FOWLS 



began to follow the practices of the most successful poultry 

 keepers that they knew, and to introduce new breeds, and 

 gradually great changes were made in the methods of produc- 

 ing poultry and in the types of fowls that were kept in places 

 where the interest in poultry was marked. 



Nearly all farmers now keep quite large flocks of fowls. 

 Many farmers make the most of their living from poultry, and 

 in some places nearly every farm is devoted primarily to the 

 production of eggs and of 

 poultry for the table. Fowls 

 receive most attention, al- 

 though, as we shall see, some 

 of the largest and most profit- 

 able farms are engaged in 

 producing ducks. In the 

 suburbs of cities and in vil- 

 lages all over the land many 

 people keep more fowls now 

 than the average farmer did 

 in old times. These city poul- 

 try keepers often give a great 

 deal of time to their fowls 

 and still either lose money 



FIG. 23. Black Langshan hen. (Photo- 

 graph from Urban Farms, Buffalo, 

 New York) 



on them or make very small 



wages for the time given to 



this work, because they try to keep too many in a small space, 



or to keep more than they have time to care for properly. 



The breeding of fancy fowls is also an important pursuit. 

 Those who engage in this line on a large scale locate on farms, 

 but many of the smaller breeders live in towns, and the greater 

 number of the amateur fanciers who breed fine fowls for pleasure 

 are city people. 



On large poultry farms the work is usually done by men. 

 There are many small plants operated by women. The ordinary 



