94 BREEDS OF POULTRY 



The Houdans are the most popular French breed of the general- 

 purpose type. They are especially noted for heavy egg production, 

 and furnish considerable meat of excellent quality. 



Fancy Breeds. This group includes breeds and varieties 

 kept and bred mainly for exhibition purposes. Most of these 

 varieties carry peculiar and highly developed color patterns or 

 plumage markings. Many fowls of this group are good layers. 

 This quality might be intensified by selection and breeding. Many 

 of them are capable of producing meat of most excellent quality. 

 But there are special breeds better adapted to these purposes; 

 and the fancy breeds have not attained wide distribution and are 

 not common on farms. 



Those mentioned here are a few of the better known breeds 

 representing this type. The varieties of the Polish breed have 

 extremely fancy plumage, and a large crest on the top of the head. 

 The exhibition and ornamental Games may also be grouped here. 

 The Silkies, Sultans, and Frizzles are birds which are bred primarily 

 for exhibition purposes. Each is of interest because of some pecu- 

 liar feature. The Bantams are bred for fancy or ornamental pur- 

 poses, as they contain few, if any, utility qualities. 



In this connection it must be understood that all breeds of 

 poultry, regardless of their utility value, are bred for fancy points. 

 There is an increasing tendency to select the best utility breeds 

 for this purpose. This is a step in the right direction. The Wyan- 

 dottes, Orpingtons, and Plymouth Rocks are useful breeds which 

 are taking more prominent places in the large shows; this is result- 

 ing in better quality and more fixed type in these breeds. 



Fancy Qualities. The term " fancy qualities " is often used 

 to mean purely show features. It is also used to describe standard- 

 bred poultry. The latter use is the more correct, since it includes 

 all requirements to represent the height of perfection from every 

 standpoint. Certain breeders opposed to the work of the American 

 Poultry Association often use the term " fancy " in such a way as 

 to leave a misunderstanding as to its exact meaning. All birds, 

 if they are standard-bred, should possess the requirements of color 

 and plumage markings for the best birds in their breed. In many 

 cases to attain the intricate pattern and plumage requires careful 

 selection and breeding. 



The term " standard-bred " covers the requirements of size, 

 shape, and general conformation of body considered necessary or 

 useful for market poultry, and the size and weight of body for egg 



