. Our domestic birds; . tics were equallyobjectionable. All the Euro-pean races except the Leghornshad white skin and flesh-coloredor slate-colored feet, while inAmerica there was a very de-cided popular preference forfowls with yellow skin and Leghorns and the Asiaticsmet this requirement, but theformer were too small and theircombs were unnecessarily large,while the latter were larger fowlsthan were desired for generaluse, and their foot featheringwas a handicap in barnyardsand on heavy, wet soils. So, while fanciers and thosewho were willing to give their poultry special attention,
. Our domestic birds; . tics were equallyobjectionable. All the Euro-pean races except the Leghornshad white skin and flesh-coloredor slate-colored feet, while inAmerica there was a very de-cided popular preference forfowls with yellow skin and Leghorns and the Asiaticsmet this requirement, but theformer were too small and theircombs were unnecessarily large,while the latter were larger fowlsthan were desired for generaluse, and their foot featheringwas a handicap in barnyardsand on heavy, wet soils. So, while fanciers and thosewho were willing to give their poultry special attention, or whokept fowls for some special purpose which one of the foreignbreeds suited, took these breeds up eagerly, farmers and otherpoultry keepers usually became interested in them only to theextent of using male birds of different breeds to cross withflocks of native and grade hens. In consequence of this promis-cuous crossing, the stock in the country rapidly changed, a newtype of mongrel replacing the old native Fig. 44. Barred Plymouth Rock hen (Photograph from Bureau of Animal Industry, United States Department of Agriculture) 56 OUR DOMESTIC BIRDS While the masses of poultry keepers were thus crossing newand old stock at random, many breeders were trying systemati-cally to produce a new breed that would meet all the popularrequirements. Even before the days of the hen fever two localbreeds had arisen, probably by accident. These were the JerseyBlue and the Bucks County Fowl, both of which continueddown to our own time but never became popular. At the first exhibition in Boston a class hadbeen provided for crossbredfowls, and in this was shown anew variety called the PlymouthRock. From the descriptions ofthese birds now in existenceit appears that they lookedmuch like the modern PartridgePlymouth Rock. Those whobrought them out hoped thatthey would meet the populardemand, and for a short timeit seemed that this hope mightbe realized, but interest in themsoon waned, a
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