58 



THE AMERICAN BREEDS OF POULTRY 



pullet starts laying when about seven months of age. She not only 

 attains good size in that time, but is evidently better fitted to stand 

 up under the strain that metabolic demands make upon her system, 

 as she proceeds to convert a large amount of feed into a big number 

 of eggs. In other words, she is not a precocious pullet that starts to 

 lay very young, before full growth is attained, and then never does 

 develop into a Standardsized bird. The pullet that is well grown 

 before laying commences has a large frame and can carry consider- 

 able flesh, somewhat similar to a dairy cow about to go on test and 

 which has been put in good flesh prior to the lactation period. 



It usually happens that pullets, which begin to lay November 1, 

 gain steadily in weight until March 1, increasing to the extent of about 

 one pound in the American breeds; and then generally fall off in 

 weight until September or October. 



Importance of Plumage. Plumage has a great deal to do in giv- 

 ing shape to a bird. It has all to do with the shape of the tail and 

 wings and much to do with the outline of the back. In fact, the 

 entire contour of the bird is largely dependent upon feather develop- 

 ment. The neck of a dressed cock, for instance, is insignificant in 

 size compared to the neck with flowing hackle of a live cock. If you 

 strip the feathers from a Wyandotte and Rhode Island Red hen, and 



lay the two carcasses to- 

 gether, there will not be the 

 difference in body shape that 

 the living specimens seemed 

 to indicate. The Wyandotte 

 hen's back and body plumage 

 were quite full, giving her 

 an appearance that was short 

 in comparison with her 

 length, while the flat, hori- 

 zontal back, low, straight- 

 out tail and relatively tight 

 feather of the Red added to 

 her apparent length. Breed- 

 ers know the importance and 

 appreciate the value of feath- 

 er formation; they know how 

 dependent is profile shape 

 upon a properly bred and 

 properly developed coat of 

 plumage. 



Feather growth is costly. 

 Growing chickens or molt- 

 ing fowls requite nitrogen- 

 ous food to produce the 

 plumage. A profuse feather 



Copyright, 



Relation of Plumage, Flesh and Skeleton 

 Reproduced by courtesy Pratt Food Company! 



