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Flock Grading

Divit

The first and most basic knowledge a poultry producer should have, is to know how to identify which hens are in production. Once a female chicken has reached physical maturity egg production begins.

Removing the inferior birds reduces the cost of producing eggs, reduces the incidence of disease and increases the available space for productive hens. Hens eat feed whether or not they are laying. The farmer can separate the underlaying hens from the following characterstics given in the table under :

 Characterstics of a hen in production-------------

1.Soft, enlarged comb & Wattles  

2.Wide,moist Vent.

3.Increased distance between the pelvic bones

4.Increased distance between pelvic arch and keel

5.Velvty skin

6.Soft,Pliable,Enlarged abdomen.

7.Head will be neat and defined.

8.Eye will be bright and prominent.

9.Eye ring will be bleached.

10.Beak will be bleached

Characterstics of a hen out of production-----------

1.Short,hard,shrivelled Comb and Wattles

2.Small,puckered,and dry vent

3.Little distance between the pelvic bones

4.Short distance between pelvic arch and keel

5.Tight coarse skin.

6.Firm abdomen

7.Head will be beefy and weak.

8.Eye will be dull and sunken.

9.Eye ring will be yellow.

10.beak will be yellow.

Above mentioned characterstics will easily be visible to farmer/supervisor from which the birds not in production can easily be graded.

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