CHAPTER II 



EGG BREEDS OF THE DOMESTIC HEN 



AGRICULTURISTS may, for convenience, classify 

 fowls as to their useful qualities as 



Egg Breeds General-Purpose Breeds 



Meat Breeds Fancy Breeds 



While this classification gives considerable infor- 

 mation, in a general way, yet it should not be 

 inferred that the distinctions between these classes 

 are constant or very pronounced. In other words, 

 a classification that is based on utility does not 

 make use of positive characteristics. The distinc- 

 tions are relative and therefore quite variable, as 

 the usefulness of any breed will depend to a large 

 extent upon various conditions, as food, care, 

 climate, etc. Again, the so-called general-purpose 

 fowls form a connecting link between those which 

 are most highly esteemed as egg producers and 

 the heavy, clumsy Asiatic fowls, whose most useful 

 quality is the production of large bodies that are 

 highly valued for table use. From the nature of 

 the classification and the variation of the fowls 

 from the standpoint of usefulness, it will readily 



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