Poultry Keeping 



297 



U. S. D. A. 



FIG. 241. A start in poultry. The leg bands on the chicks will permit the 

 owner to keep accurate records. 



kinds. In this way the flock is kept uniform. Such 

 a flock looks better and does better, and the uniform 

 eggs generally sell at a little higher price than mixed 

 eggs (Fig. 242 and Exp. i). 



Breeds of chickens. The first breed to become popu- 

 lar in America was the Barred Plymouth Rock. At 

 the suggestion of a friend, Joseph Spalding, a Con- 

 necticut poultry fancier, mated a common hawk-colored 

 cock, a Dominique, with a Black Cochin hen. The 

 chicks that resulted from the cross were found to resem- 

 ble the Black Cochin mother in size, while most of them 

 took their color from their Dominique father. The best 

 chickens from this first brood were chosen to breed from. 

 After several years of selective breeding, they were 



The 



general- 

 purpose 

 type: 

 American 

 and 



English 

 breeds 



How 



Plymouth 

 Rocks 

 originated 



