Rural School Leaflet 1143 



PRACTICAL POULTRY LESSONS 



I. TYPES OF FARM POULTRY 



O. B. Kent 



Nearly all breeds of poultry can be classified in three groups, depending 

 on their use. These groups are the meat breeds, the general-purpose 

 breeds, and the egg breeds. 



The meat breeds are very large, are heavily and loosely feathered, 

 and have big frames. They lay a medium-sized dark brown egg, and 

 usually lay well in the winter, but do not have a very good reputation 

 as egg producers. They are rather slow and lazy, and, unless fed care- 

 fully, are likely to become overfat. They can stand cold very well. 

 The chicks of this group grow rather slowly but are very hardy. The 

 most common breeds are the brahmas, the cochins, and the langshans. 



The general-purpose breeds were developed mainly in America by 

 combining, as far as possible, the good qualities of the meat breeds and 

 the egg breeds. As the name shows, they are intended for both eggs 

 and meat. This group is probably the most popular on the farms in 

 the United States. The general-purpose breeds are from medium to 

 large in size, and make fairly good meat birds. The birds are very active, 

 roaming freely about the fields, and picking up a great deal of their own 

 food. They are extremely hardy, and withstand very hot and very cold 

 weather. The hens make the best mothers, and will hatch and take 

 care of a good many chicks, which grow fairly rapidly and usually are 

 very strong. The hens are very good layers also, and their eggs are 

 medium in size, varying in color from a light to a dark brown. The 

 most popular breeds are the plymouth rocks, the wyandottes, and the 

 rhode island reds. 



The egg breeds are those that have been bred almost entirely for eggs. 

 They are from small to medium in size, and their feathers lie nearly flat 

 on their bodies. They are active, nervous, and great fliers. Their 

 small size makes them undesirable as meat birds, but they have a good 

 reputation as egg producers, especially considering the amount of food 

 consumed. The eggs, from medium to large in size, are white and nearly 

 always hatch well; the chicks are quickly and easily raised. However, 

 because of their nervous temperament, the hens cannot be depended 

 on to hatch eggs or to care for chicks. The most common breeds are 

 the leghorns, the minorcas, and the anconas. 



It must be remembered that frequently there is a greater difference 

 between the individuals of a breed than there is between the different 

 breeds. Some birds have wonderful records as egg layers, while other 

 hens of the same breed are very poor egg layers. Any of the breeds 



