CHAPTER VII 



Leghorns in England 



Absence of Shnpe-Dislincdveness From That of the Minorca— Characteristics of 

 the Euglish Bred Leghorn. 



I HAD just turned from the Minorca display, and 

 stepped across the aisle to the Leghorns, at the 

 Royal Show which was being held at Norwich, Eng- 

 land, and it was then that I noticed mast vividly the ab- 

 sence of that shape distinctiveness which gives these two 

 races their individuality, and so plainly characterizes the 

 one from the other in the American show rooms. 



The sprightly alertness and graceful lines of the 

 American Leghorn did not characterize the English birds. 

 In England, the birds are bred to a rectangular body 

 shape with long legs, heavy combs and wattles and 

 pendant lobes. The cocks are bred to weights of 7 to 8 

 pounds, and the hens to 6 and 7 pounds. "Size" is one 

 of the first considerations with the English judges and 

 breeders and is given a valuation of 15 points as against 

 4 points which have been allotted by the makers of our 

 "Standard." 



Ear-lobes are the leading feature of the head and are 

 valued at 15 points. The Poultry Club Standard requires 

 that they be "well developed and rather pendant." Comb 

 is allotted 12 points and here the judge again seeks size, 

 and desires that the comb extend vvrell beyond the back of 

 the head, and follow the line of the hackle. In the female, 

 the refined American comb is not seen, but, rather a 

 heavier, larger appendage which forms one loop over the 

 beak and then droops down on the opposite side. 



These were the kind of birds that were exhibited at 

 the Royal Show, and a very good display it was, meas- 

 ured by the English ideal. But, to those schooled in the 

 fancy of the United States and Canada, the yellow shanks 

 of the birds alone, and not their conformation and size, 

 would have distinguished the Leghorn from the 

 Minorcas. 



American Leghorns in England 



The English Standard specifically calls for large 

 Leghorns and a wedge-shaped body — two factors that 

 have from time to time, been the basis of argument for 

 the breeding of larger birds of heavier type in America. 

 I have always maintained that the Leghorn should have 

 the size and strength necessary for the fowl's continued 

 production of very many eggs. But, the English Leghorn 

 IS a notoriously ordinary layer at home, and on one large 

 utility plant, I found imported American and Australian 

 White Leghorns being kept for eggs, the English birds 

 having been given up some years ago. It would seem 

 that the size and also the type of our birds is conducive to 

 their continuance as a favorite on our commercial egg 

 farms, and it seems to me that we can do no better than 

 maintain our present size and enjoy the gracefulness and 

 beautiful finish of our Standard birds. 



An English Criticism of the American Type 



The day of an "International Standard" may come, 

 liut at present America and England are measuring Leg- 

 liorn values according to vastly different standards. Both 

 cherish their own ideals and there is beauty for each in 

 the birds of their own breeding. 



When the proposed Standard illustration which was 

 -uggested to take the place of the Leghorn picture in the 

 "Misfit 1910 Standard" came out in the "American Poul- 

 try World," I was in London, and I clipped the illustra- 

 tion and mailed it to Andrew Leitch, Cameron Bridge, 

 I'ife, N. B. In response he wrote: "Yes, our ideals seem 

 far apart. I like your Standard in cocks except comb 

 which I think is a shade rocky, i.e., serrations not bold 

 enough and spikes are too much on a level. I like them 

 to rise from front to centre and fall off from centre to 

 back. The hen's tail is not carried close enough for my 

 liking. The gay tails get the cold shoulder from me. How- 

 over, yours are the layers." (See illustration, page 28). 



Mr. Leitch is a breeder of Black Leghorns and his 

 Ijirds are well known throughout Scotland and England, 

 and the illustration on this page reproduces one of his 



