Il6 MAKING POULTRY PAY 



to cross on other fowls in order to improve the table 

 qualities. 



THE FANCY BREEDS 



In this class may be put most of the other varieties 

 of poultry. Some of them, like the Polish, are remark- 

 ably good layers, others, like the Games, furnish the 

 highest quality of meat for the table, yet none of them 

 are kept in a commercial way as farm poultry. Among 

 them are many oddities such as the Silkies, which have 

 -webless, hair-like feathers; Frizzles, having feathers 

 icurled backward at the end ; Rumpless, which are tail- 

 less fowls ; Sumatras, black fowls with heavy drooping 

 tails; Russians, black bearded fowls with rose combs 

 having no spike. 



The Games include a large number of varieties 

 and can easily be divided into two general classes — ^pit 

 and exhibition. The former are prized for their fight- 

 ing qualities and are bred with this one end in view. 

 There are many strains and families with a great diver- 

 sity of color and markings which are not generally 

 uniform. They are heavily meated birds with close 

 plumage and large flowing tails. They are very pug- 

 nacious in disposition and because of their fighting 

 qualities are not a profitable breed to raise, as the 

 young males when but a few months old fall to fighting 

 among themselves and keep it up until either disabled 

 or killed. The hens are also inclined to kill chicks of 

 other broods. They are handsome fowls, fair to good 

 layers, and are most profitable in small flocks. The ex- 

 hibition Games are distinctive in style and type. They 

 bave been bred with exceptionally long legs, neck and 

 bead. They are closely feathered and have a small 

 tail carried nearly level. The varieties are Blacks, 

 Birchen, Black Breasted Red (the most popular), 



