Show ELIMINATE HENS THAT DONT LAY dont keep poor layers when easy to cull by 11 H ALP poultry extension specialist university of 01 illinois col lege of 1 l agriculture can the birds in the home poultry flock pass the physical test if they cant they be drafted for another year of service in the army of egg layers layer because chickens like soldiers are P playing laying an important part in the present emergency they have been drafted to furnish millions of healthful eggs under the nationwide food for defense program if flock owners kept accurate records of their layers abilities it is especially important that the birds physical characteristics be studied carefully before they are put in their quarters for the winter fortunately it is comparatively easy to distinguish layers from non layers by the culling method after a little practice bald headed as they often are good layers are usually tight feath ered over the rest of their bodies the feathers generally are dry frayed and washed out and good layers are active good feeders and have good dispositions the head of a good layer is usual ly clean cut well balanced of medium length and depth and the eyes are quite large and prominent be suspicious of the laying ability of the bird with a thick or coarse head or the bird with a crow head and the back of a good layer should be wide over its entire length and free from hard fat A narrow spring of ribs or a back that tapers decidedly or slopes sharply to the rear indicates small feeding capacity the body should be deep but flock owners be fooled into thinking that birds have body depth just because the feathers are long and loose depth of the body can be measured by placing the thumbs on the front end of the keel bone and the middle fingers on the rear of the keel bone depth of the front and rear can bi be measured by spanning the body from back to breast with the thumb and middle finger and sliding them along the keel and back if the bird isa good layer her comb wattles and earlobes ear lobes will be large plump smooth and waxy if the comb is limp the bird may be laying but when the comb is dried especially at molting bolting time the bird is not laying |