276 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



addition to that, however, the Brahma is a 

 breed in which it is particularly desirable to 

 keep the pullets back from laying, with a view 

 to the best show condition ; and this, repeated 

 for generations, has also had effect. But be- 

 yond even these factors, all experience goes to 

 show that activity and close plumage are in- 

 dispensable to any marked laying power ; and 

 the gradual change to looser feather, with 

 wider and shorter body, has had probably the 

 greatest share in the deterioration ; the bird 

 has actually been bred to a model which cannot 

 lay so well as the older one. There are still 

 to be found about the country flocks derived 

 from the older stocks, which keep up the old 

 reputation ; but if the Brahma is desired as a 

 layer, some effort should be made to ascertain 

 what the character of the strain really is in 

 that respect. 



Table quality has, we think, suffered less, 

 but is far from uniform. The heavy hock is too 

 often accompanied by want of breast, and the 

 more fluff}' plumage is, correspondingly, often 

 associated with a coarse or even yellow skin. 

 But these points are by no means always so, 

 and the older thin, pinky skin is often to be 

 found. Where this is present, with a good 

 shape of body and long breast-bone, the 

 Brahma is a splendid table-fowl, even pure. 

 It is often called coarse ; but such birds as we 

 had to kill in old days never failed to win 

 praise as something better than most of our 

 visitors had either seen or partaken of before ; 

 the meat was (except on the legs) white and 

 juicy. If economic qualities like these are 

 wished, however, they must now be bred for ; 

 they cannot be depended upon in almost every 

 strain as was once the case. 



As a cross the breed is very valuable, for 

 with the Dorking they make a splendid table- 

 fowl, showing good breast and a sweet, juicy 

 meat, using for preference the Dorking male ; 

 and either of the French breeds also produces 

 good crosses. The cross with a Minorca cock 

 usually produces a large and hardy bird that 

 lays splendidly, and is a very fair table fowl ; 

 and of habits, and dark colour, and hardiness, 

 and general qualities which make it very suit- 

 able for runs in a town. In choosing birds for 

 producing economic crosses, however, great 

 care should be taken to select a proper model, 

 especially in regard to the length of body and 

 proper development of breast. Where any 

 fault is to be found with the result of Brahma 

 crosses, the reason will be found in want of 

 care in these respects. 



In judging Brahmas, the most important 



point is to give still, so far as possible, proper 

 weight to Brahma characteristics as compared 



with Cochin points. That is not 

 Judging so easy now as formerly ; but the 



Brahmas. small wattles and long ear-lobes, 



the short grouse head, close plum- 

 age, and chief of all, the cushion or saddle 

 rising more and more into the tail, and grand 

 " sweep " of outline in the male bird — these arc 



Hkoto] \Fettfhered IVorla Burfau 



Dark Brahma Cock, ist, Crystal Palace, igcg. 



points which a judge may and should still 

 keep in mind. 



Whether any more can be done, it is never 

 possible to say in the poultry world. Vulture- 

 hock and excessive leg-feather can be bred out 

 again, and more importance laid upon size and 

 character in the pullets, and a return to the 

 longer and more agile body once general in 

 the breed, and an insistence on striped hackles 

 in the females, as once demanded, and which 

 of itself would set right several points ; but 

 wishes count for little. We may, however, 

 point out here, once for all, an important 



