6 POULTRY CULTURE 



the species that have been domesticated, though conspicuous, is 

 not their principal habit. They are essentially land birds. Ducks 

 and geese in their natural state are also aerial in habit, though the 

 power of sustained flight seems to be used only for purpose of 

 migration. In domestication ducks and geese within a few genera- 

 tions lose the power of flight to such an extent that they are the 

 most easily restrained of all domestic creatures. 



2. They are omnivorous feeders, like man, and hence may be 

 fed largely on food wasted by man (in manufacture as well as in con- 

 sumption) and on foods wasted by or not available for the larger 

 domestic animals. The different kinds of poultry vary in the pro- 

 portions of different kinds of food which they normally take. This 

 is of further advantage to man, as will be shown in Chapter XI. 



3. They are docile in disposition and readily adapt themselves 

 to the conditions of life which domestication imposes. Of the many 

 kinds of birds valuable for food purposes it is significant that only 

 five are commonly found in a state of domestication : four kinds of 

 poultry (fowls, turkeys, ducks, geese), and pigeons. These do not 

 appear to have been deliberately selected for domestication as more 

 valuable than others. It is probable that from the time savage man 

 began to snare and trap birds, or was moved occasionally to try to 

 remedy a less than mortal injury inflicted by his weapon, nearly 

 every kind of bird has been kept in captivity. Many wild birds are 

 as highly prized for food as any of those that have been domesti- 

 cated. It was, evidently, not so much the taste of men, or the some- 

 thing in the bird which appealed to that taste, which had most 

 effect in determining which kinds should be domesticated. It was 

 adaptability to the conditions of domestic life ; and this adaptability 

 depended upon docility, capacity to develop confidence in man and 

 to live in some degree of harmony with other domestic creatures. 



4. They are of sufficient size to be individually of economic im- 

 portance. This applies to ordinary specimens of the smaller kinds 

 and all specimens of the larger kinds of poultry. Bantam fowls 

 (except the larger types, Cochin and Brahma) are of no importance 

 except for " fancy." 



5. They tend to improve in domestication in qualities most 

 valuable to man. This is most noticeable in a comparison of poul- 

 try and pigeons. Improvement in pigeons is possible, and much 



