CHAPTER XLVI 

 POULTRY 



ORIGIN AND BREEDS OF POULTRY 



The term 'poultry is applied to chickens, ducks, geese, tur- 

 keys, guineas, and peafowls. While the last two mentioned 

 are of very little importance, the other four are much more so 

 than is generally supposed. The Secretary of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture states that the value of the 

 poultry and eggs produced on farms in 1907 was more than 

 six hundred million dollars; also, that the poultry products 

 are worth more than the wheat and perhaps as much as the 

 hay raised in the United States. 



Probably all kinds of poultry, with the exception of turkeys, 

 had their origin in Asia. The so-called jungle fowl of India 

 is thought to be the original of our chickens. Very much has 

 been done by poultrymen in the production of new breeds 

 and the improvement of old ones. Chickens have received 

 more attention than ducks and turkeys, and geese have had 

 scarcely any study. 



Chickens. — In the revised edition of Farmers' Bulletin 

 No. 51, it is stated that there are 104 standard varieties of 

 chickens in this country. Besides these there are several 

 miscellaneous varieties. A standard variety is one which con- 

 forms to the description of that variety by the American 

 Poultry Association. Perhaps the best way to classify this 



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