Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 202, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 August 1919 — “SELECTIVE SERVICE’’ FOR FARM FLOCK SHOULD RULE THROUGHOUT ENTIRE YEAR [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

“SELECTIVE SERVICE’’ FOR FARM FLOCK SHOULD RULE THROUGHOUT ENTIRE YEAR

(Prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture.) There are two classes of farm fowl —those that are parasitic on flock profits, and those that are profitable. To bounce the boarders from the flock and encourage the increase and betterment of the profitable biddies, are tasks of basic importance which confront every poultryman. With feed high in price and poultry products correspondingly valuable, it is of maximum significance to get rid of the worthless and increase the worthy birds in every farm flock, declare United States department of agriculture specialists. Culling serves three purposes. It Insures that the feed will be consumed by the profit-producing hens. It makes It possible to save those best suited for breeders, both because of their better production and their superior strength and vitality, which enable them to stand yp under the severe strain of heavy laying. It provides more room by thinning out the slacker hens. • Culling Regular, Continuous. Culling should be continuous throughout the year. It should consist of weeding out, when discovered, any hen which is sick, very thin or emaciated. or which shows evidence of non-production, weakness or poor vitality. The entire flock should be given a careful and systematic inspection and culling once a year and preferably several times. The hens should be handled individually and gone over carefully with the object of separating the workers from the shirker's. From the class of better producers it is desirable to pick out as many of the best as will be needed for subsequent breeding. These hens should bfe banded or otherwise marked so that their eggs may be saved for hatching purposes. The inferior fowls should be marketed as soon as possible. When a single systematic culling is made, the best time for such work is in August or September. Then it is easier to form a close estimate of the value of the hen as an egg producer, as well as to weed out the un-

profitable birds. Hens which show indications of laying at this time are those which on the average have been the better producers for the year. It must be remembered also, that the better producers during tfie first laying year are those which will be the superior yielders in subsequent years. Hens showing indications of having been good producers throughout the year should be retained for the next year regardless of their age, but relatively few hens will prove to be profitable' 0 producers beyond their second laying year if they are of the heavier breeds, such as the Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, Wyandotte, or Orpington; or beyond their third laying year if they are of the lighter breeds, such as the Leghorn. Additional culling during July is also desirable in order to eliminate hens which have started to molt and have stopped laying. Fowls to Cull. In culling the flock remember that It is safer to depend upon the agreement of a combination of several characteristics than to select by any one alone. With this in mind, cull hens that are sick, weak, lacking in vigor, inactive, poor eaters, molted or molting; those with small, shriveled, hard, dull-colored combs; with small, puckered, hard, dry vents; with thick or coarse, stiff pelvic bones, pelvic bones close together, small spread between pelvic bones and rear fend of keel, and full, hard, small abdomen. In breeds with yellow skin and shrinks, the discarded hens should also show yellow or medium yellow shanks and yellow beaks. Save hen's that are healthy, vigorous, alert, and active; good eaters; not molting or just beginning to molt in September or October; with large, moist vents; with large, brightred combs; thin, pliable pelvic bones well spread apart, wide spread between pelvic bones and rear end of keel, and large, soft, pliable abdomen. In breeds with yellow skins anp shanks, the hens saved should also show pale or white shanks and pale or white beaks and vents.

Keep the Workers—Eliminate the Shirkers.