THE FANCIER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1192, 4 January 1895, Page 27

THE FANCIER.

POULTRY.

Edited by Red Cat. BREEDING EXHIBIT LON WYAN-a-rr ; - DOTTES. The subject under consideration this week is, I think, very appropriate, as the spring is approaching, hens are clucking, and the amateur poultry-fanciers are anxiously awaiting their first chickens, and it behoves every fancier who wishes to breed exhibition . chickens to be on the alert. Poultry breeding and rearing, though very simple,requires a "reat deal of experience, and to produce exhibition chickens it is essentially necessary to know the respective points of the variety chosen, inasmuch as certain points properly attended to as regards mating will produce certain results, this is especially so with the Wyandotte, as they are very erratic m their feather breeding. V . . . ‘ In breeding, Wyahdottes for exhibition a great amount of care is needed iri the selection and mating of the stock birds, as it is" not always those who have the test birds but those who know how to mate them who produce the best exhibition birds. Avoid all . light-coloured birds, as this variety has a ~ tendency to breed light, especially the ‘ cockerels. Those who have a large number to; select their breeding pens from should pick out as evenly-marked hens as possible of the darker shade, as I find they produce the" best chickens, and mate them with a smart, vigorous cockerel with a good laced breast and well defined wing bars. Four mens with each cock would be quite sufficient r at this time of the year to ensure fertility. Hens are preferable to pullets, as I find , their chickens hatch out stronger and are less liable to be dead in shell. If care is taken and the birds are from a good strain >v the ; result need not be feared.

When 1 a person attends shows and sees birds perfectly marked in the pens he naturally .thinks if he purchases eggs from the breeder his birds will all come the same as the birds shown ; but this is not always the case, it is a lesson that all fanciers have to learn and is usually found out by ex peri•a««. • ..... There are at present four varieties of this beautiful bird, viz., the Silver-laced, Goldenlaced, the Black, and the White, the two last-named being • probably sports from the Silver-laced. The Silverdaeed (being the origiaal) has made its way into our country most rapidly, and is now held high in public favour. The first importations into this country were very far from being like what we are accustomed to see at our exhibitions, but by the judicious mating and careful breeding of our English fauciers and breeders, they have brought them to a better state of perfection ; but a great deal more remains yet to be done in the way of perfecting them Tor the exhibition pen. Now, I will try and give a description of what the exhibition Wyandotte ought to be. Of course, their main feature is the beautiful lacing which is seen on good specimens. The style and symmetry somewhat resembles the Brahma; their weight about 71b to 91b for cocks and 61b to 81b for bens. Plumage, cocks, head silvery white, neck hackles and saddle hackles silver, heavily striped down the centre with black, as like the Dark Brahma as possible ; breast each feather pure white, having a wide black lacing dll round them, this distinct marking should extend from the throat to the thighs; back, silvery white ; body feathers, black, thinly powdered with white; wings, primaries, black, with a narrow edging on the outside, secondaries black on the inside web, outer web white; wing coverts (this is most important iu the male birds) almost white, but so marked with black as when folded to show a double-laced wing bar; wing bows, silver; shoulders, white ; tail and sickles, black, with rich metallic lustre ; fluff, dark slate, powdered with grey; thighs, black, powdered with white. Hens, head, silver-grey, with black stripe down the centre; - breast, white, heavily laced all round with black, no white edging should, be on these feathers: back and

cushion, same as the breast; body feathers black with small white centres; wings, primaries, black, the lower edge laced with white, secondaries black on the inside web and round the point of feather, outer web white; tail, black; tail coverts, black, with small white centres; under colour, in both sex, dark slate. In all the varieties of the Wyandotte the shanks must be yellow and free from feather, with four toes on each foot, ear-lobes red and free from white, face and wattles red. Combs should be what is termed “ rose,” with a round spike at back. This (the comb) should be as low as possible, oval in shape, rather broad in front, gradually narrowing to the spike, the surface should, be covered evenly with small points. The beak should be horn colour, except in the< white, which should be yellow. .■ The Golden-laced resembles in all points the Silver-laced, with the exception of ground colour, which should be of a rich golden tan. As a fancy fowl they ar« second to none, and ape greatly admired by all who see them.

The white and bla.ck varieties need little or no comment, being self-coloured there should be no great difficulty in breeding them true to colour; the white have a tendency to straw colour and the black to black legs instead of yellow. These latter should, become very popular in towns on account of their black plumage. If when mating up the breeding pens the above points are carefully, studied, and birds chosen with some or all of these respective points, you will be in a fair way of obtaining success in breeding exhibition Wyandottes. "’-AyT-

In conclusion, I wish to say bo those who are thinking of going in for this most useful and ornamental fowl, and who wish to get them by purchasing sittings of eggs, that they must not expect to obtain a large percentage of exhibition chickens. For of all the various breeds of fowls this is one of the most difficult to obtain good results from. To those who have limited space, the weeding out of the chickens is an important point, and, unless they have had some experience, it is almost impossible to do it to retain the best, until they are nearly full grown, as it is most remarkable how the feathers develop, and to the inexperienced it would be better to get the aid of some experienced fancier to do it for them.— Fowls. i; - r- J -

The Rimutaka brought out six Indian game birds for Mr F. Rogen, the well-known poultry breeder. The birds, which were procured from Mr J. Fryan, of Launceston, Cornwall, have arrived in good condition. This breed has secured several prizes fpr the best table fowls at some of the leading shows in England.

Tegefcmeier, the well-known English authority, says :—“ People do not appear to be able to see that, because it is the instinct of fowls to roost in their wild condition on the higher branches of the trees, out of the reach of the ground .vermin, it is not desirable to let thern do so ,ip a poultry-house, the fact being that, #heh they descend from the branches of a tall tree they do not drop down perpendicularly, nor are they engaged for half an hour after they have retired io rest in trying to knock, one- another'down, but that they fly in a,long oblique line, and descend softly to the ground at some distance from the tree ; whereas in a house they must jump down, for they have not even the instinct to leap from perch to perch and to come down gradually. Then, again, fowls in a wild condition are light and active, and fly well; whereas heavy birds, such as are used for table fowls in this country, are not possessed of equal powers of flight, and descend with great violence, the cocks striking their feet on the ground and rendering themselves perfectly useless as stock birds. My recommendation in this case was to have the whole of the perches put on one level, about four feet from the ground, with a passage up one side, so that any bird could be secured after dark with facility/'

The picnic inaugurated by the milk suppliers of the Shannon Creamery took place on New Year’s Day on the grounds of Mr Gardner, near the ferry facing the Manawatu River.

Star (Auckland) : “ When it costs nearly as much to send a case of apples from Cambridge to Auckland as the mail steamers of the P. and O. and Orient lines convey them for in their cool chambers from Hobart to London, it will be seen that measures must be promptly taken to remedy such a glaring overcharge/' The County Clerk at Oamaru had a busy day on Saturday week, counting small birds’ eggs. One hundred and seventeen boys brought in parcels, and got their cheques for Christmas.