26 



PRACTICAL POULTRY PRODUCTION 



GENERAL-PURPOSE CLASS 



The breeds of this class are, as their name implies, of 

 value for the production of both eggs and meat to such 

 an extent as to make a general utility fowl. Such breeds 

 as are included under this group are best suited to the gen- 

 eral farmer, who desires a breed that is a profitable pro- 

 ducer of eggs as well as one that is a suitable table fowl. 

 These breeds are intermediate in size between the heavy 



meat breeds and the 

 smaller breeds of the 

 egg class. This com- 

 parison may likewise 

 be applied to their 

 abihty to mature and 

 to their temperament. 

 Thus, they mature 

 more rapidly than the 

 meat breeds, but are 

 not as active and do 

 not mature as quickly 

 as the egg breeds. 

 Almost without ex- 

 ception they are good 

 sitters and mothers, 

 and are good winter 

 layers of brown-shell- 

 ed eggs. Although 

 classed as general-purpose fowls, considerable progress has 

 been made in recent years in breeding several varieties of 

 this group for high egg production. As the result it is not 

 unusual to hear that representatives of this class produce 

 200 or more eggs per year. The four most popular breeds 

 of this class are the Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, Rhode 

 Island Red, and Orpington. All these breeds with the excep- 



Figure 13. — Barred Plymouth Rock male. 



