CHAPTER VI 



MISCELLANEOUS BREEDS 



There are a number of quite common and useful birds 

 which do not logically belong to either the egg, meat, or 

 general utility breeds. These miscellaneous types are usually 

 found on small farms and in the city poultry yard. They 

 are of no great economic importance, but are usually kept 

 for some special purpose. Some of these types have a very 

 beautiful plumage pattern, which makes them valuable for 

 exhibition. Some are bred for their fancy feathers, many are 

 kept solely for the pleasure they afford, others from the 

 stand-point of association, while still other miscellaneous 

 'breeds are kept for any \m.ique feature they may possess. 

 In the following discussion a few of the more common of 

 these types will be described. 



Exhibition. — In the last ten or fifteen years the poultry 

 show has experienced a marked development, due to the 

 interest aroused in the possibilities of poultry as a farm crop, 

 and also to the growing interest of the city man in poultry. 

 Where, a few years ago, but two or three poultry shows 

 were held in a state, to-day there are often twenty or thirty. 

 To a certain extent all breeds of poultry are exhibited, but 

 every year there are more of the pure commercial breeds, 

 especially of the egg and general utility types. The value 

 of the breed depends, first, upon its utility, and secondly, 

 upon its fancy features. While the utility breeds occupy 

 a leading place in poultry exhibitions, there are also varie- 

 ties, which, owing to their beautiful plumage and fancy 

 points, awaken great interest, and the Polish fowl is one of 

 these. There are several varieties of the Polish, classed 

 according to their plumage pattern, the black and the white 

 being the most common. The Polish bird has a beautiful 



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