The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-06-02
THE NATURAL SIZE.
A Veteran Pou1tryman's Protest
Against Forcing For Large Birds.

A Veteran PouItryman's Protest
Against Forcing For Large Birds.
In the Dec. 8 number of Farm Poul-
try you have an article on "The Natu-
raj Size, which contains as much good
gospel for practical poultrymen as !
have ever seen in like space.
There is no doubt that there is con-
tinuous call for White Wyandottes of
extra size and weight. 1t mostly comes,
in my experience, from young fanciers
and those who keep only few hens
and who know little about poultry in
the sense of profit makers in practical
market way.
The demand is fostered most largely
by class of judges in our poultry
shows who sacrifice the standard weight
bird in favor for one of heavier weight
and larger frame. 1t seems to me that
where the standard calls for ~ pounds
for a cockerel, one weighing 81 or
pounds would be as far off as one
weighing only pounds, but the larger
bird invariably gets the ribbon, with
out there is some defect so glazing it
cannot be passed
There can be no question that the
medium sized Wyandotte is the true
type of business bird They will lay
more eggs, a larger percentage of the
eggs will hatch and more chickens can
be raised to maturity We believe this
to be true of all breeds-when we begin
to force the size we begin to weaken
the vitality and lower the egg yield
and power of reproduction. If this is
true, it would seem reason enough why
they should be bred to not overstandard
size, if not little under. When to this
we add the fact that it Injuries the breed
as market fowl, there is still greater
reason why the size should be kept
where it is
AS you have SO many times said and
as every man who has ever made bust
ness of handling dressed poultry knows
without telling, the demand is not for
the large, diversified carcass, but for
medium sized fowl or chicken, plump
and meaty and not overfat. Hens
weighing to pounds each and chick
ems from ~ to 8 and not over 10
pOuHuS lCl pan arc bhC QulSh SCAlih5
sizes and most in demand for fine fami-
ly trade. This being the fact. and it
can easily be proved, where is the sense
in pushing to heavier weights and lank-
Ter frames breed. or variety of a
breed which is acknowledged to be the
most practical market bird now in ex-
istence? There is certain class of new
men in the business whose first ambi-
ton, as soon as they can tell one breed
from another. is to originate something
new or else to monkey with some of
the already established breeds, and al
ways to the detriment of the breed
The White Wyandottes stand today as
the best all round up to date business
birds living They are gaining ground
in every section of the country and are
bound to lead wherever choice poultry
and plentiful supply of eggs are the
considerations for which fowls are kept.
But if the practical man must neces-
sarily sacrifice color of leg and skin
to get good show specimens it is to be
hoped that in the future he shall not
have to also sacrifice the other impor-
tant market features in order to satisfy
the eye of the judge, who is apt to
know much of the Greek and Sankrit
of the business, while he is sadly shaky
on the everyday alphabet George H
Pollard in Farm Poultry