118 AM BRIO AN POULTRY ASSOCIATION 



5. Head, very coarse. Deformed, twisted beak (a disqualification). 

 Comb, crooked in front, irregular, short, blunted serrations. Side springs 

 on comb (disqualification). See " General Disqualifications." Wattles 

 and ear-lobes too long, coarse, wrinkled and pendulous. Face, shows 

 irregular bunches about the eye and at juncture of beak. Throat, with 

 coarse dewlap. 



6. Head typical of male of weak constitution. Head too long and 

 too shallow. Beak, too long. 



even too short, misshapen, coarse in texture (Figure 5), but even 

 so, unless very noticeably so, deductions from the score are not 

 often made. Wattles are most often cut for injuries from fight- 

 ing, freezing, or tearing in one way or another. These are not 

 natural defects and should not be discounted as heavily as 

 though they were. Such injuries mar the good appearance of 

 the bird most seriously. Ear-lobes in Plymouth Rocks are good 

 as a rule and seldom cut for shape. 



Skull. Occasionally the head proper, also the beak, is too 

 long and not nearly deep enough, and for these defects are cut, 

 but not heavily numerically, because the allotment to these sec- 

 tions for shape is very small. (See Plate 7, Figure 6.) 



The following shape sections are important because many of 

 these denote practical qualities or the absence of them. 



Neck. First impressions are very often convincing, espe- 

 cially in a large class. One of the most important factors in 

 making an impression is style, and style depends much upon 

 the length and arch in the neck, for the latter gives the head its 

 poise. If lacking in arch, it is usually because the head is carried 

 too far forward. Note the position of head in ideal illustrations, 

 with front of beak falling vertically back of the front of the 

 breast. The vertical position of the head relative to the front of 

 breast is one of the distinctive breed characteristics in the Amer- 

 ican class. 



Length is important ; if the neck is too short, the bird lacks 

 style, and the neck is also probably too thick and has too much 

 arch ; if too long, it is probably too slender and lacks arch. Too 

 long necks generally accompany birds too long in other sections, 

 especially legs. A well-arched, full neck indicates vitality and is 

 desired. Necks of males should carry an abundance of long, 

 flowing hackle feathers. Without these, neck and shoulders will 

 show an angle at the junction, which should not appear. With 

 long, flowing hackle feathers extending well over shoulders, neck 



