88 BREEDS OF POULTRY 



features as early as chicks of the egg breeds. They are quick in 

 maturing, the pullets laying at from five to six months. A good 

 time for hatching is April, as this brings them to maturity at about 

 the right time in the fall. They reach the market broiler age at 

 about ten to fifteen weeks, depending upon the size and type of 



Fig. 55. — Comparison of the three utility types of poultry. 



broiler desired ; and they may prove very profitable when disposed 

 of in season at this early age. 



Good Sitters. — They are not as persistent sitters as hens of the 

 meat breeds, yet they will make much better sitters and mothers. 

 They are lighter in weight and do not have feathered shanks. 

 Yearlings and two-year-old hens are good for this purpose. One 

 objection to certain breeds of this group, from the egg-production 

 standpoint, is the large number of broody hens during the spring; 



