BREEDING PEKIN BANTAMS. 



523 



Pekins do not lend themselves to the faker's 

 art to anything like the same extent as Rose- 

 combs ; still the tail very often attracts his 

 attention, and goes into a premature moult. It 

 is time that this kind of thing was wholly and 

 entirely rooted out. It is nothing less than 

 fraud, and it is probable that before long, 

 exhibitors will be found so determined to put 

 down faking as to bring a criminal action for 

 attempt to obtain money by false pretences. 

 The Pekin faker has often been let off by judges 

 who would, in regard to Game Bantams, never 

 dream of abetting fraudulent practices, and 

 they ought to be consistent. 



In describing the general characteristics of 

 the Pekin, we must remember that he is intended 

 to be an ideal Cochin in miniature, in everything 

 except size. Commencing with the head, we 

 want a comb single, finely serrated, and as small 

 as possible, although it is almost an impossibility 

 to breed it in Pekins so small as the full-sized 

 Cochin ; red eyes, red ears, face, and wattles, 

 with short curved beak, and the face as smooth 

 as possible, free from all coarseness, the neck 

 short and thick, chest broad and carried well 

 forward, back short and broad, with nicely 

 rounded full cushion, and abundant feathering 

 on short legs, right down to the end of the 

 middle toe. The cock's tail should be composed 

 of soft feathers, softer than those of any other 

 breed of Bantam. The feathers of the tail 

 proper are twelve in number, and the hangers are 

 abundant, corresponding in colour with that 

 of the body. There are no long sickles, the 

 tail rising gradually from the back. The body 

 is extremely low on the ground, almost touching 

 it in fact, and though abundant feather is 

 required on the legs, yet it is a great defect 

 in Pekins if they are " vulture-hocked." The 

 colour of the legs in all varieties should be a 

 rich yellow, the richer the better. It was no 

 easy matter getting this colour in Blacks, but it 

 has been done ; and willow or green legs should 

 count heavily against a bird. The bete-noir of 

 Pekins is scaly legs ; but where proper care 

 is taken, and an abundance of sand provided 

 in the pens, it rarely occurs. 



Buffs and Blacks formerly took the lead, 

 but the former have certainly lost in popu- 

 larity owing to the introduction of colour 

 feeding by some exhibitors; and in 191 1 the 

 most popular is the White. The 

 Buff exhibition Buff cock should be a 



Pekins. rich, even, dark orange yellow, not 



red, one uniform shade throughout, 

 the word " throughout " including the tail, 

 and the extended wing, when primaries and 

 secondaries are opened out. Many a bird 



looks well in the pen till we come to the secrets 

 hidden under the external side of the wing, 

 or probe down amongst the bunch of soft tail 

 feathers. Then the solid bufif is often found to 

 have given place to white, or dusky colour, 

 or perhaps feathers are wanting where these 

 defects are usually found. Any bird whose 

 colour is thus unsound, ought under no circum- 

 stances to be bred from, as such a fault has 

 a tendency to perpetuate itself in the progeny. 

 The hen to match should be a rich golden 

 buff, just a shade lighter than the cock. The 

 happy medium will be found between being 

 too pale or too deep, if she match the breast 

 colour of the cock. 



In mating Buffs, see that the hen is very 

 even throughout, a rich level buff everywhere, 

 free from all smutty, white, or peppery feathers, 

 and a perfect little Cochin all through. If she 

 be as she should be, you may with confidence 

 turn up the feathers on her anywhere with the 

 hand, and you will find them buff right down to 

 the skin, and if you spread out her wing, or 

 examine her tail, she will be sound. See 

 that she has no tendency to mealiness, i.e. to 

 run lighter in the centre or edge than the rest 

 of the feather. This is an important point, 

 and one that is keenly looked after by breeders 

 and judges. The colour cannot be pronounced 

 perfect unless she is one same rich even tone 

 of colour all through, from head to tail. She 

 should be mated to a cock of the darker shade ; 

 not of course to one of the deep red, or 

 cinnamon colour, but one with distinctly pro- 

 nounced golden buff, strong in colour, without 

 in consequence suffering from greater depth of 

 tone. Under no circumstances must he be on 

 the light side, nor yet have smutty or white 

 under-fluff It is only the rich coloured birds, 

 solid in the buff down to the skin, that can 

 be confidently relied upon to produce really 

 first-class stock, as in all other varieties of 

 Buff fowls. For this reason it is absolutely 

 necessary that in judging Buffs every bird should 

 be handled before the verdict is given. 



For a breeding-pen we generally like from 

 four to six hens to a cock, and not more. 

 Hatching can be carried on with advantage 

 down to the end of July, but no Pekin arrives 

 at perfection until about twelve months old, in 

 which point they differ from most other breeds 

 of Bantams. This has its advantages, as well as 

 its disadvantages. By late hatching size can be 

 kept down, and length of leg reduced, both 

 important features in Pekins ; and though length 

 of foot-feather may possibly be a little curtailed, 

 still I think the advantages of late breeding 

 outweigh the disadvantages. 



