BREEDS AND BREEDING 97 



horns opening upward. The breast is very broad and 

 very prominent, tail very long, full and carried rather 

 low in males, upright and well expanded in females. 



The Crevecoeurs are another black breed, having 

 a large crest with a medium sized V-shaped comb. 



THE EGG BREEDS 



These include all the small or medium sized breeds 

 that have a strong tendency toward egg production. 

 They are generally poor sitters, of a nervous tempera- 

 ment, take flight readily when frightened, and the meat 

 does not rank high for table purposes except when the 

 fowls are young. They mature very quickjy and make 

 good broilers up to ten or twelve weeks of age. While 

 mature fowls of some of the heaviest breeds will weigh 

 six to eight pounds, the weight is seldom mentioned in 

 descriptions, as egg production is the real aim for 

 which they are bred and kept. They are somewhat ten- 

 der while young and very active, quick, alert and great 

 foragers. They do not stand confinement well and 

 readily fly over the highest fences. Large, square 

 yards provided with plenty of shade and hiding places 

 are most suitable. The young birds feather very 

 quickly, which is a great drain on the system, hence 

 makes them delicate for a time. Nearly all of the tgg 

 breeds have large combs and wattles, hence are sen- 

 sitive to cold. Some of them have such very large 

 combs that extra precautions are needed to keep them 

 from freezing. The egg breeds commonly kept in the 

 United States comprise the so-called Mediterranean 

 fowls, which include the Leghorns, Minorcas, Anconas, 

 Andalusians and Spanish. To these should be added 

 the Hamburg, Houdan, the Redcap, and possibly some 

 others. They lay white shelled eggs. 



