Classes Described 15 



than do the other breeds that are noted for utility. 

 They are maintained for the production of eggs 

 and for this purpose are unexcelled. Poultrymen 

 who rear large flocks for egg production find it 

 necessary, and often remunerative, to dispose as 

 market fowls of large numbers of young male birds 

 and also old hens that have passed the period of 

 greatest usefulness as egg producers; yet this is 

 incidental to the production of eggs and should not 

 in any way mask the fact that egg production is 

 the greatest useful quality of these fowls. The 

 Leghorns, Spanish, Minorcas, and Hamburgs are 

 good representatives of this class. 



The meat breeds are larger than the egg or the 

 general-purpose breeds. The largest breeds of 

 fowls are represented in this class. They are gen- 

 erally considered to be poor layers except, pos- 

 sibly, in a few cases where the pullets are fairly good 

 winter layers. They are heavy-bodied, slow-moving 

 fowls, of gentle disposition, and are persistent 

 sitters. The Brahmas, Cochins, and Langshans 

 are representative breeds of this class. 



The general-purpose breeds, as the term indicates, 

 include those fowls that are of medium size and 

 furnish a good quality of meat when properly fattened 

 and prepared for table use. For certain methods 

 of cooking, these fowls are preferred by many to 

 the larger bodies and coarser-grained flesh of the 

 distinctively meat breeds. As these fowls are good 



