South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-07-29
GULL THE BIRDS
AND AID FLOCKS
Find the LOafers. Get Rid of
Them and Stronger Birds
WillBe the Result.

Hens that are born loafers usually
begin by July to quit their job OF
egg laying and start mouIting. taking
most of the summer ard fall to A.
nish the replacement of old feathers
with a new coat Of plumage. This
Is one of the outstandin charact-
eristics of the Improbable hen. and
the poultryman who keeps close
watch OF his flock may use it 10 his
advantage in culling out the unde-
sireable birds But this is not the
only dependable indication of what
may be expected Of the hens in a
flock, says the United States De-
partment Of Agriculture.
There are several things that the
wide-awake poultryman looks for at
this season. The low producer. hav-
ing small demand for the yellow
coloring matter manufactured by her
body puts it into her legs and beak,
making them a rich yellow. The
busy hen uses the color in touching
up the yolks of eggs and her legs
and beak become pale. These
birds with pale legs and beaks may
not look so well or so healthy as the
others, but they are the ones it pays
TO keep. In fact. the hen that is
most beautiful in summer and fall
/ should always be under suspicion.
other Marks of the LOafer
; On closer examination it will sbe
found that the loafer has a scaly
nj Oh n N
hen will have a plump comb OF a
| bright red color. The hen that has
stopped laying will have her pelvic
/ bones considerably contracted and
the distance between the bones Of
! the pelvic arch and the lower end
Of the keel will be materially re-
Iduced. She should be an early can
didate for the kettle.
! The heavy layer will show no
signs of moulting al this season, al
Though she may have been produc-
ling since last fall but will stick to
business until late fall. sometimes
rounding out a full year of cOntinu-
Gus egg production. This year
round laying not only means more
eggs. but also that a higher price Il
received for them as a large pro-
portion of them are laid in winter.
late summer and fall when prices
lare up The early moulter lays most
/ of her eggs during the flush season.
/ The hen that can keep up produc-
ton under the comparatively un-
favorable conditions that obtain out
/ side of the natural breeding season
has outstanding vigor and stemina.
Pays I'm Many Ways.
If the only result were to get rid
of the poor birds in the present
flock. II would pay 10 study those
distinctive characteristics, but It pays
even more in the improvement OF
the flock from year to year that il
made possible by the selection Of
birds having the combination OF
prolificacy and vigor. A convincing
demonstration of the Improvement
that may be obtained in this way
was made at the United States EX-
pertinent Farm. Beltsville Maryland
in recent Investigations. The late
moulters' selected from a flock OF
II 90 Rhode Island Reds in the fall OF
1920. laid several more eggs per
bird during their second year than
the original flock as pullets. They
were used as breeders the following
sDring. and the first Red pullets to
begin laying in the fall Of 1921 were
/ found to be the offspring of these
J late-mouIting hens. Their pullets,
! in a period Of seven months, have
/ already averaged about two dozen
eggs per bird more than the original
flock. The value Of their product
would be about s1.O4 per bird more
than the value OF the eggs from the
original flock during the same time.
lit is probable that this large margin
will be increased even more in the
next FIVE months. In the original
flock the bulk Of the production was
lin March and April.
Lose No Time.
The wise poultryman will lose no
time I'm culling out these poor pro-
ioucers OF cheap eggs. He will start
this summer building the foundation
! for a flock OF long-distance layers
/ The birds can he selected now and
next spring. after rest in the winter
their eggs will produce a high per
lcentage OF strong healthy chicks
THAT are almost certain TO make bet
tier records in flock production. II
good sires are selected the improve
ment will be surprisingly rapid.