The good layer will not have the bright colored yellow, after she has been laying for a short while, that the loafer will have. This is because she uses this yellow pigment in making the yolk of her eggs, so that as her laying period proceeds, she becomes more and more faded in her bill, eye lids, ear lobes, and shanks. Consequently, if some of your birds have a faded appearance, don’t condemn them, they are the hardest workers in your flock. Furthermore, the hen with worn toe-nails is one that should be kept, because this shows us quite clearly that she uses them considerably in scratching for her feed. Now let us examine the anatomy of the hen a little more closely so that we can get some more evidence for or against the hen in question. One of the most common ways, nowadays, in picking out the laying hen is to examine what is known as the pelvic bones. These are found on either side of the vent, towards the rear of the body. They are generally called the lay bones by most poultry men. They both mean the same. Now these bones tell a vivid story. These bones are usually measured by the fingers, or as to how many fingers can be inserted between the two bones. A poor layer will have a thick, grizzly covering of meat over the lay, or pelvic bones, and just about the width of one finger can be inserted between them. This shows us quickly that she is not a layer. Then, lets compare this poor layer to the good layer. Here we find something different. There is just a slight covering over the pelvic bones. The meat is thin and spare. If we feel of the bones, we find them quite thin and pliable. We next try to insert as many fingers between the two bones as possible. We will find that we can insert at least two fingers, and probably three, if our fingers are not too wide. The heavier the hen is laying, the wider the distance between the bones. Now, while we have the bird, let us look a little further into this bird’s conformation. The keel bone, or rear end of the breast bone, can be used as one unit, and the lay bones as the other unit of measure. See how many fingers you can get between the lay bones and the keel bone. Even for a small breed you should easily get in the width of three fingers, and for a larger breed you should get in the width of four fingers. This measures the hen’s capacity for feed. This distance between the lay bones and the keel bone is called the abdomen. We can tell considerable about the hen by the texture of the abdomen skin. If the skin is tough, and meaty, we can say right away that she is not a good hen, but if the skin is tender, pliable, and soft, then we can feel assured that she must be kept in the flock.