BREEDS OF CHICKENS 
The average for hens of one breed for the whole five years 
is more enlightening. For the three most popular Australian 
breeds, these grand averages are: 
Average Av. Wt. Eggs. 
No. Hens Egg Yield Oz. Per Doz. 
S. C. W. Leghorns ...... 564 175.5 26.4 
Black Orpingtons ..... «. 522 166.6 26.1 
Silver Wyandottes ...... 474 161.1 24.9 
These figures are undoubtedly the most trustworthy breed 
comparisons that have ever been obtained. When we go into 
the other breeds, however, with smaller numbers entered, the 
results show chance variation and become untrustworthy, for 
illustration: R. C. Brown Leghorns, with 42 birds entered, 
have an average of 176.4. This does not signify that the R. C. 
Browns are better than the S. S. Whites, for if the Whites 
were divided by chance into a dozen lots of similar size, some 
would undoubtedly have surpassed the R. C. Browns. As fur- 
ther proof, take the case of the R. C. W. Leghorns with 36 
birds entered and an egg yield of 166.9. Both breeds are prob- 
ably a little poorer layers than S. C. Whites, but luck was with 
the R. C. Browns and against the R. C. Whites. For a discus- 
sion of this principle of the worth of averages from different 
sized flocks see Chapter XV. 
All Leghorns in the tests with 846 birds entered, averaged 
170.3 eggs each. All of the general purpose breeds (Rocks, 
Wyandottes, Reds and Orpingtons), with 1416 birds entered, 
averaged 160.2. The comparison between the Leghorns and 
the general purpose fowls as classes is undoubtedly a fair one. 
A study of the relations between the leading breeds in these 
groups and the general average of these groups is worth while. 
It bears out the writer’s statement that the best fowls of a 
group or breed are to be found in the popular variety of that 
breed. The Australian poultryman, wanting utility only, would 
do wise to choose out of the three great Australian breeds 
here mentioned. The S. C. W. Leghorn is the only one of the 
three breeds to which the advice would apply in America. 
Barred Rocks and perhaps White Wyandottes, would here 
represent the other types. 
There is one more point in the Australian records worthy 
of especial mention. The winning pen in 1906 were Black 
Langshans and, what seems still more remarkable, were 
164 
