The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1875-09-30
Which is the Better Breed CT Hens.

A correspondent Of the american FdRcieY's
Gazette submits this interrogation, which, ii
must be confessed, is like asking which is
the best horse. Ii you want horse to run
and if you wanted dray honse you would
not choose a fne-bred blood. The same
with fowls. Ii you want egg producers,
you want one kind and If you want flesh
or good hatchers you want another. In re-
gard to common fowls, or mongrels, this is
lust the difference between them and pure
bred-the one has no distinguishing prop
critics, while the other has. 1t is impossible
to combine the prolifcacy of the egg pro-
ducers to retain it, with the feeding and
Matching properties of the other For the
food that is converted into producing eggs
will certainly not produce fat and flesh ;
and, conversely, the elements of nutrition
which go to build up the body cannot be
converted into supplying eggs. The prop
critics and quantities of thoroughbred fowls
have been attained by the same attention to
breeding that has brought other stock to
perfection by observing the qualities most
developed in the animal.
lie IOliOWlsiS DC DCLcuCf1l "
not acquainted with the prominent points
OF some OF our pure breeds: In the egg
producing class the Leghons stand pre-em-
inently above all Others. This variety con-
sists OF white and brown. The browns APP
pear to be the favorites, being hardy, cas-
lily raised, and maturing quickly-the pull
lets often laying at four months. Pullets
of this breed often lay as high as 26O eggs
during the year their large combs and
pendants require a warm house during our
rigorous winters.
The next in high favor is the black Span
ish. These, like the former, are non -sitters
and prolific, but not 30 easily raised. They
do not until nearly grown get their full
feathers, being generally half naked for a
considerable time after Matching. These,
like the Leghorn, require comfortable win
ter quarters, owing to their large comb and
wattles.
The Houtons, French breed, come next
as layers and non-sitters. This is what they
call made breed between the Poland and
Dorking, showing the characteristic crest of
the former and the fifth toe of the latter.
Although not as continual layers as the
two varieties mentioned, yet they possess
points superior to the Others, as size, delica
CIV of flesh, and hardihood.
The small breeds, the different varieties
OF Hamburgs and Polands, have their adj
mirers as fancy fowls. They are excellent
layers, partially incubators, but are not
recomendable, owing to their size, as likely |
to improve our present stock of common
fowls.
The Dorkings as a class may be consid- |
cred the standing English fowl, and COM
bine more general qualities than any other |
sitters, large size, plump, square |
built, delicate flesh, and highly favored. |
They lay a full supply of eggs, and are
probably the best table fowl raised. They |
likewise have large combs and wattles, like |
the Leghorn and Spanish. They do not
thrive we'll on damp soil.
The Asiatics are the most extensively
bred and most fashionable class at present |
raised in America, and, on the whole, are
probably better adapted to the rigorous
winters of the United States and Canadas
han any other, being well supplied with an
abundance OF jaaihers down to their toes.