THE "NEW SYSTEM" OF SELECTING LAYING HENS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2862, 20 January 1909, Page 35

THE "NEW SYSTEM" OF SELECTING LAYING HENS.

Mr J. S. M'Fadzean, writing to the Victorian Department of Agriculture Joui-nal, says: — r'or several years prior to entering upon his present work tho writer was clo--ely connected with the poultry industry, and during that time carried out extensive experiments in hatching, feeding, and the general management of all classes of poultry utilised for 3gg-production and table purposes. The variations observed in the condition of laying hens during the course of these investigations and the conoluaions arrived at 'ii connection therewith would, at this juncture, appear lo be of special interest. In the columns' of the Melbourne press there have recently appeared advertisements in which, a claim has been made regarding the discovery of a system whereby the heavy laying birds can unfailingly be picked from any flock of hpns. xn order tha' the poultry-farming community of this State may not suffer Joss through inability to distinguish between the possible and impossible in connection with such systems, the following explanation of' the principles involved is here set out: — The skin of most animals when they are in gcod condition is soft arrd pliable to the touch. This also applies to domestio poultry. In hens thi- 9 elasticity is most noticeable in the hinder part of the body from the legs to the vent, and especially when they are in full laying. If a bird has been out of cpn>dition for any length of time, or even when over-fat, this pliability of the skin <"s gradually reduced, and a certain coarseness, drynese, or firmness of the skin is then apparent. There is also a corresponding expansion and contraction of the pubic bones of the pelvis noticeable at this part of the body, according to £he laying or non-laying condition of the fowl; and on this fact is based the so-called discovery of these .several systems. When it is understood that laying almost wholly depends on condition, the fallacy of any such system of picking heavy lavera is apparent. No matter what width the pelvic bones may be apart, if a hen is over-fat sho will not be a heavy layer; and any rediiotion in fle.=h below normal laying condition tha-t has a tendency to interfere with tho vitality of the bird will both check her la-ying and eauee a speedy contraction of tho abdominal parts mentioned. However, when once a correct knowledge of the application has bean acquired, this combination of fair condition, wide pelvio bones, and pliability of the skin beneath the fluff* will prove a sure guicte as to whether the bird ha.ndled i 6 laving at that particular time. If hens are carefully looked oxer at stated intervals, and those found to be not layintj are removed, the drones of the flock will soon disappear; for they cannot possibly escape detection. In a disputation that appeared in tha Petaluma Poultry Journal in 1906,' Mr Hogan —one of the originators of these "systems"—is credited with the acknowledgment that the physical conformation of a hen may change accoulii.rg to her condition as much ac 25 por cent. One of his customers, however, mentions cases where the alteration has been equal to 300 per cent. ; and also refers to a ''Hoganioed" 380 egg hsn that went so much, "off" in condition tha-t «>he showed equal only to about 30 egg> per year. This statement ie quite in accoidance with the writer's observations; and liens that have been proved exceptionally hea\\ layeis by the u^e of the trap ne-t do not, in manj ca-.es, support their known exceptional egg-pro-ducing capacity by their .structural formation a.t the time of handling. When lifting a hen to examine her condition, the most handy way to take hold of her is by placing the hand on her ".shoulder" from the front; and, slipping the thumb under one wing and the fingers under the othc^r, grasp them at tho butie firmly but gently; the hen can then bo handled without any Uif?. Then, by placing the other hand en the fluff or rear part of the bird-, bcxlv from the. underneath pide, or by *ligli;ly turning her over, with the tips of the fingers the two pelvic bones which lie one on each side below and adjacent to tho vent can be located. Almost invariably in a lew-conditioned bird the point 6of these bones stand clearly dofined to the touch. As ths bird makes fl<jsh they gradually become covered; till, in an over-fat bird, the-re is tome slight difficulty in exactly locating tliem en account of the thickne.-i of the ovei lying tissue. The 6tructure of fouio varies greatly in its form-aiicn at thi-> pait, some biids having a much larger space between

the pelvic 'tones than others, even as chickens ; and othei-s, when matured,, having the points of thesa bones not more" than liin apart ; others, again, will have* them at various widths, even uj» to 2in. To a practical poultryman, who understands feeding for condition, and who consequently is well versed in the handling of fowls, the position of these bones, when taken with t.ho bird's general condition, is a tolerably good guide as to whether sho is laying or not. He can also determine how long it, «would take to put a particular bird into laying condition if neoeesary. When from any cause whatever the bird is not laying, there ''s almost immediately a drawing together and tightening of the skin, and a closing towards each other of the points of" the pelvic bcn.?s. There is also a corresponding relaxation in these parts as la ying 'approaches. As size, age, and breed all to some extent control the 6l.ruc.ture of each bird, the actual widthbetween the pelvic bones cannot by itself be taken a*; positively demonstrating the laying condition of an.v 'icn. Speaking? generally, the bird that is fairly wide between these bones may be looked upen as a. good layer ; just a3 cno that is wide and deep in the fluff when viewed from the rear is likewise osually considered. Thecondition of the bird can only be ascertained by handling; and without fho knowledge of her condition as drawn from the actual touch, no external appearance of a hen will correctly indicate whether she is laying or not., The want of a simple method of culling out .he .ion-layers from an ordinarily wellbred and well-cared-for flock has been thocause of much annual loss to poultrymen. Trap-nests have done much towards culling out these drones; but these contrivances are nofc suitable for the practical working of lan ordinary farm flock. The periodical j handling of tho fowls is a much simpler, I and almost as effective a method; and for general c-gg-farming nothing more is needed. Every henhouse should be built and fitted \o permit of the stock boing easily handled" at night time. Poultry are usually averse i to being interfered with in any way in day- | light; but they can be looked over at night with little trouble with the aid of a lamp; and it is policy to accustom them to beinir bo dealt with while they are chickens. In, this connection ir is essential that their roosting houses be so constructed that they j can be closed at any lime; that the rcost* be all on the one level, and nob more than 3ft from the ground ; and that the houses are kept clean and free from -vermin ; all of which are in accordance with the requirements of practical chicken-rai6-in-g. Fowls generally moult during the late summer or autumn mouths ; and. while | thej are growing their fresh coat of feathers egg-production usually ceases. Mouliing occupies from six to eight weeks; and, unless she is hatching oi raising chickens, a hen should be engaged in laying throughout the rest of the year. Many hens will take an occasional rest for a week or so after a long spell of laying ; and, unless i tho<ie rest 3 are prolonged to the possiblo detriment of the total eggr-jield, no notice need bo taken of ihem; "but the hen tha» roes not do something towards paying for her board during any four consecutive weeks — excepting when she is moulting — • should be removed from the flock; and either fed to promote laying or sold 'or what she will bring. On the farm, the latter course will be found the most satis- - factory way of dealing with non-layers, unless- the price obtainable is below their . value as table fowls for home use, or the quantity to be disposed of is too large to be thus dealt with. This svstematie handling of the flock will be found vory useful in many ways. The presence of vermin in the sheds will soon become detected, and their destruction will allow the birds to thrive better. The result of any change of feed, or the necessity for a change, can al=-o easily be noted. Incipient cases of «ickness have also better chances of bring discovered by such inspections, and with promnt treatment losses may be prevented. The. non-productive hons should be regularly cullod from every flock. By careful observation along tho above lines their diiooverv is easy; and! with their removal roultry-farming speedily becomes more profitable.