The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-08-18
Choosing Your
Poultry Breed
Beginner Must Make Selection
Best Suited to His Own
Requirements.

That, at least, is the opinion of men
in the United States Department of
Agriculture who have been study
ing the business for years and have
had experience with all varieties of
all breeds in America. To go
among your friends and ask for ad-
vice about the kind of chickens to
ductive of conflicting views as if
you asked for help in buying a mo-
tor car or a typewriter. Every man
has his likings. and some have good
reasons for them, but in the end
the beginner will have to be the
Judge; wherefore the opinion of
the department specialists will be
about the best guide: Keep only
one variety of breed and select
the breed that suits your purpose
best. Be sure of one thing-have
a standardized male at the head
of the flock. Such bird will i'm
prove the quality of the stock ma
terially. A mongrel male will pro
duce no improvement
Standardized Fowls Are Best.
These are the reasons: Stand
ard-bred fowls produce uniform
products which bring higher prices
Standardized stock and eggs
sold for breeding purposes, bring
higher prices than market quota
tons.
Standardized fowls can be ex
hibited, and thus compete TO
prizes.
Eggs and stock from mongre
fowls are not sold for breeding pur
poses.
Mongrel fowls are not exhibited
in poultry shows or expositions.
General-purpose breeds are bes
suited to most farms where tn,
production of both eggs and mea
is desired. The four most popula
representatives of this class ar
the Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, o.
pington, and Rhode Island Red.
All these breeds, with the excer
ton of the Orpington, are of Amer
lean origin They are character
lied by having yellow skin and leg
and lay brown-shelled eggs. Tn
Orpington is of English origin, ha
white skin, and also lays brown
shelled eggs. You can get detail
ed description OF all fowls of Amer
lean origin in Farmers Bulleti
500 on STANDARD Class" whic
may be had upon application t
the division of publications, Unite
States Department of Agriculture
The Mediterranean or egg breed
are best suited for the productio
of white-shelled eggs. Representa-
tives of this class are bred largel
for eggs rather than for mea
Among the popular breeds are les
horns, minorca, ancona, and andall
sian.
An outstanding characteristic c
the egg breeds is the fact that the
are classed as nonsitters; that i.
as a rule they do not becom
broody and hatch their eggs. Whe
fowls of this class are kept art
fetal incubation and brooding u
ually are employed. Farmers Blu
letin 1913, STANDARD Varieties {
Chickens, H. The Mediterranea
Glass; tells about this class.
Characteristics of the Meat Breed
Langshans, Brahma, CochinS an
Cornish fowls belong in the mes
breeds, rather than for eggs, an
although classed for meat, al
= sometimes kept as general-purpos
fowls. They are all heavier an
larger than the egg breeds, {
those of the general-purpose elias
and lay brown-shelled eggs. Farr
ers' Bulletin 1852, STANDARD v
rieties of Chickens. III. Asiati
English and French Glasses" d
scribes the breeds in this class.
Fowls for breeding purpose
should be strong, healthy, vigorol
birds. The comb, face and wattl,
should be a bright red, eyes brigl
and fairly prominent, head compa
atively broad, short, and not loI
or crow-shaped; legs set well apa
and straight, plumage clean al
smooth.
The beginner in poultry will |
careful to have a home ready Fl
his flock before he gets it. FAR
ers' Bulletin $50 contains sugge
tons, plans and directions eve
poultry keeper should have t.
division of publications will send
upon request. Having decid
where the hens are to live, he
many you are to buy, and VIII
kind, you should next settle in yo
own mind another important fac
The poultry business calls for mo
than bulletins and houses a.
feeds. 1t requires patience a
kindness in large degree, VIII