37 



In Figs 21 and 22, the bill is short and stout, but not so well curved as it 

 should be. Note the breadth of head, the prominence and brightness of the eye, 

 the short, stout neck, the great width of the breast, the fullness caused by the brea.^t 

 bone extending well forward, the short, stout legs (straight under the body), and 

 the width between the legs. There is an expression about this chicken that indicates 

 health and the essence of vigor. 



The back should be broad, to give lung and heart capacity; and the width 

 should extend well back to the tail-head. We do not want the wedge-shaped back, 

 as seen in some fowls that have great width at the shoulders and taper rapidly 

 toward the tail-head. 



It is much easier to get good-shaped market pullets than good cockerels. The 

 market demands a five-pound bird when dressed, and farmers have gone into rais- 



Fig. 24. 



ing big chickens. To that end they are asking for large, overgrown cockerels, of 

 excessive depth, for breeders; and the result is that we get dressed chickens weigh- 

 ing four to five pounds each that have immense, high breast-bones and very long 

 legs. These are not attractive to the buyers, and they sell at less per pound than 

 plumper birds. For example, if given two birds of the same width of breast, one 

 is one and one-half inches deeper in the breast than the other. The result will 

 be that one bird will look plump and sell readily, while the other will lack in 

 plumpness and be slow in selling. This lack of plumpness can be bred out by using 

 such males as that shown in Fig. 21. 



We like to have birds as well built as we can get them, and Fig 21 is as near 

 the ideal market chicken as we have in fhe breed which he represents. 



