying
again, is much better layer than
one that goes broody often and IS
broody for a long time and hard 60
get TO laying again. The good lay
er does not waste much time on the
nest playing. She recognizes that
the modern hen only lays eggs and
let's the incubator do the Matching.
A hen with nervous disposition,
and hearty eater is good layer
The good layer at feeding time APP
pears more friendly and eats great
quantities Of food. She will be seen
working all day. eating, drinking
and laying; she will be the first on
the roOsts in the morning and the
lat on them at night. She BE- q
working hen and looks like a work.
ing hen. She does not loaf on th,
iob half of the time. She goes G.
roost with a full crop because she
knows that the egg is wade at night
and she must be prepared for H.
The comb and wattles Of good
layer are Of good size; soft In tex
ture, fine. warm, and bright red ir
color. Not so in the ease Of tht
poor layer. her head-gear on the
other hand has Fhrivellcd no. turned