POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 58, 1 December 1917, Page 15

POULTRY NOTES

(By Chanticleer.)

Keep tho Hen that Lays, ' Soma rules lor 'jullius the yearling hens to determine the producers lroiu the uonlirouucers:— The good hen is. now payinß better than ever, while the poor hen is losing more than ever, 'rhese are tacts proved by actual production of eggs, marketed from day to day as compared with the consumption of present high-priced food,, by the hens ill iho American egg-laying contest.

The main trouble lies, in tho fact that all hens are not good hens. In fact, n wo use as a stanuard oi a good hen. a production of 151) eggs per year, wu hna a large portion of ail hens fail to qualify. It seems to be a recognised fact, based on the last census' figures, that the average farm lieu lays about aeventy-hvo eggß. We believe this is perhaps too low a figure for the present—the 1917 average lien. We believe that the increase in breeding from standard-bred stock in the past five to ten years has already made an improvement in the egg-production of the average hen. In tnese days when every ounce of food should lie coiwervjd by feeding it only where it will produce its like, or more, in food value, and also in these days of high-priced grains, we should take steps which, insure the keeping of all hens with good laying ability while the non-pro-ducers should be culled out and sold for meat.

Contests have proved the following meI thodß profitable, especially under present conditions :-(l) Keep tho birds with rather large plump combß and-wattles. (2) Hens with pale vents, pale beaks, and pale legs have been gool layers. (3) Keep the late moulters, (4) Keep tho pulletß which mature quickly and start - laying first. Those which start laying when less than ZOO days old, or nearest that age, are tho best layers if they have had tho right care. (5) Market those which have been Blow to feather or seem to lack vitality. (6) The skin of tho best layers should.be rather loose and flabby on the abdomen between the vent and breast bone:-'(7) The pelvio bones must be thin, straight, flexible, and wide apart. (8) Market tho hens which aro bagging behind and which havo a heavy, fat, thick abdomen, which hangs below tho point-of the breaßt bone. (9) Keep, tho hustlers and heavy eaters that go to bed lato and with, full crops. (10). JSirdß that have long toe nails that show no signs of being workers are usually' unprofitable. (11) If a bird meets the above requirements it should have abroad back, long body, stoutly' built, and be in good flesh.' (12) If "a bird 13 not moulting and' still has a small; dried-up-comb,-covered with a sort of whitish substance, or if. a bird has thick or crooked' pelvic bohea which will be found on each side of the vent; and above the point of the breast bone, these are always monoy-loserf. • •>' ■ •■'■■.'