Show HENS CANNOT GET BY ON appearance ancestry and records count most alost for breeding not much can he be told about a hens hena ability to lay eggs by her looks tier her ancestry and record count for far more according to R E cray extension sion specialist in poultry husbandry for the ohio state university recent decent experiments have shown that neither the shape of the head nor the shape of the body Is worth considering in selecting a hen for the breeding flock but five factors other than appearance are worthy of consideration cray lists these factors as follows select for early maturity this Is an inherited characteristic and Is particularly ticul arly important because fall and winter eggs are the ones that return the profit light breeds mould begin laying at seven months and the heavy breeds at eight months select hens that lay in the winter examine the birds in february and select for the breeding flock those having baving tho the appearance of being in production duct lon another characteristic of a good prospect for the breeding lock flock Is persistence si stence in laying during september and october it if the birds pass the september october and february tests they have an excellent recommendation mend men dation atlon for a place in the breeding pen discard all birds that persistently tend to broodiness place a band on the hens leg each time she becomes broody throe three bands and ashes out winter pause period in egg laying should be of short duration |