The first and most basic knowledge a poultry layer farmer should have, is to know how to identify which female chicken or hens are laying eggs. Once a female chicken has reached physical maturity egg production begins.
Removing the inferior chicken birds reduces the cost of producing eggs, reduces the incidence of disease and increases the available space for productive chicken hens. Chicken Hens eat feed whether they are laying eggs or not. The poultry layer farmer can separate the under laying chicken hens from the following characteristics.
Characteristics of a egg laying hens in production————-
1.Soft, enlarged Comb & Wattles
2.Wide, Moist Vent.
3.Increased distance between the hen’s 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
Characteristics of a chicken hen out of production:-
1.Short, hard, shriveled 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 characteristics will easily be visible to poultry farmer/supervisor from which the chicken birds not in production can easily be graded.
