POULTRY KEEPING,

Otago Witness, Issue 2209, 2 July 1896, Page 8

POULTRY KEEPING,

[QOPYRIGHT.]

"By Ed-Wa^d Brown, F.L.S.

BREEDS OP POULTRY: Their Characteb and Valde. Some years ago I divided fowls into four distinct cl& c ses, judging them from the economic standpoint, and as yet this arrangement has not been improved upon. Its adoption has been widespread. 1. Laying, or non-sitting varieties 2. Table varieties 3. General purpose varieties 4. Fancy varieties. This division may be briefly explained* by saying that (1) the laying or non-sitting varieties are those in which the maternal instinct is suspended, they giving us the I&rger number of eggs ; bub being only moderate in fieah properties ; (2) the table varieties, carrying the greatest amount of breast meat, and, as a rule, quick in growth, makiug good sitters and mothers ; (3) the general 1 purpose varieties are large in body, quiet in temperament,f'excellent sitters and mothers, carry a fair amount of flesh, though more upon the legs than in the purely table varieties, and are our best winter layers, without exception giyingrus tinted-shelled eggs ; and (4) fancy varieties, by which we mean that they are regarded more for beauty than economic value. The following division (except No. H) .is quoted from my "Poultry Keeping as an Industry for Farmers and Cottagers," and whilst not complete, gives the leading breeds under | each seotion :— i 1. Laying, or Non-sitting, Varieties. Hamburgus Scptch Greys Minorcas Redcaps Leghorns Houdans Andalueians 2. Table Varieties. Dorkings La Bresse Indian Game ■ , La Fleche Game Crevecraur 3. General Purpose Varieties. Plymouth Rocks Langshans Wyandottes Orpingtons Brahmas 4. F.ancy Varieties. Bantams Silkies Black Spanish Sultans Coohius ice, &o. Polish i In the next article I (shall deal with choice of breeds, bub a few particulars as to each of the above varieties will now be helpful. Laying or Non-sitting Varieties. Haiiburgs (of which there are five colours) are our very best egg-producers, bubthe eggs are too small for marketing purposes ; very pretty and striking ; small-sized bodies. Minoroas (two colours, black and white, the former most popular) are of the Mediterranean family, and probably, taking weight of eggs as well as number, our very. best egg-prod uosrs, these being large in size ; have a large single comb, with long pendant wattles, and white earlobe ; fair upon the table. ! Leghorns (several colours, whites being best, and browns next in quality, though blacks are wonderful layers), also of the Mediterranean.

family ; splendid layers of medium-sized eggs ; very precocious and hardy, active in temperament ; thriving where other breeds would fail ;« only moderate as table fowls, tf Andalusians (one colour), similar in type to Minorcas and Leghorns, bub with blue or slate coloured plumage ; excellent layers, but somewhat slotr in feathering, and a little tender for exposed positions, Scotch Greys (one colour), a breed with cuckoo plumage, and white or mottled legs ; } medium size, fairly good layers of largish eggs ; a fair table fowl. i Redcaps (one colour) hardy variety, of the Hamburg type, bub very large rose comb ; splendid layers of medium-sized eggs ; more suitable for hilly districts than valleys or plains, | and under these conditions very hardy, ■ Houdans (one colour) a French breed, and

•best for table proparties of all the non-sitters; have mottled plumage, and oarriy a cresb ; good layers of large, de id white shelled eggs ; have five toes, and pale legs and feet. For choice we should place white Leghorns and black Minorcas in the first rank of layers, except in hilly districts,- where Ridcapa would ba batter than Minorca?. la a mild, sheltered district Sootch Greys and Houdans would bj j equally good. Crosses may be made with ad- ■ ' vantage between Minorcas and black Htmburgs, Leghorns or Houdans, and between white Leghorns and black Hamburgs, Houdans or Scotch Greys. Table Varieties,, Dorkings (four colours), are our oldest and largest English pure breed ; square bodied, large

and deep, carrying a grea§ amount of breast meat ; shortish neck and legs, white legs and feet, and having five toes. The' best pure variety for table purposes ; fair layers of large white eggs. , Indian Game (one colour), a large, heavilytoned fowl, with' good amount of breast

muscle ; long neck and legs ; rich iv colour of plumage. Game (several colours and kinds) are divided ioto two sections : first;, the old English game, shortish in leg and neck,' full-breasted, and deoidedly best for table purposes; second, modern game, which are very long in the neck and leg, and are bread more for exhibition purposes. The white-legged old English game are j usually preferred. Of the Fbbngh Table Varieties (La Brcsse, ' .La Fleohe, and Crevecceur), the La Fleohe are the largest, with beautiful flesh and skin, La Bresse the finest in flavour. These birds are not much known in this country. For choice we should place Dorkings first, both by reason of size and quality of flesb, but crosses between Indian game or old EDgliah game and Dorkings give large, fleshy, and rapidly-maturing fowls, the meat being in the right place, and very fine 'in quality. Dark Dotkings preferred for this cross. General Purpose Vabieties. Plymouth Rocks (three colours) came to us from America, and are large, heavy-bodied, hardy fowls ; have bjrred plumage— i.e., each feather is marked by transverse bars ; fair table fowls, good winter layers ; very close sitters and mothers. Wyandottes (three colours), also. of American production ; good size of body ; moderate in flesh development ; hardy ; splendid winter layers (gold-laced 'best in this respeot) ; good sitters and. mothers. Bbahmas (two colours), feather-legged, and thus handicapped ; fair, on table and as layer* ; the light Brahmas best for practical purposes, bat not nearly so good as formerly. Langshans (one colour), large, with rather long legs and upright carriage; good table fowls (beet of this section) ; .excellent winter layers, eggs 'deeply tinted io shell and riofa in

flavour ; very tame ; good sitte"rs and mothiw't 4 a little slow in growth and feathering. JLu^y v Obpingtons (two kinds), produced by, atf" amalgam of Langshans, Plymouth Rooks, and Minorcas ; sometimes called clean-legged LangJshans, and very similar, but shorter on'tno leg. • . ;,-. For choice we should select WyandottMtt the best winter layers, Langshans and Orpingtons coming nexb. Excellent crosses are maoiai between Langshans and Wyacdottes with Legi horns and Minoroas; also Leghorns and Plyn ■• mouth Rooks make a good cross, giving roomy fowls, with well-divided laying qualities, Fanci Varieties, Bantams (many colours) are divided mtoTtfai sections— namely, Bantams (not game) and • Game Bantams, Among the former we have diminutive representatives of many large breeds, and their number is beiog added to. Among- , the latter we find the different varieties oE game fowls brought to very great perfeo ;, tion « . . „ - ... '*■*>''■<?. Black Spanish (one "colour) were at one tima^ .very popular ; lay very large, white-sneHedjwgfc in good' nuniber.;' Very' tender' arid 'islow^Tn" feathering; the chief point is long pendant s white face, and every thing has been. sacrificed - to secure this feature. ' • ' -..--. •■■>• Cochins (five colours), are very handsome fowls, but being bred for feather and colopr haveiqst much of their economic value ; large i frame heavy bone ; fair winter layers ; very' , shardy ; very olpse-sittißrß'and.mbthers^^. : v"-* \ - I" Polish (several* colburß) are vhif Kandiome. jfowls, pretty in plumage, with. large' glbb'a'la% forest; they are good layers (non-Jitters),' bub ..rather tender, and need to be, protected against wet, which is true of all crested 'foWls> 1 ;- -'-'."■•-.. Silkies (one colour) have their feathers not webbed, giving .them a. hairy appearance;' are! dark or purple in flesh an d-skin ; small in body ; •excellent titters and mothers. Sultans (one colour), heavily-feathered ' fowls; large, full crest; profuse hock, leg and foot gathering ; small in size. " '\ \ There are other breeds which could be named, but the above will suffice, and .for further'information I musb refer my reader to any good book on poultry. > ' * 7 Most important point in connection with economic poultry are the number of eggs . pro- > ducad, and the weight of .eggs and the amount of food required to produce them. In " Poultrykeep'mg as an Industry for Farmers, &c." I deal with this question very fully, giving fables ;i showing the average production, of certa'ib ' breeds, the weight -of eggs, and the amount bf v . food required, but they aret, much too long -to quote. '