For the average backyard or general farm poultry raiser, 

 the American or English breeds are most generally favored. 

 These classes include Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, Java, 

 Dominique, Rhode Island Red, Buckeye, and Orpington. 

 These breeds will lay brown shelled eggs. The American 

 breeds have yellow skins and shanks free from feathers. 

 The Orpington, which is of English origin, has a white skin. 



Any of these breeds can be brought to high egg produc- 

 tion by scientific breeding and feeding, although they are 

 not of the natural egg type. They are more desirable for the 

 table than the egg type. It is the strain that counts. 



The birds of Mediterranean origin are best suited for the 

 production of white-shelled eggs. They are seldom bred for 

 meat, but are generally favored for production of eggs on a 

 commercial scale. The most typical representatives of this 

 class are : Leghorn, Minorca, Ancona, and Andalusian. 



The egg breeds are nervous in temperament, and gener- 

 ally make poor sitters. It is always better to use artificial 

 incubation when fowls of this type are kept. 



The Langshan, Brahma, and Cochin are the typical repre- 

 sentatives of the meat type. These are often kept as general 

 purpose birds and can be brought to fair egg production by 

 careful breeding and scientific feeding. They are heavier and 

 larger than either the general purpose or egg breeds. They 

 lay brown eggs and have feathers on their shanks. 



In selecting the individual birds for breeders, pay partic- 

 ular attention to the male bird at the head of the flock. He 

 must be standard bred. A standard-bred male at the head 

 of a mongrel flock will improve the quality of the stock ma- 

 terially. A mongrel male will produce no improvement in 

 quality whatsoever. 



If you raise your own flock keep your eyes open for breed- 

 ers from time to time for hatching. The bird that always is 

 first to get food thrown into the yard, the cockrel that crows 

 first, and the hens that are last to roost and first off the roost 

 in the morning, are the types of birds to select for breeders. 

 Mate the vigorous prepotent sons of an exceptionally heavy 

 layer with prepotent females of known laying ability. Mate 

 cocks with mature pullets or mature cockerels with hens. 



Never inbreed. Even if you have to borrow a rooster from 

 one of the neighbors, do so and get some new blood in your 

 flock. Pure-bred poultry pays in cash, opportunities and 

 satisfaction. 



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