BVFF AND BLACK LEGHORNS. 



419 



without variation in any part, though in many 

 specimens the hackle will be found to be a 

 shade or two deeper in tone than the body, 



" Undoubtedly the infusion of the foreign 

 blood already mentioned will make itself 

 apparent now and again, and the reappearance 

 of slight feathering on the legs, red in lobes, 

 and white in flights and tail, are to be ex- 

 pected ; but by very careful mating up of the 

 breeding pen and persistent weeding out of 

 the faulty specimens these evils will be 

 overcome, and the certain production of solid 

 coloured Buff Leghorns will be established. 



" In selecting Buff Leghorns for breeding, 

 great attention should be given to the head 

 points of both the male and female, for up 

 to now these have been com- 

 iuff^°^ paratively neglected, the chief aim 



Leghorns. having been to produce uniformity 

 of colour. Now that this has been 

 established, the improvement of comb and 

 lobes, especially the latter, requires earnest 

 consideration. The stock cock may be a little 

 deeper in colour than the hens that he is to be 

 mated with, but he should not be too dark, 

 particularly if the hens are inclined to be a 

 light buff, for the extremes of shade never 

 amalgamate well, and the progeny are apt 

 to become mottled when they assume their 

 adult plumage. Whether the birds be lemon 

 or orange buff, they should all be about the 

 same shade, excepting as stated above, that 

 the plumage of the cock may be a little richer 

 in tint. Hens that show any amount of 

 mealiness should be discarded, as should also 

 those that have decided black ticks at the ends 

 of the hackle feathers, or on the tail feathers. 

 Too much stress cannot be laid on the under- 

 colour, and every stock bird should be closely 

 examined to see that the buff extends well 

 into the under plumage ; for very often though 

 the surface may be all that is desired, the 

 fluff will be found to be quite white. Should 

 the buff extend almost to the skin, there is 

 but little fear but that the progeny will come 

 sound in colour throughout. The tail of the 

 cock will probably prove the greatest difficulty, 

 this being especially the home of white and black 

 feathers. Though both are faults, yet the 

 former is the greater, and likely to be re- 

 produced in a larger degree than the latter. 

 Still, as really sound coloured tails are even 

 yet the exception, choice should be made of 

 the bird that has the least white in the 

 main feathers of his tail." 



Black Leghorns are generally believed to be 

 pure Italian blood, importations having been 



traced direct to Italy, and also to Belgium 

 and Germany, which both import Italian fowls. 

 As a rule, they are a rather wild race, great 

 flyers, and very hardy, in raany 

 Black respects resembling the Ancona, as 



Leghorns. also in their quality as layers. The 

 great difficulty is to get the pullets 

 with yellow legs ; with cockerels there is not the 

 same difficulty, as remarked in the following 

 notes upon this variety kindly furnished by 

 Mr. Nelson King, Chorley House, Clitheroe. 



" The Black Leghorn as a variety ought to 

 be better known for its qualities than it is at 

 the present time by the majority of poultry 

 fanciers. It is an exceptionally hardy bird to 

 rear, and bears confinement well, and is a splen- 

 did all-round layer. I have had pullets, hatched 

 in April, commence to lay at four months old, 

 laying a good saleable white-shelled egg, and 

 continuing to do so through the winter months. 

 Frost and snow seem to have no effect, the 

 birds being out both day and night all through. 

 I have had young cockerels to crow at 39 days 

 old. They are very active, and the birds at 

 liberty are splendid foragers and small eaters. 

 Fifty pullets or hens in a field make a splendid 

 sight to see, with their jet black bodies and 

 bright yellow legs. They always seem to be on 

 the alert, and will take wing at times for fifty or 

 seventy yards. They are rather of a wild nature 

 when at liberty, and scarcely approachable. I 

 firmly believe that a hundred and fifty Black 

 Leghorns will equal two hundred of any cross- 

 bred birds brought to compete against them ; 

 that is, for egg production. I have also had 

 cockerels weigh '■^\ lbs. at five months old, and 

 the flesh is white and juicy. 



" The chickens are easy to rear, and free 

 from disease. They are generally dark, with 

 white underparts when hatched, the majority 

 then having dark legs, but becoming yellow as 

 time goes on, more so with the cockerels than 

 with the pullets. The chief difficulty in the 

 cockerels is that they are subject to white in 

 their tails ; but this is greatly improving. I 

 have possessed birds with sound black tails, but 

 they have been wrong in other things, such as 

 being inclined to show red feathers, or bronzy 

 looking on the back. I always try to breed 

 from a cock bird that has the least white in tail, 

 but still having a good sound rich black body 

 colour and good yellow legs. The bigger the 

 lobe is the better, as we are still wanting in this 

 particular point, especially in pullets, but the 

 birds are as a rule quite sound in face. 



" In mating a pen of Black Leghorns to- 

 gether, I should advise to get a big sound- 

 coloured bird, with good face, ^ar lobes, and 



