Poultry Judging Practice Test

Which body part of a pullet fades first when she begins producing eggs?

1. Comb

2. Vent

3. Beak

4. Wattle

The correct answer is: Vent

The vent is the body part of a pullet that shows the first signs of fading when she begins producing eggs. This fading is related to the reproductive hormones that surge as the pullet transitions into a laying hen. The vent is highly responsive to changes in the hen’s reproductive system and becomes larger and more prominent during the onset of egg production. As the pullet starts laying eggs, the vent may begin to lose its color due to the hormonal shifts and the physical changes associated with egg-laying. The other body parts, while they may undergo changes over time, do not exhibit the same degree of immediacy in response to the onset of egg production as the vent does. For example, the comb and wattle of a pullet will certainly change, but those changes typically become more apparent later in the laying cycle. The beak, on the other hand, generally remains a consistent color and changes less significantly than the vent in the context of egg-laying onset.