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9 BULLETIN 467, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
come under the same head. Of these, chickens, turkeys, guinea 
fowls, peafowls, pheasants, and quail belong to the order of Galli- 
nacexe; pigeons to Columbide; and ducks, geese, and swans to 
Natatores. 
Some idea of the extent of the poultry industry in the United 
States can be obtained from the figures of the last census. Of all 
the farms giving returns in 1909, 87.8 per cent reported poultry of 
some kind. The total number of chickens reported was 280,345,133; 
turkeys, 3,688,708; guinea fowls, 1,765,031; pigeons, 2,730,994; 
ducks, 2,906,525; and geese, 4,431,980. Although many chickens 
are kept for their eggs rather than their flesh, nearly all of them are 
finally eaten, and almost all of the other kinds are bred primarily ~ 
for the table. Allowing for increased production since the figures 
quoted were gathered, it is safe to say that 300,000,000 chickens 
and other poultry, or about three birds to a person, are now consumed 
in this country every year. 
Since poultry is such a general and important branch of agricul- 
ture, it is not surprising that a great deal of experimenting has been 
done and many publications issued regarding the best methods of 
production and marketing. Comparatively little has been written, 
however, from the point of view of the consumer, and many, espe- 
cially those who depend upon markets, could select to better advan- 
tage if they had more definite knowledge of the varieties, the ways in 
which they are bred and marketed, the marks by which their quality 
is to be judged, their relative value as food, and the ways in which 
they may be economically used in the ordinary diet. This bulletin, 
therefore, discusses not only the nutritive value and place of poultry 
in the diet, but also gives brief descriptions of the varieties and the 
common methods of producing and marketing, with special reference 
to the effect of these factors on the table quality and food value of 
the birds. 
KINDS OF POULTRY. 
CHICKENS. 
Chickens, which are also known as barnyard fowl, have been bred 
for so long and in so many parts of the world that there is some 
uncertainty as to where they were first domesticated. It is probable, 
however, that they are descendants of a wild jungle fowl of Asia. 
A good table bird should have a large proportion of flesh to the 
size of its bones and a large, full breast, on which is found the deli- 
cate white meat. Long, thin legs and wings are undesirable, as they 
contain much bone and little meat. Birds with light-colored feathers 
are, perhaps, easier than dark ones to make attractive for the market, 
which demands a’skin free from visible pin feathers. Some markets | 
prefer light-skinned and others dark-skinned varieties, though there — 
is no evidence that the color of the skin has any relation to the quality — 
of the birds. | 
