When we speak of general purpose breeds, we usually mean one of four different breeds. The Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, Orpington, and the Wyandotte are the four leading breeds of this class. Then there are quite a few different varieties of each of these four breeds, such as the Barred Rock, the White Rock, the Buff Rock, etc. These breeds are very good both as egg birds, and for meat purposes, and find favor where ever they go. I will attempt to analyze their characteristics, bringing out their strong points and their weak points, as I have already done with the egg breeds. These breeds have been developed for egg production, and as a result, have many birds in the 300 egg class, as well as the strictly egg breeds. If any are to be disposed of, they have the ability to put on flesh and to bring a good price on the market for meat. When one realizes that usually one half of a hatch of chickens are males, and the other half females, it can be easily seen that the general purpose bird has an advantage, in the sale of the male birds, and of the surplus females, as they can be fed fattening feeds, and a good profit made from this source. The general purpose birds make excellent mothers and sitters. They have a broody disposition, and will set on the nest the required three weeks to hatch the chickens. They will also take care of their young as a parent should. In fact, one of the criticisms of this class of birds is that they are too broody, and are a nuisance in this particular. They are far more quiet than the egg breeds, and stand confinement with no apparent discomforture. They make an ideal bird for the back lot. These birds are fairly good foragers, but take a little more feed to maintain their upkeep than do the egg breeds. They have smaller head parts than the egg breeds, and a heavier coating of flesh and feathers thus enabling them to withstand cold weather much better than the egg breeds. These breeds, in most cases, have yellow shanks, long well rounded bodies, and weigh about six pounds at maturity. They are not as nervous or as active as the egg breeds, but require a month or two longer to mature and to get into laying condition, than the egg breeds.