-,68 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



being produced by such a cross, but it is not the 

 case. A Brown-red cock produced by a Duck- 

 wing or Birchen cross, is always dull in body 

 colour, and has a washed-out look in the hackle, 

 back, saddle, and wing-bow. Other birds from 

 this cross come a reddish white in colour, where 

 they should be lemon. The hens also are dull 

 in body-colour, with dirty brownish hackles. 

 Always breed from the glossiest and purest- 

 coloured birds. 



" The secret of breeding Brown-reds is to 

 thoroughly master the difference in the various 

 shades of colour, and to know the exact pedigree 

 of the breeding stock. No breed of Game fowl 

 requires such careful mating to produce show 

 birds as the Brown-breasted Reds. There is the 

 gipsy face and breast lacing, which breeders of 

 the other varieties (except Birchens) have not to 

 contend with ; but when an approximately per- 

 fect exhibition bird is produced, there is no 

 variety of fowl that can compare for brilliance 

 of colour and attractiveness with an exhibition 

 Brown-red cock." 



Somewhat allied to the Brown-red is the 

 Birchen, a colour now recognised at important 

 shows. The foundation of this variety was an 



old and now almost extinct breed 

 Birchen known as Silver Birchen Grey, and 



Game. by some old breeders as Silver 



Duckwing, though the latter name 

 properly belonged to another colour presently 

 described. In this the cocks were black-breasted 

 and white-hackled, the hens mostly a dull 

 black, with some indications of lacing on the 

 breast. By crossing this variety with the 

 lightest lemon Brown-reds, lacing was improved 

 and developed in both sexes, until the present 

 Birchens may be described as generally similar 

 to the Brown-reds, but with the lacing and 

 hackles silvery white instead of lemon. The 

 lacing in both sexes is, however, narrower and 

 sharper, and extends farther over and down the 

 breast, giving a very delicate and pleasing effect. 

 Birchens breed truer from one pen than most 

 varieties of Game, so that a fair proportion of 

 both sexes may often be produced from a single 

 mating, of good pedigree. As a rule, however, 

 better results are obtained by special matings, 

 putting with exhibition birds of the sex desired, 

 mates with a little deficiency in marking, or 

 rather — for this is what it really means — super- 

 abundance of black colour, on the general plan 

 described above for Brown-reds. There being 

 in this breed only perfection of marking in 

 clear white, less depends upon selection, and 

 more upon pedigree or breeding of the birds put 

 together, than in most other varieties. 



The Duckwing Game is one of the most 

 beautiful varieties. The face should be bright 

 red, with the eye a sound ruby red. The cock's 

 head is creamy white, hackle creamy 

 Duckwing white or pale straw, the back and 

 Game. saddle orange or gold going off to 



yellow, wing-bows the same ; wing- 

 bay a clear white, free from any red or rusti- 

 ness ; shoulder-butts and all under-parts deep 

 blue-black ; wing-bar black, with blue lustre ; a 

 blue lustre pervading all the black plumage. 

 The hen's head is silvery white or silvery grey, 

 and neck hackle silvery grey striped with black ; 

 her breast salmon, going off to ashy grey at the 

 thighs ; back and sides silvery grey minutely 

 pencilled with black or dark steel grey ; the 

 upper feathers of her tail should be about the 

 same, the lower feathers black. The hen's 

 plumage resembles that of the Silver-grey 

 Dorking, shown on page 382. This description 

 refers to what are known as Golden Duckwings, 

 which are a more or less compound variety, as 

 explained in the notes which follow. The 

 Silver Duckwings, which are a pure race and 

 can be bred true, very much resemble the 

 Goldens in regard to the hens, which are only 

 a little more pale and silvery, with lighter 

 salmon breasts: but the cocks differ in all the 

 light upper parts of the plumage, being silvery 

 white where the other is yellow. As will be 

 seen, the Silvers are the real foundation of the 

 Duckwings. 



For the following notes on mating and 

 breeding Duckwings for exhibition we were 

 indebted to Mr. Arthur Binder, Ecclesfield 

 Common, near Sheffield : — 



" The Duckwing is a cross-bred bird, if one 

 can be so named which is obtained by using 

 a Game strain of another colour — the Black- 

 Red. It will be apparent to all that this cross- 

 ing, with both cocks and hens, offers many 

 opportunities for experimental breeding ; and 

 the mating of pure Black-reds, Duckwing-bred 

 Black-reds, Duckwings, and Silver-bred Duck- 

 wings, gives rise to never-ending discussion 

 among fanciers. The mating of the various 

 birds here given is the system I usually follow, 

 and is founded on the experience gained during 

 the twenty years I have followed Duckwing 

 breeding in Game fowls. 



" As to choice of stock generally, no new 



advice can be given. In breeding anything 



worth the trouble, one must get tlie 



Breeding blood, and one usually has to pay 



Duckwing ^j j^g f^j. jj g^jj ^j^g wideawake 



Game. r , , ■ /- r ^ 



buyer spends his i,5 or i,io and gets 

 what will do him some good ; while the rash 

 novice may spend his ;^20 and more, to find he 



