LESSON L 

 POULTRY 



A product of most farms. On almost every farm 

 one or more kinds of poultry are raised ; and there are 

 some large farms whose entire product consists of eggs 

 and fowls. Chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, peacocks, 

 guinea fowls, pheasants, and other birds raised for eggs, 

 meat, or feathers are called poultry. Even the large 

 ostriches which are kept for their beautiful feathers 

 may be regarded as poultry. 



Eggs. Chickens form about 95 per cent of the 

 poultry of the United States, and their eggs are the 

 leading poultry product. The eggs of turkeys, ducks, 

 and geese are sometimes used for food, but chickens 

 lay more and better eggs than other fowls, and so we 

 seldom find any but hen's eggs in the market. 



Breeds of chickens. There are many breeds and 

 varieties of chickens. Some breeds, like the Leghorns 

 and Minorcas, are raised chiefly for their eggs ; while 

 others, like the Brahmas and Cochins, are raised prin- 

 cipally for their meat. The Plymouth Rocks, Wyan- 

 dottes, and Rhode Island Reds are American breeds 

 of general-purpose chickens, valuable for both eggs 

 and meat. There are some fancy breeds, like the 

 Bantams, that have little practical use. 



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