FORTY-THIRD ANNUAL CONVENTION 276 



to * 'rustle" for a living they are again intermediate between the 

 meat and the egg breeds, but are good foragers. Because of 

 the fact that they fatten readily and are of a fair size they are 

 very popular with the poultry packer, and sell to better advantage 

 in those localities where the farmer is compelled to look to the 

 poultry packer for a market for his fowls. 



Because of the tendency for the general-purpose breeds to 

 put on fat much more readily than the egg breeds, they must 

 be fed more carefully when kept in confinement, otherwise there 

 is a tendency for them to ''break down behind," in other words, 

 to accumulate an excessive amount of fat in the abdominal re- 

 gion. Where the fowls have free range, however, this trouble 

 is not likely to occur. 



They are sitters and make good mothers. This is an im- 

 portant consideration where the farmer keeps only a small flock 

 and does not wish to invest money in hatching and brooding 

 equipment. All of these birds are layers of brown eggs. In 

 consequence, they are not as suitable for conditions where a 

 premium is paid for white eggs; under such conditions, where 

 large poultry farms have been established, the White Leghorn 

 has come to be the most popular fowd. 



All the American breeds are clean legged ; that is, they have 

 shanks free from feathers. They also have yellow legs and 

 skin, except the Java, in which the legs are black or leaden blue 

 and yellow. In the markets of the United States the former is 

 a desirable point, as the demand is for yellow skin and legs in 

 table fowls. 



Breeds and Varieties 



The American class includes the following standard breeds 

 and varieties : 



Breeds. Varieties. 



Plymouth Rock Barred, White, Bufif, Silver Penciled, 



Partridge, Columbian. 

 Wyandotte White, Buff, Silver, Golden, Partridge, 



Silver Penciled, Columbian, Black. 



Java Black, Mottled. 



Dominique. 



Rhode Island Red. .. .Single Comb, Rose Comb. 



Buckeve. 



