2 BULLETIN" 467, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



come under the same head. Of these, chickens, turkeys, guinea 

 fowls, peafowls, pheasants, and quail belong to the order of Galli- 

 naceas; pigeons to Columbidse; and ducks, geese, and swans to 

 Natatores. 



Some idea of the extent - of the poultry industry in the United 

 States can be obtained from the figures of the last census. Of all 

 the farms giving returns in 1909, 87.8 per cent reported poultry of 

 some kind. The total number of chickens reported was 280,345,133; 

 turkeys, 3,688,708; guinea fowls, 1,765,031: pigeons, 2,730,994; 

 ducks, 2,906,525; and geese, 4,431,980. Although many chickens 

 are kept for their eggs rather than their flesh, nearly all of them are 

 finally eaten, and almost all of the other kinds are bred primarily 

 for the table. Allowing for increased production since the figures 

 quoted were gathered, it is safe to say that 300,000,000 chickens 

 and other poultry, or about three birds to a person, are now consumed 

 in this country every year. 



Since poultry is such a general and important branch of agricul- 

 ture, it is not surprising that a great deal of experimenting has been 

 done and many publications issued regarding the best methods of 

 production and marketing. Comparatively little has been written, 

 however, from the point of view of the consumer, and many, espe- 

 cially those who depend upon markets, could select to better advan- 

 tage if they had more definite knowledge of the varieties, the ways in 

 which they are bred and marketed, the marks by which their quality 

 is to be judged, their relative value as food, and the ways in which 

 they may be economically used in the ordinary diet. This bulletin, 

 therefore, discusses not only the nutritive value and place of poultry 

 in the diet, but also gives brief descriptions of the varieties and the 

 common methods of producing and marketing, with special reference 

 to the effect of these factors on the table quality and food value of 



the birds. 



KINDS OF POULTRY. 



CHICKENS. 



Chickens, which are also known as barnyard fowl, have been bred 

 for so long and in so many parts of the world that there is some 

 uncertainty as to where they were first domesticated. It is probable, 

 however, that they are descendants of a wild jungle fowl of Asia. 



A good table bird should have a large proportion of flesh to the 

 size of its bones and a large, full breast, on which is found the deli- 

 cate white meat. Long, thin legs and wings are undesirable, as they 

 contain much bone and little meat. Birds with light-colored feathers 

 are, perhaps, easier than dark ones to make attractive for the market, 

 which demands a skin free from visible pin feathers. Some markets 

 prefer light-skinned and others dark-skinned varieties, though there 

 is no evidence that the color of the skin has any relation to the quality 

 of the birds. 



