TO PICK THE LAYING HENS

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 443, 27 February 1909, Page 3

TO PICK THE LAYING HENS

..;TH|^'TKr|;i'ciiiTiciSEbi'::;.;i- ----:-:(:: <By.)J.;!S.' : %:■% -;-\?*he -Victorian vS&tei,'' Journal -pf '.Agricul--;:-rfK^,^?''?)«vs.^ : :i'rt:-.-:r'V:.'' ; (;■■•".': ; prior -to (entering-upon ;'. : sluß- present .work-the;writer-was: closely' cot :^;.neoted'V ; with;the; : poultry: industry/ ,and:, : dur;K:; m ? nt s':in v hateJiing, r feodirig;;an'd the/general .vimanagement;.-of 'all-classes of, poultry'utilised (,-('for.;egg-production:and'Vtalble^jbjppses'f"'■"' .' /: -"•' '-v T .¥'.^ lat w n ?;Phserved:in'tne Mndition'of (1\ laying/hens during /the; course of ■ these-, in;i;,ysetogatipns,; and :;the'-:,cpnclusions arrived: at ¥:'■:'' w 'connection .therewith iwould/:'at this j line-V-V-.'tpre, appear teibe'.'pf special.interest. In the :^-^,.oolumns i -6f-::tho..Melbbnrae, ; . : ■;,v. : recently^;apj>earcd ; ;idvertisemehts':in wh'ich a ,\7 ; :r;chiim has :bpen. : madei.';regarding ftie discoveryheavy -laying birds .;;-:can unfailihgly-,;be'picked:- from; any.iflock of :V. iens. ;In order, .that, the "poultry-farming : cbmV : ;\™ un ! t y■• of ; ,this"State: may: not-siiffer Closs■ ■• :V^rpngh': ; inabmty ; between: the suchvsystems.:'theV-following,.explanatiion. of ' - * m, p^,°'p — s invblyed is. here -set'.'out..•'"' ■;-::,iV-The'skii; ; of;mbst.ranimals; when they are ;.v; ; in: gppd:^conditibn: : is v softvand' pliable, to the U ■ *°uch ; >;\.This;;also applies, to;-domestio'' poul-':■.'•'-.*■??•!-:-:In , hens >' tnis: elastioity :is, most rioticeCvvablejui;the:hmder:part ; of;the body-from the ;-v legs-to-theVyent, J and ;especiallyi when : they: :>'> an?^: f^a7W;>^i ; out of ;^conditlon;ior; : anyVlength:Jof time/or evbn • ;;:.when- qver-fat/ : thisfpliabiUty.of •.'•'thai skin' is! ;;-;: gradually: reducedjvand a'certain coarseness,: :::' .dryness, 'or-.-flrinness of the. skints then ap-;.:-There-isyalsb'-:a,.correspbnding ■- ex-;-:;vpansion and :bf: the pubic bones ::•::, pel"s;noticeablb:-at\thiß; part; 'of the: -: :° rla'ying or :non-laying ; ;:cpndto: of::-th ? A ;fowl;: : :andvon ;this -fact; is J: .;;, : Dased;the,so-caUed;:discovery;bf these'several .i- : that:laying : :/:;: almost condition, (the-faC -v; :{ a ?y >9V. an? .^uch;:isystem'.'bf, picking-heavy delayers;is apparent.; ■: v.^-r,^ fa '-, ~-;^> ■■'■ a^?*atv widthkthe:pelvic '. bones >:;:;may^be,apart,;-if,a;;heh.:is bver-fat she'-will y0 h€av yvl a ,yef/arid, any deductions in • ..flesh, belownormallaying.condition/that- has ■•& e v?^ Vnterfere with 'the vitalityXof ;,: ; the, : : . ? ,caus^.a;Si^dy^ntoction;:bf^the'abdbmin a l. .;:; parts :.:.when vonce::: a 0- oprrect Wledgeiof ■ the .application has been ,: ; : acquired,'r,his:;oombinatibn of.:fair- condition, • -.wide.pelvio bones.rand pliability.of the skiff V;^e n eath aV -- h to ;; whether thebird handledis thai ;-, particular time./'lf,hens-are carefullv looked • v,be^npj;;hwmg;are..reraoved/the:drb n esbf"tho ■/-i-flock^will-isoon :>disappear;i: for: they': C anaot ; ;:.> possibly escape .detection; 1 ':-::: ■"; ■- ot '.''Mj n . -:f': s P« t ation:-ttiat;;,appeared' -in '■ the: :; rPetaluma. Poultry. Journal" in 1900 Mr' :;;^Hpgan—one,_..of,:;thb;:originatorsy bf ' these- : , :,.. | sratems^--is,cred l ted--::with,:the acknow- ' ~ledEment,that:t he-physical conformation of : ~;■. A.heiumay.;change,^■atcbrdihg'.to. : ;lier.--'cbndi- : .■•-i^tloa■;as.■mupi■-■as;.;2s>'per^•centi^; : 6ile''■■o.f ; .his'' "customers/ however,' mentions'•: cases i- where ,' ythe,.alteration:-has-been■; -equal-'-:to -300 ? per r.vceht.^and. alspirefers :.;.', e gg:heh,that^wentrso:much,."off":in ,'condi- : -~tion that" she showed:equal only to ab6ut :, 3o . : «6gß,per...year.;. This (statement is quite in ;:- accordance, jwithwthe': :;observatiohs; ■'.':• ■•' a " d hens'.'that have ..been proved - exception-..iallyj.heavy'layers.by-the-use.of the trap nest .-jap.-novin?many cases,.support their known ;;..;exceptional• egg : producing-capacity:by their :, -formation;at;the :time of hand- ;; %^;^''i n : ; l i l t i nS:.a;hen:;te'examine;her:condi;r.tion. the most/handy-waylfoVtakehold of.her . ; is;,by;!j)lacmg:.thp'';hand 'oh-= her "shoulders"' ,;:^oni : the. front j-.a'nd, slipping,tho thumb un;dorr; v.ne:- wir^^and:.the..-fingers : under:-the -:;.other,.to grasp;,them;:at.'the butt's firmly'but :;. gently;. the: lie.nj3an;-tl)'em'be 4'ith--;fu S s^:>Then^ ; by;placing-the-:'other;' ;■'•:'■; ha .l; , !.'i , : n - tn?-flV«^>iTrear-part' ; of.:the bird's v- - ? (! '. ! >' ; :'rom the underneath side.' or by 'slightly '■■:-. tnriiwg. her;over^with:-the: tips' of- tho ling-" :: e, ' s , wliich liei:one-' ; on : : -enckside below ;and; adjacent: to :the (vent can- ;■■ b? ;lacated. ..A most;invariably,in'; a low-con- ■: -•■•;;itionedbird-. : tha'.:pdints of ahose bones, stand . clearly .defined ;tc ; tho ; touch. As:thß bird -- makes ; flesh'they graduallvKbecbme-covered* ' . -till, bird/there is some slight .f.sdiffißulty.m'exactly-locatirig.'them" on. account ;■■-:-; of:thp,.thickness ofi.the ■bverlyihg:'tissue. The .;::.«tructure.bf.'fpivls:'varies greatly m its.forma- ,' .tion..at ;tbao.:pirt/sbme' birds having-a much