are very active, but not good chickens to be used for setting purposes. They are good layers, and they lay a great many white-shelled eggs, for which there is a great demand on some markets. The age of maturity for this breed is from four and one-half to five months. The Leghorns and the Minorcas are the principal representatives of this breed. The single-combed white Leghorn has been the most popular.
The meat breeds are large fowls with long necks and heavy coats of feathers; and they lay a comparatively small number of brown-shelled eggs. They are slow in movement, with little desire to forage. They make fine mothers, and for this reason they make good fowls to be used for setting. The Brahmas, Cochins, and Langshanks are the principal fowls of this breed.
The general-purpose breeds occupy a medium place between the egg and meat breeds as to size, egg production, and meat production. For these characteristics they are especially recommended to the farmer who wishes both egg and meat fowls. They lay a number of brown-shelled eggs and they make splendid mothers. The Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes, Orphingtons, and Rhode Island Reds are the best varieties of this breed.
The ornamental breeds are ornamental both in character and purpose, and for this reason they are not practical for use on the farm.
Feeding.—The farmer has often become discouraged by the elaborate rations which are recommended by poultrymen to be used in feeding the chickens. While some of the by-products of industries, such as Linseed Meal and Meat Meal are necessary, most of the feed used in poultry raising may be raised on the farm. It is well to be familiar with the different values of foods fed to the chickens, for they like a change in their rations, and it is necessary that they have it. If the food contains too much fat, the hens will become too fat, which will lessen their usefulness as egg producers; while if the food contains too much protein, some symptoms of indigestion will result. It is hard to determine the right amount of fat and protein to be fed to the chickens, for this varies to suit conditions and the purpose for which it is fed.
