COLOR AND STRUCTURE OF PLUMAGE 85 



of the barbs, not being hooked together, present a frayed appearance. 

 This is called the top plumage and since it covers so large an area 

 and is so showy in the male, it is of capital importance. 



The neck is the only section of the female which has plumage of 

 similar structure, and in this section the female feather is rounder and 

 the web is relatively broader than the neck plumage of the male. 

 However, in picking a female to produce the desired top color of 

 neck and back in her male offspring, look carefully to the neck color 

 that the females possess. A strong colored Rhode Island Red cock- 

 erel cannot be expected from a dam whose hackle runs light in color. 



On the other hand, the breast of the male is the one principal 

 section in which the structure of the feathers is the same as that 

 found in the body plumage of the females. It has become common 

 practice in at least one color, the buff varieties, to match the breast 

 of the male for the desired color in pullets. The breast of the male 

 is also a major consideration in mating to produce well barred, laced 

 and penciled females. 



Thus the structure of the feathers indicates that the breast of the 

 male, and the neck of the female, are determining factors in breed- 

 ing; the male's breast for body color in pullets; the female's head and 

 neck for top color in cockerels. 



Texture of the plumage. The plumage of some males, particularly 

 the iiat of the back and wing bows of Rhode Island Red males, may 

 be found to be so frayed on the outer edges that the feathers curl. 

 Such birds have breast plumage that is not hard-surfaced and per- 

 fectly webbed to the outer edge. The females of such a line will 

 have back plumage that likewise is frizzled or frayed. A deeper tone 

 of red is associated with this rough plumage. The mahogany hued 

 birds invariably have this character of plumage. With it is usually 

 found the deepest red under color. The hard-surfaced females are 

 apt to have a lighter tone to the under color. However, the life and 

 finish of the brilliant red plumage is always associated with the harder 

 feather. 



Firm webbing to the feather, or hard feather, is much desired 

 by breeders of the white varieties for it is the only type that will 

 wash and web out to good advantage. Some buff breeders have 

 lately been washing their females and it is amusing to see the hens 

 that never did possess the proper character of feather at end of back 

 and over base of tail, come into the show room the worse for having 

 been soaped and drenched. 



This matter of texture of feather is as important as the texture 

 of any woven fabric. If you go into a store to buy a rug or a shirt 

 you are not only observant of the size, the shape, the pattern and 

 the colors in that pattern, but also of the weave and the texture. 

 Observant poultrymen and judges likewise take notice of the quality 

 of feather. It is getting harder year by year for the rough plumaged 

 bird to win at such shows as Chicago, New York and Boston. 



