390 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



which I keep at the Agricultural College 

 Training Farm, Uckfield. As mothers and 

 sitters they are hard to beat, bringing up large 

 broods of chickens at all times of the year, 

 and are used extensively in East Sussex for 

 rearing the early spring chicken ; and although 

 good sitters, they are not so continually 

 broody as some breeds I know. 



" The chickens from the Lights are easy 

 to rear and can generally be brought up with- 

 out much trouble even in the depths of winter ; 

 but I have frequently heard people say that the 

 eggs laid by the Lights are ratlrer small. My 

 answer to this is, any breed which lays a large 

 number of eggs without becoming broody will 

 decrease in size of e%% as time goes on, and it 

 always speaks well for the egg-producing 

 powers of the bird when this happens. I 

 notice that in the early part of the season the 

 Lights lay a very nice-sized egg, but as the 

 season advances the egg becomes somewhat 

 smaller. 



" In breeding the Lights it is difficult as yet 

 to get the cocks free from brassiness ; so many 

 which we see at the shows have a decided 

 yellow tinge, which is not noticeable in the 

 hens. The particular fault in colour of the 

 hens is generally insufficient neck hackle ; or, 

 if they have a good hackle, then the trouble 

 is dark under-colour. When, however, we are 

 fortunate enough as to breed them without 

 these minor faults, they will do well in the 

 show pen, and they are certainly very hand- 

 some birds. 



" The Reds have not found quite so many 

 supporters, although they are a grand breed, 

 and when the colour is good — that is, a deep 

 red, with black in flights, tail, and neck hackle 

 — they look very smart. The red colouring 

 should be dark and deep, like our fine Sussex 

 cattle. The Reds are good layers and make 

 useful mothers, taking large broods and doing 

 them well. I am pleased to note that the Irish 

 members of our club, of whom we have a good 

 number, are taking up the Red variety, and I 

 am sure that they will find them excellent 

 from all points of view. 



" The Speckled Sussex are perhaps the 

 oldest variety, and certainly are handsome in 

 appearance, but not easy to breed ; indeed, 

 where, in breeding a bird, three colours have 

 to be evenly intermingled, it is not possible to 

 get a heavy percentage of them winners. The 

 colours are dark brown, black and white, and 

 when these colours are produced evenly on a 

 massive, well shaped bird it is certainly some- 

 thing worth looking at and difficult to beat in 

 the way of poultry. 



" I hope that the Sussex may still be taken 

 up by breeders in all parts of the world, and 

 I am sure that those who want a useful as well 

 as a show bird cannot do better than breed 

 them." 



DORKINGS 



GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS 



Head. — Skull : Large and broad. Beak : Stout, 

 well proportioned, and slightly curved. Eyes : 

 Full. Comb : Single or rose in Darks, single in 

 Reds and Silver-Greys, rose in Wliites and Cuckoos. 

 The single comb should be moderately large, broad 

 at the base, and firmly set on the head, of perfectly 

 upright carriage and evenly serrated, free from 

 thumb marks or any excrescent gro\\i:hs such as 

 side spikes. The rose comb should be moderately 

 broad and square fronted, and narrowing behind 

 to a distinct and shghtly upturned leader, covered 

 on top with small, coral-hke points of even height 

 and free from hoUows. Face : Smooth. Ear-lobes : 

 Moderately developed, hanging as nearly as possible 

 about one-tliird the depth of the wattles. Wattles : 

 Large and pendant, and free from any excrescent 

 growths. 



Neck. — Rather short, and covered with abundant 

 hackle which should fall well over the back, gi\dng 

 the neck the appearance of being very broad where 

 it joins the body and tapering to the head. 



Body. — Deep and massive, and as large as possible, 

 long, rectangular shajae when viewed sideways, and 

 tightly feathered. Breast : Broad and well rounded, 

 with long and straight breast-bone. Back : Broad 

 and moderately long, with full saddle, inchning 

 downwards to the tail. Wings : Large, carried well 

 up, and close to the sides. 



Tail. — Full and sweeping, and carried well out 

 (a " squirrel " tail being objectionable), with broad and 

 well-curved sicldes and abundant side hangers. 



Legs and Feet. — Legs ; Short and strong, the 

 thighs well developed, but almost hidden by the body 

 feathering, and the shanks stout and round (square 

 or sinewy bone being very objectionable), set well 

 apart, and free from any sign of shank feathers, 

 with the spurs set on the inner side and pointing 

 inwards. Toes : Five on each foot, round and 

 hard (" spongy " feet to be guarded against), the 

 front long, straight, and well spread, the fourth 

 distinctly apart from the fifth and inchning towards 

 the ground, the fifth coming away distinctly from 

 the shank and turned up the leg. 



Carriage. — Stately, with the breast forward. 



Weight. — From 12 lb. to 14 lb.; cockerel, from 

 9 lb. to 10 lb. The Red, 8 lb. ; cockerel, 6 lb. 



Except that the single Comb should fall over one 

 side of the face, the general characteristics of the 

 hen are similar to those of the cock, allowing for 

 the natural sexual differences. 



Weight. — From 9 lb. to 10 lb. ; pullet, from 7 lb. 

 to 8 lb. The Red, 7 lb. ; pullet, 5 lb. 



