BREEDS AND VARIETIES

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1687, 29 June 1904, Page 67 (Supplement)

BREEDS AND VARIETIES

. GENERAL UTILITY FOWLS.

(By Ed. Brown, P'.L.S.)

"These varieties» embrace those breeds which hold an intermediate position between 'the non-sitting and the table varieties. As a rule, they are largely Asiatic in type, that is, they are fair’y long in the leg, are strong in bone, and have an equally balanced body; in fact, when looked at sideways they in.v -i a good deal of resemblance to the ’etter Y, tile posterior part of the body being developed proportionately with riio an tenor. All these breeds lay tinted-shell-ed eggs and they are without exception good sitters and mothers; which fact, and that they are well clothed with plumage, explains the reason why they are good winter layers, the rest which they obtain during the exercise of maternal duties being most advantageous for winter egg production. As a rule, they are fairly good upon the table, carrying a much greater amount of flesh than the non-sitters, but the, weight of the bone is larger in proportion /to" the total bulk. With one

exception they are yellow in flesh and in leg, and for this reason they can never make first-class table poultry, because by reason of their heavy bone, and also the yellow flesh, they do not look nearly so well upon the table as when the flesh is white. Still, in many markets they meet a demand for a second and third grade fowl, and their size is distinctly in tiieir favour. We have in future to face the question of increasing the winter output of eggs, whicn at the present time is very deficient indeed, so much so as to give foreign producers a very great advantage over home poultry keepers. There can be no question that th 6 general purpose type of fowl's will prove the great advantage in helping us to redress this inequality, and for that reason we advocate that they should be largely increased in number. PLYMOUTH ROCKS.

This fowl originated in America about twenty-five. years ago, and it is generally admitted that they were bred from a strain of Java hens crossed with the American Dominique. Neither of these parent rases has ever become popular in this country, although a few have been seen from time to time. The Java are a medium-sized race of black birds, whilst the Dominique has largely the marking, though not so broadly defined, which characterises the Barred Plymouth Bocks. It would appear that there has been some crossing with probably Brahma fowls since that time, and it is largely owing to this latter cross that the special shape and size of me Plymouth Bock has been These birds were introduced into this country about 1879. and at once commended themselves to breeders by reason of their size, their hardihood, and their adaptability to all conditions. They undoubtedly met a demand at that time for a fowl which could be kept under all conditions, and this has been maintained to a very large extent. Description.—As already indicated, the. Plymouth Bock is a large bodied fowl, weighing in adult cocks S§ to 101 b, igp hens to B£lb. They are .broad and deep in body, -with a neck of medium length; have a neat, well-carried head, and the legs are strong and stout; the tail is of medium length, but not very large. The whole appearance, together with tlie carriage of the birds, shows a vigorous, active fowl.

Although it is an undoubted fact that they ar© rather too heavy in the bone for first-class table poultry, and also that the colour of the flesh is antagonistic to European demands, so far as first quality is concerned, yet they carry a considerable amount of flesh, which is capable of great increase by fattening, and also the fattening system reduces the somewhat deep colour of the skin, although, of course, it does not interfere -with the colouration of the legs. As layers they are very good indeed in, the winter, and they give the appearance of one of those workmanlike fowls which yield excellent results. Varieties. —When first introduced there was only one variety, that which is now known as the Barred Bock. These birds have what is commonly, though not correctly, called cuckoo plumage, by which is meant an even mixture of black or blue-black and greyish white, although the method of the . distribution is distinctly different in many breeds. In Barred Bocks, however, which still retain the first place in popularity, each feather

has a ground colour of greyish or silvery white, is regularly crossed with parallel bars of blue-black, and when the marking is even the effect is very pleasing indeed. Of course, there is a great deal of difference in the birds, and probably there is no breed which at one time gave fewer well-marked birds per cent, than the Plymouth Rock. Asi a breeder once said to me, to secure five decently marked birds he had to breed a. hundred. Years of work, however, have increased the proportion considerably; still, even amongst the best Plymouth Rocks, birds are frequently found either darker or lighter, and wlxat is most difficult to obtain is the

ground colour of grey or silvery white. There can be no question that when found the effect is very pleasing indeed. Since the introduction of the Plymouth Rock several other colours have been brought out. The first of these were the Whites and the Blacks, which were sports from the Barred. It was frequently the case in breeding from the last-named variety that some of the chickens came either pure white or entirely black in plumage, generally the latter, and it only wanted a few years of selection to fix bo h these variations. Of the two, probably the Whites have been the more popular, though neither have attained anything like the success achieved by the Barred. More recently there has been brought out, in response to that craze for buffplumaged birds, a variety with this colouration, due to crossing with the Buff Cochin. The effect oL this, cross has undoubtedly been to. modify the type; still, at the same time, there was not so much to change as might have been expected, and I have seen very good Buff Plymouth Rocks. The colour, however, is always a somewhat uncertain one, and especially when the crossing has been so recent this is very much the evidence. WYANDOTTE®.

The Wyandotte is also of American introduction, and was introduced some years after the Plvmouth Bock. The origin of the breed is somewhat of a mystery. It would appear, however, that Dark Brahma and probably some Cochin blood were used, and this was crossed on to the Silver. Hamburgh, but the influences at work are very difficult indeed to determine, as it would almost appear that a dash of Silver' Polish blood was also introduced.

During the last twenty years, however, these fowls have been very carefully bred, and although the variety is not one which can be said to breed' with the minimum of variation, at the same time they are fairly regular, and tlie type has been sufficiently maintained. The first of the Wyandottes to be introduced were the Silvers, about which more is said below. In America the Wyandotte has obtained a very large measure of popularity, both for its external characteristics and its internal equalities. Description.—The Wyandotte, apart altogether from colouration, is slightly under the size of the Plymouth Bock, the male birds weighing from 8£ to 91b, and the hens from 6£ to 71b. They are somewhat longer in body than the Plymouth Bock, and stand upon rather shorter legs, whieh are scarcely so heavy. There is a great rotundity also of body. The head is small and surmounted by a neat rose comb but unfortunately, in this country the comb of the Wyandotte is very much coarser than in America, which is to be regretted. On many exhibition fowls coarse conihs are allowed, which would absolutely throw out the exhibits m an American show. . Apart altogether from the exhibition value, there is no doubt that the small rose comb lying close to the skull, right to the very back, is much more pleasing in appearance than the coarse comb standing away from the head which characterises our English Wyandotte. In respect to the economic qualities, their great value is as winter egg producers. Unfortunately, however, the eggs are smaller than is usual, even with the members of this type of fowl, and it is most important that attention shall be paid to tbis point. Of the various breeds the consensus of opinion is that the Golden Wyandotte is the best as a layer. For table birds they vary considerably. The Whites appear to he the best, but whilst they do not carry much flesh when in ordinary working condition they fatten very readily, and when properly fatted the skin, which is ordinarily creamy, is much whiter than might have been expected. In fact, if it were not for the yellow legs this creamy tinge would often he unnoticed. They make very good sitters and mothers, hut do not become broody very soon. In America a great deal has heeu done for. the increase of their egg production,

and some of the White Wyandottes have held a very prominent position in the States. T aking them altogether, with the solitary exception of size of egg—which, however,, is very important—they are amongst the most valuable of our general purpose breeds.

Varieties.—The varieties are generally accepted to number four, although a fifth, due to breeding in this country, has re* cently been added. The four are Golds, Olivers, Whites, and Buff, and the fifth is the Partridge. The Silvers were the original, and when we have the grey or silvery ground colour, with the black edging upon the feathers, it makes a very pleasing effect. - It may be explained that the marking is better in the females than in the males, and consists of an edge of black round each feather. In the Golds we have the same black marking, but thd 1 ground colour is a golden or yellow bay. Golds, however, are not nearly so attractive, because the colouration is not so brilliant as the {Silvers. Whites are self-coloured, as are Buffs, and the Partridge are marked tffe same as the Partridge Cochin, crossing with which has undoubtedly secured this colouration.