METHOD FOR SELECTING HENS UPON MOLTING Russian patent published in 2000 - IPC

FIELD: agriculture, in particular, poultry farming. SUBSTANCE: method involves keeping hens for laying period; forcing the molt by exposing hens to stress factors; keeping hens for another laying period; forcing the molt with further counting the number of changed primary feathers providing predetermined average egg-laying capacity during another laying period in accordance with formula: X=(Y-Z)/3,15, where X is number of changed primary feathers, pc; Y is predetermined egg-laying capacity during second laying period, %; Z is minimum egg-laying capacity at the end of first laying period (before forced molting); 3,15 is increment rate of egg-laying capacity during changing of each primary feather; selecting hens with number of changed primary feathers equal to or exceeding X. EFFECT: increased efficiency and improved precision in evaluating egg-laying capacity by counting changed primary feathers of individual hens. 2 cl, 1 tbl, 1 ex