274 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



STANDARD VARIETIES OF CHICKENS. I. THE 

 AMERICAN CLASS. 



R. R, Slocum, of Animal Husbandry Division, U. S. 

 Department of Agriculture. 



Practically every farm in the United States keeps chickens. 

 In the majority of instances the flock of poultry is kept merely 

 as a side line, to utilize material wdiich otherwise would go to 

 waste, and to furnish eggs and meat for the farmer's table. At 

 many seasons of the year the flock will produce a large surplus 

 over what, is needed for the farmer's own use, and this when sold 

 yields a considerable income, sometimes sufficient to pay for the 

 groceries and wholly or in part to clothe the family. 



The Kind of Chicken the Farmer Wants 



To meet these demands the farmer therefore desires a breed 

 or variety of chickens which are not only good layers, but also 

 have size enough to provide suitable carcasses for the table. The 

 breeds which meet these two demands are commonly called the 

 general-purpose breeds, and in the main are those comprising 

 the American class as given in the American Standard of Per- 

 fection. The Orpington, belonging to the English class, is also 

 a well-known general-purpose breed in this country. The gen- 

 eral-purpose breeds are undoubtedly the most popular breeds in 

 the United States. Certain of these, namely, the Plymouth 

 Rocks, Wyandottes, Rhode Island Reds, and Orpingtons, com- 

 pose the bulk of pure-bred poultry kept on the general farms, 

 and their blood is evident in most of the farm flocks. 



Characteristics of the General-Purpose Breeds 



In size the general-purpose breeds are intermediate between 

 the meat breeds, such as the Brahmas, and the egg breeds, such 

 as the Leghorns. They are of a much quieter temperament than 

 the egg breeds, and for that reason are more easily handled in 

 confinement. They mature earlier than the meat breeds, but 

 not so quickly as the lighter egg breeds. In activity and ability 



