Breedinil Kosc Comb White Leghorns 



IN BREEDIXG the Leghorn, as in any other breed of 

 fowls, or in fact, any kind of stock, keep two things 

 in view, practical utility and show room beauty. I 

 place utility iirst, as without size, strength, and vitality, 

 you cannot hope for show birds that will reproduce them- 

 selves. Build on a foundation of vigorous health, select 

 as good specimens otherwise as possible, and success is 

 yours. 



Do not start as cheaply as possible, and do not pay 

 fabulous prices for stock you know little or nothing about. 

 Do m-t buy indiflferent stock and expect to breed up to 



FIRST PR\Xf. HEN MAOISON Sp. &ARDEN N •>(. 1908-09. 



OWNE-D ftND EXHIBITED B\ 



BLRCKS^VHHnE PnULTRXT=ARM BAS«\NO RIBGE N.J. 



something fine: you may do it in time, but it will cost you 

 more than to buy good ones at the beginning, not count- 

 ing lost time. Breed from the largest stock you can get. 

 Always set the largest pure white, perfect shaped eggs. 

 1 have set nothing but the largest eggs for years, until 

 at the Colorado Springs Poultry Show last winter the 



hall superintendent said my pen of R. C. \V. Leghorns 

 laid the largest egg of any bird of any breed in the show 

 room. 



Breed from a female that is long in body, neck, and 

 leg. Comb fine and even on the head, and in size to con- 

 form to the rest of the bird, and from a male that is 

 compact, with full breast; tail carried low, heavy plumage, 

 legs long; comb and head the very best you can obtain, 

 as upon this depends in great part the shape of comb and 

 head of your chicks. 



Select the male first for shape, second for color; the 

 female, first for color, second for shape; but have both 

 qualifications as good in each as possible. 



In color, either White, Buflf or Black, select the bird 

 with the best undercolor, other things being equal, and 

 with the desired color in the shaft feathers of tail and 

 wings. 



In the white bird look for a blue white, not creamy 

 white, in the shaft feathers. 



Breed from mature stock, it will give you stronger 

 chicks, and you can tell before you use a bird in the 

 breeding yards whether his or her color will stay with 

 them after the molt or leave them after the first year. 



Keep a record of all stock; then by knowing just 

 what mating produces the best chicks, you know where to 

 go for more of the same kind. My experience teaches me 

 that in order to obtain what you want you must breed 

 from the description of bird that suits you. 



My first attempt with Leghorns was in 1893, at which 

 time I had the S. C. Black variety. In 1894 I produced a 

 yellow legged, black hen, the equal of which in color of 

 legs and plumage I think was never seen outside of our 

 stock. She went through the show room year after year, 

 always winning first, up to the last Mid-Continental show 

 at Kansas City, Mo., when she was shown with one of 

 her sons, a yellow-legged cockerel, each winning a first 

 prize in a large class. 



In 1895 I first exhibited a R. C. White Leghorn, win- 

 ning extensively at Colorado Springs. The next year I 

 bred from the same stock and was successful in the show 

 room. The next year I bred from a bird that won as 

 cockerel and as cock. Last year I bred from birds sired 

 by first cock at Madison Square Garden, New York, 1897, 

 and again the produce won. 



It will be seen that to breed winners I bred from win- 

 ners, and I never failed. Like will produce like the same 

 in poultry as in other things, and if your stock of birds 

 will not hatch uniformly you have mongrel blood some- 

 where, and the way to do is to find it by single mating, 

 then throw it out. If it is in all your stock, throw them 

 all out, and buy from some one who can prove to you that 

 he has what he claims — thoroughbred stock that will pro- 

 duce its kind. 



