POULTRY 



637 



Leghorns in egg production. The black 

 variety is most commonly bred but there 

 is also a white variety and single and 

 rose comb sub-varieties. The cocks of 

 standard size will weigh 8 pounds. The 

 hens 6y 2 pounds. They lay very large 

 white eggs and are non-sitters. 



Blue Andalusians — This is a hand- 

 some bird marked with light and dark 

 blue plumage but has a white skin and 

 blue shanks. The hens are non-sitters 



Fig. 398 — SINGLE COMB WHITE LEGHORN 



and lay large white eggs, equal in size 

 to those of the Minorcas. The chicks 

 are very hardy and the pullets begin 

 laying when five to six months old. They 

 easily rank with the Leghorns and Mi- 

 norcas for farm purposes. In size they 

 are about equal to the Leghorns. 



Black Spanish — This is one of the 

 oldest breeds of poultry. They have a 

 large red comb and wattles with large 

 white face and lobes, that contrast 

 strikingly with their glossy black plum- 

 age. Pullets lay from 150 to 180 large 

 white eggs a year and are above the av- 

 erage as winter layers. In size the 

 breed is about equal to the Leghorns. 



Hamburgs are in general appear- 

 ance much like the Leghorns. There 

 are six varieties, the Golden Spangle, 

 Silver Spangle, Golden Pencil, Silver 

 Pencil, Black and White. They are all 

 very attractive in appearance and stand 

 in the front rank as egg producers. 

 They are non-sitters and produce rather 

 small white shelled eggs. The Silver 

 Spangle Hamburg is perhaps the most 

 popular. 



Meat breeds_As the term indicates, 

 the chief value of the meat breeds of 

 poultry is for meat. They lay compara- 

 tively few eggs, are slow in movement, 

 persistent sitters and require a full year 

 to reach maturity. They have a rather 

 sluggish nature, short, heavy legs, and a 

 tendency to become fat. 



The Light Brahma is the largest of 

 these breeds. The plumage of the male 

 is pure white excepting the hackle, tail 

 and flights which are black and white, 

 striped with black. The cocks will 

 weigh about 12 pounds, the hens 9^ 

 pounds. They are a very hardy breed 

 and fair layers, producing eggs of a rich 

 brown color, weighing about seven to 

 the pound. The dark Brahmas are much 

 less popular and are about a pound 

 lighter. 



Cochins stand next in popularity to 

 the Brahma. The Buff Cochin is the 

 variety most generally bred. There are 

 also Partridge, Black and White varie- 

 ties. The cocks weigh about 11 pounds 

 and the hens 8V2 pounds. The legs and 

 feet of this bird are heavily feathered 

 The eggs are of a rich brown color and 

 medium size. Skin and legs yellow. 



Langshans are the smallest of the 

 Asiatic class. They have white flesh 

 and dark legs, are good foragers and sit- 



Fig. 399 — single comb black Minorca 



ters, hardy, and fairly good layers. The 

 cocks weigh about 10 pounds at matu- 

 rity and the hens about 7. There are 

 black and white varieties of Langshans. 

 Faverolle is a French breed noted 

 for, quick maturity and the excellent 

 quality of the young broilers and roast- 

 ers. They have white skin and light 

 colored shanks. They are usually five 

 toed and the shanks are feathered. The 

 breed is about equal in size to the 

 American Plymouth Kock. 



