Evils of Reckless Buyixg. i 19 



any price in reason for the sake of a valuable progeny. But it requires knowledge and a trained 

 eye thus to safely pronounce upon a fowl's real value, and for the tyro the risk is too great in 

 every way, especially when we consider the danger of losing the costly purchases afterwards by 

 improper treatment. 



In some few cases we have known the reckless system of purchasing at any price to be kept up 

 for years, and an apparent continuance of success thus procured. The merely personal pride which 

 can find any gratification in this sort of thing is rather hard to understand, and would be 

 diminished somewhat were it known that such success is always discounted at its true value by the 

 initiated, and only imposes upon the ignorant or the outside public. We mention it thus because 

 in several ways suck " poultry-fancying " does harm. As we have already hinted, the usually 

 inferior character of the progeny from even the best birds thus procured and mated haphazard 

 brin"-s the whole pursuit into contempt and disrepute amongst those who purchase eggs or chickens 

 from such random stock, and are justly annoyed at the character of the produce. Another evil 

 is caused in the opinion thus fostered that prizes are the sole or even the chief end of poultry- 

 breeding ; and still another — perhaps the most serious of any — is the idea which such individuals 

 help to spread, that only persons of wealth, who can afford such great outlay, can engage in the 

 pursuit with any prospect of success, and which prevents many to whom it would be a benefit in 

 every way, and who both could and would succeed, from attempting it at all. 



On the other hand, tr}'ing to obtain " cheap " birds will almost invariably cause loss and 

 disappointment, for really good fowls being always in demand, and the supply never large, they 

 can always command a fair price. For breeding purposes alone — apart from any idea of exhibiting 

 the birds themselves, but looking only to the progeny — good, reliable, carefully-bred birds of what 

 may be called the "major" breeds, can rarely be obtained under two to five guineas each; other 

 breeds, such as Hamburghs, are not worth so much. A thorough judge can occasionally pick up a 

 good bird for a small sum ; but for the beginner to attempt any such "dead bargains " in fowls is 

 perfectly hopeless, for the simple reason that he knows nothing about them. For birds to be 

 " good breeding-stock " (in these and following chapters we speak of breeding with a view to 

 exhibiting the produce) implies a great deal, but chiefly, that whatever qualities they have be not 

 accidental, but the result of careful breeding for generations. This will appear if we consider that 

 every desired quality is simply the result of repeated and continuous selection year after year of 

 those birds for breeding-stock which exhibit that particular point in the greatest perfection. 

 Without this mere appearance is worthless. For instance — to borrow an illustration written by us 

 many years ago* — " the Grey Dorking is a breed which assumes within certain limits almost every 

 variety of colour, and occasionally amongst others, that now known as Silver-Grey. By breeding 

 from these birds, and selecting from the progeny only the Silver-Greys, that colour was established, 

 as any other might be, as a permanent variety which breeds tiue to feather with very little 

 variation. Now a pen of birds precisely similar in colour and appearance may, as at first, be 

 produced from ordinary coloured Dorkings, and shown as Silver-Greys, and the most severe test 

 may fail to discover any apparent difference between them and the purest-bred pen in the same 

 show. But breeding would show the distinction instantly, for whilst one pen would breed true 

 to itself, and produce silver-grey chickens, the accidental pen would chiefly produce ordinary 

 Dorkings, with very few Silver-Greys amongst them ; and though in time, by continuing to select 

 these, a pure strain would be established, for immediate purposes the pen (as Silvers) would 

 be worthless." It may seem strange that it should be possible for two birds to be similar in 

 appearance, and for one to be of little value while the other is worth a large sum ; but it is so, more 



• " Practical Poultry Keeper," p. 76. 



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