114 LLS5ON5 IN POULTRY KEEPING SLCOND 5LRILS. 



LESSON XIII. 



External Characters of Poultry, and Their Values. 



Introductory. 



THE title of this lesson is borrowed from the chapter of the same title in Mr. Edward 

 Brown's book, " Races of Domestic Poultry/' to which I am indebted for the idea of 

 attempting a complete discussion of the subject. The practical value of the matter 

 seems to make it worth while to preserve such a treatment of it in form that will 

 make it available for future distribution. Hence, T include it in the series of lessons, and 

 adopt for it the method of treatment appropriate. Mr. Brown, in his treatment of the subject, 

 seemed to me to limit the discussion to superlicial characters, that is to those points of which 

 fanciers make much, but which poultry keepers who are not fanciers generally regard with 

 indifference if not with disdain, and to treat these characters solely with reference to their 

 relation to the production of food values in eggs or meat. That may be the best present treat- 

 ment of the subject for the British public for which primarily he writes, but in this country 

 we have a very large class of poultry keepers whose aim it is to combine fancy and utility 

 qualities, and in ever increasing degree we find poultrymen producing " fancy " and "prac- 

 tical" fowls from the same stock, the difference between them being a matter of individual 

 selection, rather than of breeding. 



Under suc-h circumstances the proper disposition of a fowl becomes simply a matter of 

 correctly classifying it, and using or disposing of it accordingly. It is not far from the truth 

 to say that wrong principles of or errors in classifying fowls according to the purpose for 

 which they should be used, cause by far the greater part of the dissatisfaction with results 

 which buyers of eggs and stock for hatching manifest. To misunderstandings and misap- 

 prehensions of the points involved we must also credit the perennial discussion of "beauty 

 and utility," which, in general, confuses more minds than it clears. 



External Characters Enumerated. 



Whether we consider a fowl as an individual whole, or consider it section by section and 

 point by point, the various characteristics we see impress the eye by either form (including 

 *i/e) or color, or both. The impression in any particular may be favorable or unfavorable. 

 Without attempting to make and maintain sharp distinctions as to their proper classification, I 

 enumerate the following characters visible to and measured by the eye as having value or 

 meaning beyond the mere fact that in themselves they please, o-r fail to please, the beholder : 



Size, shape, and carriage of body. 



Size, shape, and carriage of head, (including head appurtenances comb, wattles, ear lobes, 

 crest, beard). 



Size, shape, and carriage of wings and tail. 



Size, shape, and carriage of legs and feet. 



Color, quantity, and quality of plumage. 



Color and texture of skin, both bare parts and those covered with feathers. 



Even without any knowledge of ideas prevalent among poultrymen, a person would con- 

 clude after reading that list that many of these points were of special importance only under 



