POULTRY KEEPING 525 



Orpingtons. These fowls constitute our most recent importa- 

 tion of a breed from England. They were originated by William 

 Cook, of Orpington, county of Kent, England. They are a good 

 general-purpose fowl, being of good size and good layers of brown- 

 shelled eggs. There are ten distinct varieties of this breed the 

 Single-comb Buff, Single-comb Black, Single-comb White, Single- 

 comb Spangled, Single-comb Diamond Jubilee, and the Rose-comb 

 varieties of the same colors. Of these ten varieties the first three have 

 gained admission to the American Standard of Perfection. 



The standard Orpington should have a medium-size single 

 comb, perfectly straight and upright ; the neck should be well arched 

 and have an abundance of hackle feathers ; the body should be long 

 and broad, with a broad, deep breast and a long, broad back; the 

 wings should be of medium size and nicely folded ; the tail should be 

 of medium length, fairly well spread, and carried at an angle of 45 

 from the horizontal in the male and at an angle of 40 from the 

 horizontal in the female; the thighs and shanks should be rather 

 short and stout, and the toes should be of medium length and 

 straight. Shanks and toes should be perfectly free from any feathers 

 or down. The skin should be white or pinkish white in color, and 

 the face, comb, wattles, and ear lobes bright red. 



The color of the surface plumage of the Buff variety should be a 

 rich golden buff throughout, the head, neck, hackle, back, wing 

 bows, and saddle being richly glossed with a metallic luster. The 

 beak, shanks, and toes should be white or pinkish white in color. The 

 color of the surface plumage of the Black variety should be black or 

 greenish black throughout. The beak should be dark horn, shading 

 to a pinkish tint near the lower edge. The shanks and toes should 

 be bluish black in color; web and bottoms of feet, pinkish white. 

 The plumage of the White variety should be pure white throughout ; 

 the beak, shanks, and toes, white or pinkish white in color. The 

 standard weight of cocks is 10 pounds; hens, 8 pounds; cockerels, 

 8 ! /2 pounds; pullets, 7 pounds. 



Houdans. The three varieties of poultry in the French class 

 are the Houdans, Crevecceurs, and La Fleche. Of these the Houdans 

 are conceded to be the most popular and profitable, being bred to a 

 great extent throughout the entire country. They are nardy and 

 prolific layers of large, white eggs. For table purposes they are 

 among the best fowls. They have small bones and the flesh is tender 

 and delicious. The chicks are sprightly and active and feather 

 rapidly. They are nonsitters and light feeders. Like the Leghorns, 

 they may be fed at a small cost as compared with some of the larger 

 breeds. They are of medium size and of a mottled plumage, black 

 and white intermixed, the black predominating. Houdans are a 

 crested variety. The crest of the cock is large, well fitted upon the 

 crown of the head, falling backward upon the neck, and composed 

 of feathers similar in shape and texture to those of the hackle. The 

 crest of the female is large, compact, and regular, inclining backward 

 in an unbroken mass. The Houdan has a small V-shaped comb, 

 which rests against the front of the crest, A peculiarity of the breed 



