58 BIGGLE POULTRY BOOK. 



The good layer is of a lively, active, restless disposi- 

 tion, ready to play or fight with her companions and 

 always in search of something to do or to eat. 



Any one who has been a careful observer of hens 

 will recognize the business hen as soon as his eyes rest 

 upon her. Hens of the opposite character are just as 

 readily detected by their coarse-boned shanks, thick 

 necks, masculine heads and masculine make-up. 



The breed to be chosen for layers will depend 

 partly on the taste of the poultry keeper, to some 

 extent on the market in which the eggs are to be sold, 

 and on whether the owner wishes to combine meat 

 production and the sale of pure-bred eggs for hatching 



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HOUSES AND YARDS OF A FANCY POULTRY RAISER. 



with the market-egg business. The breed that every- 

 body pronounces "best" for laying or for any other 

 purpose has not yet been discovered. Some prefer 

 pure-bred hens, others crosses. 



It is generally conceded that the Mediterranean 

 breeds lay the largest number of eggs. Their eggs 

 are mostly white or but slightly tinted, and have thin 



