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Show Plumage Plun1age of Hen Reveals RevealsEggProducing RevealsEgg-Pioducing RevealsEgg Pioducing Egg-Ploducing Egg Ploducing Egg-Producing Producing - CapacityThere CapacityThere Capacity CapacityThere There was a time timehcn \\hcn hcn when \ , \ hen farmers farmerssold farmerssold farmerssold sold their ragged and faded birds birdsbecause birdsbecause birdsbecause because of their unsightly appear appear- appearance appearance appearance - ance and kept the shck sl1ck slick coated , yel- yel yellow yellow yel yellow - low legged individuals mdlviduals because of oftheIr oftheir oftheir theIr attractiveness attracbveness That time IS ISpast ispast ispast past and the practice prachce is now re- re reversed reversed re reversed - - versed , asserts a poultryman in 10 the theBoston theBoston theBoston Boston GlobeThe GlobeThe Globe GlobeThe The persistence of production IS ISmeasured ismeasured ismeasured measured very largely by the condItIon con- con condition - ' ' dition of the plumage during durmg thesummer the thesummer thasummer summer and fall It If the hen lays laysregularly laysregularly laysregularly regularly she usually retains retams her herold herold herold old feathers , but if l ! for any reason reasonother reasonother reasonother other than sickness or broodmess broodiness broodmessI broodmessshe broodinessshe broodinessshe I she stops laying laY1Og , the feathers begm begin begmto beginto beginto to drop This brings on the condi- condi condiI condi'bon condition condi-'tion condi 'tion tion - I 'bon bon ' tion we know as moltmgI moltmgThe moltingThe molting moltmg moltingThe I The order in ill which the feathenfall feathers feathersfall 1 1fall fall is 1S first from the neck , then the theback theback theback back , body , . wings wmgs and tail tall The Theneck Theneck Theneck neck molt is 1S rather common at any anyseason anyseason anyseason season of the year , even m 10 in good lay Jay- Jay Jayers layers - ' ers , but if l ! the molt m-olt m olt melt - progresses to tothe tothe tothe the back , the primary feathers of ofthe ofthe ofthe the wing wmg generally molt also The Thestage Thestage Thestage stage is seldom reached unless wlless the thehens thehens thehens hens have entirely ceased laYlng laying laYlngCessahon layingCessation layingCessation Cessahon Cessation of laying is likely to brmg bring brmgon bringon bringon on a general molt brmgI I |