116 LESSONS IN POULTRY KEEPING — SECOND SERIES. 



those faults. Imleed it would be foolish for him to neglect the trade that pays good prices, 

 and cater lo that which halts at very moderate prices. He is working for the dollars anj 

 cents the beauty of his fowls will bring him, just as another is working for the dollars and 

 cents he can get for their eggs and meat. The end of each is the same — dollars and cents. It 

 is on the method of getting these from poultry that they differ. The question comes how far 

 the same-kinds, classes, breeds, and varieties of fowls can be maintained of the same uniform 

 type and yet be well adapted to both purposes. 



The study of the values of external characters of fowls should give results that will answer 

 this question as well as indicate their relation to strictly consumptive uses. 



5ize. 



U is evident from a comparison of fowls of sizes within the ordinary grades, that size ha.s no 

 necessary relation either to the prolificacy of the fowl, or the quality of its fiesh, or to its vital- 

 ity. When we come to a consideration of the extremes in size the conclusions are not so plain. 

 In bantams, in which the smallest specimens are preferred, these email specimens are to some 

 extent the result of inferior digestive and assimilative power, and in such cases it is reasonable 

 to suppose that the functional inferiority which brought about the desired reduction in the size 

 of the fowl would be a bar to productiveness — perhaps not so much to sexual activity as to 

 high actual prolificacy. Howeyer, no study of that point has been made, and we must leave 

 the question open. There have been instances of very good laying by bantams, and there does 

 not seem to be reason to say that bantams in every way normal and with digestive power pro- 

 portionately the same as that of medium sized or large fowls, should not lay as well. In fowls 

 that are extremely large of their kind it sometimes appears that their great bulk resulted from 

 failure to develop in some function — notably the sexual function, while digestive and assimila- 

 tive power were equal to all requirements of the system. If at the age when sexual activity 

 should manifest itself it fails to do so, and the usual quantities of food are consumed the result 

 may be either excessive fat or growth, the former condition being, I think, by far the more 

 common. Such conditions are abnormal. That very large fowls may be as prolific as any, has 

 been seen again and again. The common opinion that large fowls are always coarse meated, I 

 believe to be erroneous. The coarsest fibred poultry meat I have ever seen was on medium 

 sized fowls, and I have seen as fine grained meat on very large fowls as on any. The shape of 

 the fowl, especially the character of the bony structure, seem to me to have a much more inli- 

 mate relation to texture of meat than has size. 



The reasons given for some small and some large fowls being poor producers, or in some 

 cases barren, explain how it might often appear that large fowls were lacking in productive 

 capacity, when in reality the size resulted from some Interference with the functional develop- 

 ment of the fowl. 



In small fowls again we can see how general constitutional weakness interfering with the 

 full development of every function would bring about lack of size and lack of reproductive 

 quality at the same time. This, however, would not be observed once in ten times for the other 

 case, for very small fowls are apt to be marketed, while the best developed specimens are 

 retained and often regarded as the most desirable from which to perpetuate the race. 



But it we accept the reasons given we may admit that to some extent departure from the 

 normal or average size may be objectionable. That the objection applies to actual size cannot 

 be maintained in the face of results of comparisons between fowls of the same size from breeils 

 in which the average size is difierent. 



The final conclusion in regard to size Is that in any long established breed the best results are 

 likely to be obtained from specimens of the average size. To put it another way, a lot o( aver- 

 age sized fowls of any breed taken as they run, would be much more likely to give good uni- 

 form results than an equal lot either below or above the average size. But in making and 

 maintaining improvements in poultry, we always seek to go a little beyond average conditions 

 or results, and when we find, as we sometimes do, specimens large or small of their kind with 

 normal vitality, productiveness, and meat quality, we can, if we succeed in reproducing in its 

 progeny the combinations in an individual, soon. establish a stock of whatever type, including 

 size, we desire. 



