Chapter I: Preface

Ten years ago aviculture had hardly been thought of as a school subject. To-day it is taught in thousands of schools, and in some states instruction in poultry culture is required by law. This rapid change in sentiment and situation has resulted from a combination of causes. When agricultural colleges established poultry departments, it was found that a large part of those applying for admission to them had neither the practical knowledge of poultry nor the general education that they needed to do work of college grade. About this time also the interest in nature study began to take a more practical turn, and attention was directed to the superiority of domesticated to wild animals and plants as material for school studies of the phenomena of physical life. Added to these special causes was a general cause more potent than either: great numbers of people had reached the stage of experience in various lines of aviculture where they realized keenly that a little sound instruction in the subject in youth would have been of great value to them later in life, saving them from costly mistakes. To these people it seemed both natural and necessary that the schools should teach poultry and pigeon culture.

Developing as the result of such a combination of causes, the demand for an elementary textbook on poultry came with equal force from country schools, where poultry might be kept on the school grounds as well as by every pupil at home, from city schools, in which all instruction must be by book, and from all types of schools and conditions of life between. Had there been only the extreme classes of schools to consider, the natural way to supply the demand would be with a special book for each distinct type of school. The idea of one book for all schools, from which each might use what seemed to suit its requirements, was dismissed as impractical while so large a proportion of teachers were but slightly acquainted with the subject. It is believed that the plan of making an elementary reading course for general use, and a secondary book of a more technical character for use where practice courses are given, is the best solution of the problem under existing conditions.

In this first book the object is to tell in plain language the things that every one ought to know about poultry, pigeons, and cage birds; to teach fundamental facts in such a way that they will be fixed in the mind; to excite interest in the subject where none existed; and to direct enthusiasm along right lines. While the demand has been almost wholly for a poultry book, pigeons and cage birds are included, because they are of more interest than some kinds of poultry and better adapted than any other kind to the conditions of city life.

In regard to the time that should be given to this course, one period a week for forty weeks is better than a period a day for forty days, because the average person, young or old, retains a great deal more of what is read or heard about a diversified subject if the ground is covered by easy stages with comparatively long intervals between. References for collateral readings and suggestions for original investigations are omitted, because, in the author's opinion, what work of this kind it is desirable for a high-school pupil to do should be done by those taking practice work in the advanced course.

JOHN H. ROBINSON

READING, MASSACHUSETTS

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. BIRDS AND THEIR RELATIONS TO MAN 1

Definition of a bird; Place of birds in the animal kingdom;
Flight of birds; Voices of birds; Social relations of
birds--Place of birds in domestication--Uses of birds in
domestication--Place of wild birds in civilization--Classes
of domestic birds

II. CHARACTERS AND HABITS OF BIRDS RELATED TO USE 8

Feathers--Structure of feathers--Arrangement of the
feathers--Decorative feather forms--Color in
feathers--Growth and molting of feathers--Flight--Mechanism
of the wing--Scratching--Swimming--Foods and mode of
digestion--Peculiarities of birds' eggs--Development of the
egg--Rate and amount of egg
production--Incubation--Development of the embryo in a
bird's egg

III. SPECIES AND THEIR DIVISIONS IN DOMESTIC BIRDS 24

Definition of species--Origin of species--Natural
varieties--Varieties in domestication--Classification of
domestic varieties of birds--Systematic mixtures of breeds
and varieties--Pure-bred, thoroughbred, and standard-bred

IV. FOWLS 31

Description--Origin of the fowl--Appearance of the original
wild species--Distribution of fowls in ancient
times--Development of principal races of fowls--How fowls
were kept in old times--Modern conditions and
methods--Native fowls in America--Old European races of
fowls--Italian fowls--English races of fowls--German and
Dutch races--French races--Spanish races--Asiatic races of
fowls--Chinese races--Japanese races--The "hen-fever"
period--How the American breeds arose--The modern Barred
Plymouth Rock--Other varieties of the Plymouth Rock--The
Wyandottes--The Rhode Island Red--The American idea in
England; the Orpington--Present distribution of improved
races--Deformed and dwarf races--Silky fowls--Frizzled
fowls--Rumpless fowls--Bantams--Origin of Bantams--Varieties
of bantams

V. MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS 72

Small flocks on town lots: Numbers in flocks--Houses and
yards--Feeding--Growing chickens. Small flocks on ordinary
farms: Numbers in flocks--Single houses for farm
flocks--Feeding--Reproducing the flock--The hatching
season--Broody hens--Setting the hens--Care of sitting
hens--Attention at hatching time--Coops for broods--Feeding
young chickens--Management of growing chicks. Large stocks
on general farms: The colony system--Numbers of hens
kept--Feeding, care, and results--How the chickens are
grown--Adaptability of the colony system. Intensive poultry
farms: Reasons for concentration--Concentration not
profitable--Common type of intensive poultry farm. Broiler
growing: The "broiler craze"--Present condition of broiler
growing. Roaster growing: Description of a good
roaster--General and special supplies--Large roaster plants.
Intensive egg farming--Poultry fanciers' farms

VI. DUCKS 124

Description; Origin--The common duck--Improved
races--Ornamental ducks--Place of ducks in domestication

VII. MANAGEMENT OF DUCKS 137

Small flocks on town lots: Numbers--Houses and
yards--Feeding--Laying habits. Growing ducklings. Small
flocks on farms: General conditions--Feeding. Market duck
farms: History--Description--Duck fanciers' methods

VIII. GEESE 157

Description--Origin--Common geese--Improved
races--Ornamental varieties--The Canada Goose, or American
Wild Goose--Place of geese in domestication

IX. MANAGEMENT OF GEESE 168

Small farm flocks: Size of flock--Houses and
yards--Feeding--Laying season and habits--Hatching and
rearing goslings--Large flocks of geese on
farms--Goose-fattening farms--Growing thoroughbred geese for
exhibition--Growing a few geese on a town lot--Growing wild
geese in captivity

X. TURKEYS 179

Description--Origin--Common turkeys--Improved
varieties--Bronze Turkeys--Influence of the Bronze Turkey on
other varieties--Other varieties of the turkey--Place of the
turkey in domestication

XI. MANAGEMENT OF TURKEYS 190

Size of flocks--Shelters and yards--Feeding--Breeding season
and laying habits--Hatching and rearing

XII. GUINEAS 201

Description--Origin--Varieties--Place in
domestication--Management of domestic guineas

XIII. PEAFOWLS 206

Description--Origin--Place in domestication--Management

XIV. PHEASANTS 211

Description--Origin--History in America--Species and
varieties--Place in domestication--Management of pheasants
in confinement

XV. SWANS 222

Description--Origin and history in domestication--Place in
domestication--Management

XVI. OSTRICHES 230

Description--Origin and history in domestication--Place in
domestication--Management

XVII. PIGEONS 239

Description--Origin--Distribution in ancient times--Improved
varieties--The Carrier Pigeon--The Antwerp Homer--Tumbler
and Tippler Pigeons--The Fantail Pigeon--Pouter
Pigeons--Other important types--History in
domestication--Place in domestication

XVIII. MANAGEMENT OF PIGEONS 255

Size of flock--Quarters for pigeons--Ventilation and
cleanliness--Handling pigeons--Mating pigeons--Feeding--How
pigeons rear their young

XIX. CANARIES 269

Description--Origin--Improvement in domestication--Place in
domestication--Management of canaries: Cages--Position of
the Cage--Feeding--Care--Breeding

XX. DISTRIBUTION OF MARKET PRODUCTS 275

Producers, consumers, and middlemen--How the middleman
enters local trade--Additional middlemen--How the demand for
poultry products stimulates production--Losses in
distribution--Cold storage of poultry products--Methods of
selling at retail--Volume of products

XXI. EXHIBITIONS AND THE FANCY TRADE 291

Conditions in the fancy trade--Exhibitions--Rudiments of
judging--Disqualifications--Methods of judging--Exhibition
quality and value--Why good breeders have much low-priced
stock--Fancy and utility types in the same variety

XXII. OCCUPATIONS RELATED TO AVICULTURE 304

Judging fancy poultry and
pigeons--Journalism--Art--Invention--Education and
investigation--Manufacturing and commerce--Legislation and
litigation

INDEX 311

OUR DOMESTIC BIRDS