CHAPTER 11 



A DUAL PURPOSE TYPE 



Utility qualities of the American breeds — ^As meat producers — Grading 



up the farm flock for size through the use of purebred Plymouth Rock 



males — As egg producers — On the farms — Future of the American 



breeds — High prices for purebred specimens 



Grade specimens of the yVmerican breeds are today furnishing the 

 bulk of the poultry meat and eggs that are consumed by our popu- 

 lation. The widespread use of the blood of these breeds is not the 

 result of chance or necessity, nor is it due to advertising propaganda 

 or exploitation by breed associations. It is a success based on 

 economic efficiency, that is, on the ability of fowls of this type to 

 return the largest profit when they are fit into the operations of the 

 general farms of the country. 



Utility qualities. To be popular with the farmer, a chicken must 

 be a family fowl, producing a satisfactory number of eggs and fur- 

 nishing a carcass of good quality and sufficient size. Fresh beef, 

 pork or mutton are not available in the country on any day through- 

 out the year, and a large part of the poultry that is grown is used to 

 supply the farmer's table. The American breeds possess both meat 

 and egg properties. They are dual purpose, sometimes called general 

 purpose breeds. It is this combination that makes them all-round 

 fowls and gives to them the advantage of a strong appeal to the 

 average farmer. 



That we may fully understand what utility qualities these improved 

 races possess, let us sum up briefly the characters and traits of the 

 foundation stock from which the Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes and 

 Rhode Island Reds derive their inheritance of size, flesh and egg 

 qualities. To begin with, the common barnyard fowl of England, as 

 found in all parts of the country, was "of middling size," according 

 to Moubray, who was the author of the first poultry book, published 

 in London, 1815. The skin of this common British poultry was stated 

 by Darwin to be white. 



On the other hand, the Asiatic type was especially characterized 

 by large size. Slower movements came with great size, and birds 

 from the Asiatic importations were poor foragers and easily confined. 

 The females were ordinary layers, not exceptional. They were par- 

 ticularly persistent setters, the maternal instinct being emphatically 

 strong in them. Both Malays and Cochins were yellow skinned. Both 

 carried a relatively large part of their weight in their legs, the thighs 

 and drumsticks being thick and musclar, and the bone in the shanks 



17 



