270 



The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 



VALUE OF DEFECTS* IN JUDGING. 



Standard of rerfection. . 



A bird ideally perfect in shape, size, colour, head and 

 comb, cushion or saddle, leg-feathers, tail, &c., and 

 in perfect health and condition, to count in points . 



If of extraordinary size, add on that account " 



See note to Cocliins, p. 238. 



Defects to he Deducted. 



ind comb 



hens) 12 



100 Scanty hackle . 5 



5 Want of cushion ........ 7 



„„ fluff 6 



„ „ leg-feather 7 



Vulture-hocks ........ 20 



Bad shape or carriage of tail 6 



White in tail ........ 10 



Primaries out of order ^ . . . . . . 15 



Pale legs 8 



Curved toes ......... 7 



Stain of white in deaf-ear ...... 5 



Splashed or streaky breasts in Dark, or black specks in 



Light 12 



Shank-fealher (in Dark hens) not pencilled as the body . 4 



Other faults of colour . . . ■ . 10 



Want of size 20 



>> II general symmetry ...... 15 



,, ,, condition ....... 12 



.. ., ., (if total) ■35 



b This refers to primaries merely "slipped" outside the wing. For 

 primaries actually twisted on their axes, see list of disqualifications below. 



Disqualifications.— Birds not tolerably matched. Primary feathers twisted on their axes. Utter absence of leg-feather. 

 Pinky legs. Large red or white splashes in Dark birds, or conspicuous black spots in Light. Round or crooked backs, \vry-tails5 

 crooked bills, knock-knees, or any other bodily deformity. Any fraudulent dyeing, dressing, or trimming. 



* Since our scale for Cochins went to press, we have had opportunities at the Crystal Palace and again at Birmingham of 

 testing those for several breeds by the keen competition at these immense gatherings, and were somewhat surprised to find, not so 

 much their superior accuracy — which we were assured of beforehand — but the immeasurably greater quickness and ease of their 

 application, which we had scarcely been prepared for. The reason appeared to be that the actual defects of a bird being usually 

 comparatively few and well marked, and attention being by this system confined to them, the result is arrived at almost instan- 

 taneously ; whereas when perfections have tn be valued, ci'cry individual point must be estimated in detail. In practice we found it 

 best and simplest to merely estimate and add up the value of defects, when the birds which gave the lowest numbers were of course 

 superior. Accuracy will manifestly depend on the correctness with which the degree of defect is valued, as compared with the total 

 points allowed for it in the ?cale. 



^.5 v. %.^^5. 



