I08 PROFITABLE POULTRY PRODUCTION 



unquestionably the strongest competitors in popular 

 favor that the Pljmiouth Rocic has. The Wyan- 

 dotte breed as a whole is a hardy, general purpose 

 breed which lays brown eggs ; the hens make good 

 sitters and mothers. The recognized standard 

 weights are 8j4 pounds for the cock and 6j4 for 

 the hen, but greater weights than these are com- 

 mon. Like the Plymouth Rock, the fowls are good 

 foragers, good layers and good table birds. They 

 are characterized by compact bodies with yellow 

 skin, and on this account are highly popular in the 

 markets as table fowls. 



RHODE ISLAND RED 



The two sub-varieties of the Rhode Island Red, 

 the Rose Comb and the Single Comb, are almost 

 equally popular. The breed, as its name implies, 

 originated in New England, where its hardiness, 

 its brown eggs and its general utility have appealed 

 to popular taste. The hens are good sitters and 

 mothers. The breed is noted for its ability to for- 

 age and also for the ease with which it may be kept 

 in confinement. The sizes compare with those of 

 its chief rivals, the Plymouth Rock and the Wyan- 

 dotte. The color is a peculiar reddish buff with 

 mixtures of black, more especially in the wings and 

 tails. It is claimed that the chicks mature more 

 rapidly than either Wyandotte or Plvmouth Rock 

 chicks, and that they make more meatv broilers at 

 the same age. This is probably due more to man- 

 agement than to the breed itself. Some people 

 consider the Rhode Island Red inferior to other 

 American varieties as table fowls, but superior as 

 laj'crs, more especially during the winter. 



