Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-02-18
POULTRY NOTES
Use Standard Poultry.

commonly used in America, is poul-
Try bred to the standards established
~ the American Poultry Association
The object of making standards for
poultry is the same as the object of
making standards of weight, volume
or quality for any product or COM
modify; that is, to secure uniformity
and establish a series of grades as
a basis of trading in the article.
In making standards for poultry
which apply in the process of produc-
tion the principal points considered
are size, shape and color.
Breed Characters.
Size and shape are breed charac-
ters and largely determine the prac-
tical values of poultry. Many stand
ard breeds are divided into varieties
differing in color but identical in
every other respect.
Color is not primary utility point,
hut as secondary point often comes
in for special consideration. For ex-
ample, white variety and black
variety of the same breed are actual
ly identical in table quality, but be-
cause black birds do not dress for the
market as clean and nice looking as
white ones, it often happens that they
are not as salable.
When a flock of fowls is kept for
egg production only, uniformity in
color is much less important than ap-
proximate uniformity Of size and
type, yet the more attractive appear
ance of a flock of birds of the same
color justifies selection for color as
far as it can be followed without sac
rificing any material point.
When a poultry keeper grows his
own stock year after year he ought
by all means to use stock of we'll
established popular standard breed.
BY doing so and selecting as breed
ers only as many of the best speci-
mems of the flock as are needed to
produce the chickens reared each
year, poultry keeper maintains in
his flock a highly desirable uniform
ity of excellence in every practical
quality and with little extra care and
no extra cost can have a pleasing
uniformity in color.
Each Breed Has It's Place.
To the novice in poultry keeping
1t often appears that there is no real
necessity for so many breeds and va
rieties as have been standardized in
America. Further acquaintance with
them, however, shows that although
color differences are in most cases
made merely to please the eye of
persons having different preferences
for color, the differences are in most
cases made merely to please the eyes
of persons having different prefer
ences in shape and size which make
breed character have been developed
with a view to adapting each to par
ticular uses or particular conditions.
Leaving out of consideration the
breeds kept as novelties, most of
which originated before industrial
progress created a large demand for
poultry products, all the standard
American breeds of fowls have been
made and developed on the general
principle of practical quality, the
foundation of breed, character and
value.
Classification of Useful Breeds.
In harmony with this principle the
common classification Of breeds ac-
cording to their place in the general
scheme of poultry classes, namely,
laying breeds, meat breeds that are
not as ready and persistent egg pro-
ducers as the laying breeds, and not
as meaty and as easy to fatten as the
meat breeds, yet combine in one in
individual fowl very good laying ca
pacity with very good table quality.
The Leghorn, Minorca, Andalusian,
Ancona and Campine are well-known
breeds Of the laying class; the Brah-
ma, Dorking and Cornish of the meat
class; the Plymouth Rock, Wyan-
dotte, Rhode Island Red and Orp-
ington of the general purpose class.
characteristics Of Egg Breeds.
The breeds mentioned as of the
laying class. with the exception Of the
Minorca, are relatively small, very
energetic and lively, mature early,
and are easily kept in good laying