PILE LEGHORNS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1726, 29 March 1905, Page 68 (Supplement)

PILE LEGHORNS

The following particulars of Pile Leghorns are supplied from the notes of a prominent English breeder, who says:— In describing a standard bird it will be only necessary to treat of plumage, inasmuch as m all general characteristics the Pile in similar to the other varieties of the Leghorn family. It may, however, be mentioned that again the standard allows a departure from the usual red eye, for, though the latter is preferred, hazel eyes are permitted. A first class cock should have a full flowing neck hackle, bright orange red in colour, deeper near the head than at the base, but not running to “washiness” at the latter. Freedom from white of other striping is desirable throughout the hackle ; but ou account of the black stripe in the hackle of one of its progenitors it will be found a great difficulty to avoid, in obliterating this black, the natural evil of white appearing. The hack from the neck to the saddle should bo extremely deep claret or crimson red in colour —the darker the better —shading off on the saddle itself down to the tips of the saddle hackle to a lighter, brighter red, but not many shades ligh ter, lest the undesirable patchy “washy” hackle result. The wing bow should be similar to tho colour of back, as deep and yet as “glowing” as possible; whilst the wing bar should be white, slightly streaked with chestnut. The wing b:iy. or secondaries, are light red, somewhat

similar in tint to the tips of tlie saddle hackle. The breast and underparts should be white or creamy white, perfectly free from ticks or spots of colour of any description. The tail must be clear white, although it is rare to find a cockerel without at least a few ticks of black, and in many of the best coloured cocks one finds more or less on the .sickles, near the root, a patch of black. An exhibition hen’s hackle should be as nearly white as possible, although a •Sight lacing of light gold, almost imperceptible, is looked for; whilst the remainder of the plumage throughout, except breast, should he white or creamy white. The purer this white is the better, and free from spots, ticks or splashes. The breast should he a rich brown red, even as possible, free from mottling, and the colour should confine itself to the breast, and not encroach, on the white surface of the wing. Of all the so-called minor varieties, Pile pullets are bred with the best combs, although, strange to say, cockerels are rarely first class in this respect. To breed good coloured cocks it will be found absolutely necessary to breed from very rich coloured birds, and, should the strain be" lacking in this quality, a cross with a good coloured Brown Leghorn wih give the fresh supply needed. Most expert breeders resort to such a cross occasionlly, although there are numerous instances of very rich coloured Pile cocks being bred from Piles of the third and .fourth generation. This, however, is due to the careful selection of breeding stock, with due regard to undercolour and reserve of pigment. A good dense coloured cock with solid hackle colour, mated with pullets perfectly clear in tail, and having a distinctly golden hackle, should produce excellent exhibition cockerels. Moreover, if the pullets are “rosy winged,” as the ruddy winged birds are termed, so much the better. To breed good females, select a cock as sound as possible in' his white, and not too rich in wing colour. Let him, moreover, in addition to his sound white breast, have a solid, deep chestnut coloured saddle and hack, and neck hackle as even and solid in colour as can be obtained. It must not, however, be -expected that all the progeny will com© true to colour, and here we may save many a beginner unnecessary chagrin, if we say that even with the best and most carefully cultivated stock, a percentage of white, as well as brown, chicks will be bred. Such “wasters” can- be early weeded out: but we must direct the amateur’s attention to some further remarks on this point later on, lest he nnwittingly sacrifice a bird that may he the “flower of the flock.” For the following notes we are indebted to Mr E. A. Lane, a well-known English Pile fancier. “In mating Pile Leghorns for breeding exhibition birds it is best to get a cock with dark even colour, good head points and on© that carries liis tail fairly well back. By no means breed from a high tailed bird. Mate with the above described bird for breeding cockerels a dark coloured hen—one that has a good breast colour, and what is termed ‘rose wings,’ i.e., a little brown in colour on tlie wings. The hen should also be large in size, as from the lien you always obtain size in the offspring, and from the cock points. “As regards the breeding of pullets, we like to mate a little lighter cockerel to a hen that has a good dark breast colour, but pure white on all other parts of its feathers, except neck hackle, and that should be tinged with gold. “Another good plan for breeding exhibition pullets is to use a ben that is on the light shade rather than on© that is too dark, as, if your stock is bred from a good strain, you very often get a good coloured pullet from such a mating, as breeders breed their pullets to come too dark on the wings if they are not careful, and such offspring are only fit for breeding cockerels—of course providing that other points are correct. “The appearance of the chickens when first hatched, and the way to indicate, as near as possible, those which will be of any use in the show pen.—The best coloured cockerels are those which show two stripes of colour straight down the back. Pullets cannot be distinguished until they get their feathers.. The cockerels will sometimes come brown on the breast with' their first feathers, but will afterwards clear with their adult plumage. “I find the variety breeds very true to colour, although now and again a brown chicken is produced. These are sometimes very useful for breeding from. In respect to their breeding true w© may mention that out of the one breeding pen w-e produced the first, second and third prize winners, also •1, at tlie Dairy Show, 1895; first and second prizes at the Crystal Palace Show, 1890; and first at the Club Show, York, 1895, besides numerous other prizes. These facts speak for tlie manner m which the variety breeds true to colour. “As regards their useful qualities, there is no breed which I consider such good livers in both cold and warn weather; either makes very little diffe-

rence to them if properly fed and attended to. We have a pen of this variety which laid all through a month or six weeks of frosty weather two years ago. They continued to lay right into the springtime, only resting for a few days after they had laid most days for a month at a stretch. The chickens are extremely hardy and easy to rear. With these qualities, together with their beautiful plumage, they ate much admired by those who keep them or see them.”