The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-05-02
FANCY AND UTILITY IN FOWLS.
The Proper Basis on Which All
Shuld Build.

Generally speaking, the term fancy"
as applied to standard-bre poultry,
means fowls that are bred with view to
developing the perfection of certain pa
ternal characteristics embodied in various
shapes of the different sections. BY ''utl-
ity" we mean usually that the fowl has
been developed along the line of great
est value from d market standpoint,
which is based upon the number of eggs
it will lay and the quality and quantity
of them which it will produce. An ideal
fowl should have combined in its make
up both fancy and utility points. This
can be accomplished, although it is easy
to find supposedly well informed breed
ers who emphatically declare that it can
not. The fancier is too often unjustly
accused of having no desire to intensity
the utility points of his fowls. There are
no doubt some who are so unwise as to
not give the matter as much attention
as it deserves, but they do not represent
the rank and file of fancierS. Those who
breed fowls with the sole view of fine
plumage or perfection of parts Will
sooner or later be brought UP with
short turn and find that nature has re-
belled against the violation of her laws
by giving us lot of understood weak
lings or practically no value from any
standpoint. Health, vigor and a strong
constitution are some of the cardinal
principles in the foundation upon which
the fancier must build if he attains last
ing success. The fancier should be Just
as DESTROYS of developing heavy laying in
his birds as is the utility breeder. for in
this way he perDetuateS his focks and
increases his profits, both in the sale of
eggs for Matching and in being able to
rear a large number of birds. Utility is
the starting point from which most fan
eierS develop, and most utility beginners
of nature which makes fine plumage an
tagonistic to the laying tendency when
the two features are lntelfgently and
rightly obtained. 1t is an incOntrOVertible
for t11ot do 6- irHc in,
other words. pure breeds, viii lay as
many, if not more eggs than will scrub
fowls under equally favorable conditions
1t is also true that in any stock of stand
ard-bred fowls will be found specimens
which will grade better than some others,
as judged by the standard bred which
will at the same time lay just as many
eggs as will the best of those which are
not their equals in standard markings.
1t should be the aim of the breeder to Sc
lect for his breeding pens the first-men-
toned class of birds and thereby combine
both characteristics OF the progeny. This
is the course pursued by the fancier who
reaches the highest point in improving
his stock, and who attainS the most laud-
able end. Why should not the strictly
utility breeder adopt the same motheds?
He is supposed to be in the business for
profit alone. and certain 1t is that such
management would bring him greater re-
turns financially. Why should he be con-
tent to sell his eggs in the market for Is
Sd per dozen when by proper selection
in breeding he can get from IS to los per
setting for them? And why should he
dispose of his stock for table purposes
when at least portion of it will just as
easily sell for fanciers prices? The
utility breeder who cries down the fancy
is oftentimes the one who has not the
ability or inclination to reach out and
improve. as does his more enterprsing
neighbor American poltry Journals
give full credit to the practical value of
Fowls and advocate that this practical
or utility value is the basis upon which
we all should build but we are not salts
fed to remain content with this crude
and primitive condition, Fancy and
utility can be combined in one and the
same fowl, and therein lies the greatest
pleasure and profit. as is fully attested
in the various standard breeds