SECTION LVIII. BREEDS AND VARIETIES OF 

 CHICKENS 



IT has been found easy to create new breeds of chickens 

 by selection and by crossing. As a result, there are now 

 more than one hundred varieties of chickens. These may 

 be divided into four general classes, according to the use 

 to which each is best suited. These classes are : 



(1) The egg breeds. 



(2) The egg-and-meat breeds. 



(3) The meat breeds. 



(4) The fancy or ornamental breeds. 



The egg breeds. The breeds of this class are so named 

 because they lay more eggs than those of the other classes. 

 The fowls are small and active. They are poor sitters. 

 Among the leading egg breeds are the Leghorns, Minor- 

 cas, Spanish, Red Caps, Andalusians, and the Hamburgs. . 

 They mature early, pullets beginning to lay before they 

 are five months old. The eggs of this class are generally 

 pure white. 



Most breeds of each class are again subdivided into vari- 

 eties named according to color of plumage or shape of 

 comb. In other respects, these varieties of each breed are 

 alike. The Leghorns include eight varieties ; among them 

 are the White, Brown, and Buff Leghorns. A Leghorn 

 hen should lay between 150 and 200 eggs in a year (Fig. 



310 



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