POULTRY KEEPING FOR BUSINESS AND PLEASURE 25 



at small cost, for which his wealthy neighbor is willing to pay 

 liberally. The family flock is usually a success so far as profit is 

 concerned, as there is very little outlay in feed and time. The 

 refuse from the table constitutes the bulk of the feed. So the eggs 

 are produced at a smaller cost per dozen than would be possible 

 if the birds were kept in large flocks, all of the feed purchased, and 

 extra help needed to care for them. The beginner often reasons 

 that if a few birds pay a large profit, then one hundred times as 

 many birds will increase the profit one hundred fold. That such 

 is not the case, he will find upon trial, to his own grief. 



It is by the small flocks that the great mass of our market eggs 

 and poultry are produced. Anything which tends to increase 

 their productiveness and raise them from their inconspicuous place 

 in the farmer's mind will do much for the industry. 



Poultry Keeping for Fancy Points. The breeding of fancy 

 poultry means the breeding of high-class, pure-bred birds which 

 approach perfection as near as possible. Each fancier must 

 place before him a standard of excellence and strive to reach it. 

 The exhibition of the best birds at poultry shows and the winning 

 of prizes bring an income which pays well to the one who succeeds. 

 Many fanciers breed poultry just for the joy and recreation which 

 they get from it, yet the majority figure on a good financial profit 

 as well. 



Breeding fancy specimens which approach perfection is an art; 

 it requires much careful thought and a training and study in the 

 laws of breeding and selection. Usually a breeder selects one par- 

 ticular breed and devotes his entire attention to that. Sometimes 

 it is the improvement of an old and well-established breed which 

 is undertaken. At other times an entirely new breed is developed. 



The poultry fanciers of to-day rarely depend upon the plumage 

 pattern of their birds alone to bring them in the greatest return, 

 but combine utility qualities with fancy points. Wherever the 

 breeding of fowls for fancy points has been successfully carried on, 

 there has always been a general improvement of the common 

 stock. The fancier must never forget the utility qualities of his 

 birds and sacrifice them for the finer fancy points. The result 

 would be a general weakening rather than an upbuilding of the 

 stock. The tendency of overestimating the value of some minor 

 fancy points, to the sacrifice of utility, is rapidly disappearing. 



Many of our most noted breeders of to-day started with a 

 small beginning and by breeding for quality rather than quantity 



