The Essentials of Poultry Raising 



CHAPTER I 



THE HISTORY OF POULTRY AND THE 

 POULTRY INDUSTRY 



1. The Origin of the FowL From biblical history we learn 

 that fowls are probably as old as man himself. The modern 

 fowl originated from the Gains Bankiva, which apparently was 

 first observed on the Isle of Banca near Borneo. 



2. Kinds of Fowls. At the present time there are several 

 hundred kinds of fowls, varying in size- from the bantam, 

 weighing but a few ounces, to the large Brahma, weighing 

 twelve to fourteen pounds. In addition to those fowls com- 

 monly called chickens, there are water fowls, such as geese 

 and ducks, and turkeys, guineas, and pigeons, all of which are 

 raised and kept to furnish people with food in the form of 

 eggs and meat. 



3. Poultry in America. There have been developed in Amer- 

 ica many breeds of fowls, such as the Rhode Island Red, 

 Wyandotte, and Plymouth Rock. America is the home of the 

 turkey and of the Cayuga duck, 



4. Purposes for Which Poultry Is Kept in America. In 

 America there are three kinds of poultry keepers, as follows : 

 first, farmers who keep small flocks for both eggs and meat; 

 second, city people who keep a few hens on the back lot for 

 eggs and occasionally for meat as well ; and, third, the coifi- 

 mercial poultryman who keeps hens for the production of eggs 

 for market. 



5. Magnitude of the Poultry Industry. The poultry products 

 in the United States amount to over a billion dollars annually. 



