158 PO UL TR r- CRAFT. 



217. Mating Silver and Golden Wyandottes. These varieties being 

 alike except in ground color of plumage, the rule for mating to get correct 

 markings is the same for both. The breeder of Golden Wyandottes has an 

 added difficulty in the task of getting the desired shade of golden bay in the 

 ground color. The methods of mating to establish a good ground color are 

 similar to those used to produce a uniform buff. (See ^f 226). To produce 

 the finest Standard specimens of both sexes a mating of exhibition males and 

 females is the best that can be made. The rule as given specially for Silvers, 

 by A. C. Hawkins, in Farm-Poultry, is : 



" Mate a male of good size, fine in form ; medium short legs, giving a blocky appearance ; 

 medium sized comb, even and well pebbled on top, and curving with the head ; breast 

 medium dark, with no edging on the feathers ; a strongly striped hackle and saddle ; 

 white wing bow, clearly defined double bar on wing, flights free from extra white ; with 

 females of full or over weight, good combs, clear open laced centers on breast and back ; 

 well striped hackles, white wing tips, tails not too high ; both males and females with good 

 legs." 



The females with large open centers all over, favored by some judges and 

 breeders, are not Standard birds. (The Standard requires medium, not large 

 centers in back). Still, the method of producing them is of interest to 

 Wyandotte breeders, for if large open centers all over are demanded, notwith- 

 standing the Standard, breeders must produce them, and if the fad persists, 

 the Standard will eventually be changed to conform to it. It should be noted 

 that the rules given below do not properly constitute a system like the double 

 mating systems used for Barred Plymouth Rocks and Brown Leghorns. 



Ira C. Kellar's rules (condensed and arranged from a series of articles on 

 Golden Wyandottes, in Reliable Poultry Journal) : 



(i). To Produce Large Centers on Cushion. In breeding for large centers of cushion, 

 depth of breast lacing in the female is lost. To produce these large centers, mate females 

 that have them with a male that has a strong well laced breast, with not too large centers, 

 with neck, beak, back, saddle, and wing coverts well laced. Such a mating should pro- 

 duce a fair per cent of pullets with good sized centers all over, and nice very open laced 

 cockerels. 



(2). To Produce Strongly Laced Males, mate cockerels from above mating with 

 fairly heavily laced females. 



(3). If Females are so Open as to Grow Weak in Breast, mate with a Standard male. 

 Some of the pullets from such a mating will be well laced all over, with quite heavy 

 lacing. These mated to a male well laced in every section will produce some pullets up 

 to Standard, and a good per cent of Standard marked cockerels. 



(4). To Produce Pullets with Clear Open Large Centers all over, a fair Per Cent of 

 which will Moult into Clear Centered Hens, breed year after year from males well 

 laced all over. Clear centered hens cannot be obtained by breeding Wyandottes heavily 

 laced. 



218. Mating Light Brahmas. The mating of Standard exhibition 

 birds, as bred by the best breeders, is the best that can be made, and will 

 produce a very small per cent of inferior specimens of either sex. In shape 



