104 



THE LEGHORNS 



of a very nervous disposition (as explained before) their 

 first inclination, when disturbed, is to draw their tail up 

 to a perpendicular position. Remember what we said 

 about training your fowls to pose naturally. The judge 

 should give the bird a chance and try to catch it in a nat- 

 ural pose but he does not have much time to wait for it. 

 When a tail is naturally carried high there is generally a 

 break or angle at the base and in front. A tail carried too 

 high should be cut from one-half to two. A decidedly wry 

 tail disqualifies. Remember it must be "decidedly wry." 

 Leghorn tails are so long that it quite often happens the 

 coops are too small causing the tail to touch the sides of 

 the coop whenever the bird moves, causing it to carry the 

 tail first on one side, then on the other. This is not a 

 "decidedly wry" tail and should not disqualify although 

 the tail should be cut from one to two points as in de- 

 gree. If the coverts are short showing only the main 

 tail, cut from one-half to one. Missing sickles should be 

 cut one and one-half point each. In color the tail should 

 be black. Purple bars should be cut from one-half to two 

 points as in degree. Any white in the tail of cockerel dis- 

 qualifies. In cock birds one inch or less at base of tail 

 is allowed but is cut one and one-half points. 

 Legs and Toes 

 This section is valued at six points, three each for 

 shape and color. Shape defects have been described. In 

 color, shanks should be yellow and the toes, yellow or 

 dusky yellow. If faded and light, cut one-half to one and 

 one-half. 



Brown Leghorn Female 

 Study well the illustrations in the Standard, as well as 

 chart 2 on page 28 as this shape will answer for all va- 

 rieties. 



In scoring the Leghorn female; symmetry, disqualifi- 

 cations, shape and head points have been taken up be- 

 fore under the general headings and also in male descrip- 

 tions, so we will start with the head section which is 

 valued at six points, two for shape and four for color. In 

 color it should be golden yellow tinged with a light 

 brown. Its shape should be "short, deep"; similar to the 

 male but finer. Should you find one of the long, narrow, 

 "snaky" or "Gamey" kind cut it one-half. Should the 

 head plumage be too dark or red, cut it one-half to one. 

 The ear-lobe and eye, color and shape, should be cut as 

 explained under those sections as described for male. 

 Neck 

 This section is valued at seven points, three for shape 

 and four for color. Chart 2 shows very plainly the shape 

 and striping of the feathers. The color description has 

 been changed to read "golden-yellow" instead of "rich" 

 orange-yellow," broad stripe down the center of each 

 feathers tapers to a point near the extremity. The same 

 caution and in struction as applied to the male neck in re- 

 gard to striping should be observed here in connection with 

 the female. It is claimed by most breeders that in order to 

 get the nice seal brown so much desired on back, wings 

 and coverts that they are quite liable to get a little pencil- 

 ing in the neck or hackle feathers and this seems to be the 

 general rule. It has often been talkd of that the Standard 

 ought to be changed in neck description so as to allow 

 the penciling but as long as it calls for the black striping 

 we must judge them accordingly. If the neck is too long 

 or "Gamey," not filled, as mentioned before, cut from 

 one-half to one. If there is a break at the junction with 

 back, caused by the feathers being too short, cut one-half 

 to one. In color, if the black centers are slightly penciled 



the cut should be one-half point. If the yellow or red 

 runs into the center of the feather enough so that it fails 

 to show black, cut from one-half to one and one-half. - If 

 the black extends through the tip of the feather so as to 

 spoil the laced eftect on the outside, cut from one-half to 

 one and one-half. 



Back 



This section, you will remember, has been increased 

 in value and is now valued at nine points, five for shape 

 and four for color. In shape it is described as "medium in 

 length." The color should be light brown finely stippled 

 with a darker brown, the lighter shade predominating; 

 greater value is given to fineness and sharp definition of 

 stippling; also to evenness of color and freedom from 

 shafting rather than to any particular shade of color. It 

 is important to secure the effect produced by a soft even 

 brown not suggestive of gray, which is one extreme to be 

 avoided, and red, which is the other extreme — the parts of 

 the feathers not exposed, to be brown, shading into slate 

 in fluflf, or under-color. We. see too many dark colored 

 females where the color might be described as black stip- 

 pled with a dark brown. Such specimens might do for 

 breeding exhibition cockerels, but they are too dark for 

 exhibition females and should be cut for this defect from 

 one-half to two and one-half. 



Shaftiness should be cut one-half to one and one- 

 half. Red, or as it is commonly spoken of "brick" color, 

 should be cut from one to two. 



If the back is too long or too narrow, cut from one- 

 half to two, as in degree. If too short, giving the bird a 

 blocky appearance, cut from one-helf to one. If flat, or it 

 fails to rise as it meets the tail, cut one-half to one point. 

 If it shows a cushion similar to the Wyandotte, cut one- 

 half to two. 



Breast 



This section has been reduced one point in valuation 

 and is now valued at nine points, five for shape and four 

 for color. In shape it should be well-rounded and full, 

 the color should be the same rich salmon, shading off 

 lighter under the body; free from shafting. If too full 

 or too narrow, cut from one-half to one and one-half. If 

 it fails to show a nice, rounded-out appearance, cut from 

 one-half to one. If not deep enough through from 

 shoulders to keel-bone cut from one-half to one. The 

 most common defects found in color is shafting which 

 should be cut from one-half to one; and the black or 

 brown edging which should be cut from one-half to two 

 points. 



Body and Fluff 



This section has also been reduced one point in valu- 

 ation and is now valued at five points, two for shape and 

 three for color. In shape the body should be of medium 

 length; the fluflf, rather short and developed more than in 

 the male. The body color should be a light brown stip- 

 pled with a darker brown while the fluff should be a slate 

 color plentifully tinged with brown. It is very seldom 

 that this section is cut any for color. Occasionally a slight 

 edging will be discovered as described in breast and 

 should be discounted one-half to one point. If the shape 

 of the body is too narrow spoiling the nice plump appear- 

 ance of this breed cut from one-half to one point. If the 

 breast or keel-bone is crooked, cut from one-half to one 

 and one-half as in degree. 



Wings 



This section is still valued at eight points, four each 

 for shape and color. In shape they should be large and 



