18 Farm Poultry 



make great demands on their systems, their con- 

 dition is very similar to that of the young fowl 

 that is producing feathers for protection at the 

 expense of its physical organization. It is diffi- 

 cult if not impossible for a fowl having a weak 

 constitution to produce feathers rapidly. 



While all egg breeds are not of equal hardiness 

 in this respect, yet as a class they pass rapidly 

 through the most delicate periods of infancy, 

 which goes a long way toward placing them as 

 the most hardy of fowls. The individuals of egg 

 breeds develop combs and wattles early in life, 

 which still further give them the appearance of 

 small adults. At no time do they appear so ill 

 proportioned and awkward as do the good sized 

 though undeveloped young of the larger breeds. 



Poor sitters. All noted egg-producing fowls 

 are poor and uncertain sitters. The term "non- 

 sitters " has frequently been used to designate va- 

 rious breeds of fowls possessed of a marked ten- 

 dency toward egg production at the expense of a 

 disposition to incubate. 



Breeders have long been trying to further de- 

 velop the tendency of egg , production that is 

 inherent in all the Mediterranean fowls, which 

 has resulted in producing an exclusively egg-pro- 

 ducing machine. The marked development in 

 egg production in this class of fowls has been 

 accomplished at the expense of other desirable 



