Valuable Qualities of Redcaps. 2i77 



good layers. In marking, Mr. Beldon says, " they are like a very bad Golden-spangled, being a 

 kind of brown ground with sooty black half-spangles, and I see nothing to attract about them. I 

 have no doubt they are good layers, but they can hardly be any better than our Silver-spangled 

 breed." We know of no source now whence this Redcap Hamburgh can be procured ; but were 

 the Yorkshire Golden Pheasant bred with sole reference to size, laying qualities, and extra develop- 

 ment of comb, a breed so like it would be produced that we have no doubt whatever such was the 

 origin of the variety. 



The fowl was, however, a most useful one, answering to the American Leghorn in productive- 

 ness and hardiness ; and it will be a pity should the stock be altogether lost. Mr. Hewitt 

 entertains the very highest opinion of them as " general utility" fowls, as the following interesting 

 notes will show. " Of the Redcaps," he says, " I can without hesitation speak most favourably, 

 both as regards the production of eggs and also their value as a table fowl. I never kept them 

 myself, but have been intimate with several parties who esteemed them most highly, long before 

 the time that poultry exhibitions were instituted in the Midland Counties. To a poultry amateur, 

 whose eye has been previously tutored to the most important traits of character in Hamburghs 

 generally, the Redcap at first sight presents nothing less than a mass of general disqualifications, 

 as such parties very unjustly form their opinions by comparison with the code of rules by which 

 the value of other varieties of Hamburghs are estimated. Although the very profuse rose-comb, 

 lounging in a very ugly manner, the partially pendulous and very red ear-lobe, the just barely 

 crescented feather, in lieu of a spangle, and the want of sprightly motion, so characteristic of all the 

 Hamburghs, are far from ornamental, added to which the ground-colour is anything but as sound as 

 could be desired by the party whose search is exclusively for beauty of exterior, the compensation 

 for these shortcomings is profuse ; for they are really a weighty and thick-bodied fowl (cocks 

 reaching seven pounds and a half), of good flavour on the dish, and if the eggs are weighed, as 

 well as counted, I believe them to be the most abundant egg-producers of all our domestic poultry. 

 In reference to their eggs, I will mention a fact, and to which my attention was first directed by 

 one of the oldest and most practical Birmingham confectioners. If after being broken the same 

 weight of eggs are used from Redcaps and Spanish fowls, the consistency in custards and so 

 forth obtained from the first-named breed proves nearly one-third greater than from those 

 of the Spanish. To such parties as use considerable quantities of eggs for confectionery pur- 

 poses, this peculiarity of the Redcap's makes them much sought after ; and, I may add, each 

 individual egg, when the fowls are well attended, is as fine and noble-looking a specimen as 

 could be desired. 



" Redcaps are very hardy fowls, very rarely stop laying through stress of bad weather, and the 

 eggs laid, even under adverse circumstances, are generally strong-shelled, thus comparing very 

 favourably with some of our best known laying varieties when similarly situated. Reputedly they 

 are non-sitters, though I have witnessed a few cases of undoubtedly purely-bred birds sitting, and 

 perseveringly hatching out good broods ; but I never knew even a solitary instance in which they 

 took proper care of their chickens when they had hatched them, but left them to die, through 

 the want of hen-like care and attention." 



Redcaps might possibly be obtained through some of the Midland higglers or poultrj' 

 dealers, and as stock for a farmer will stand in the very first class, the meat being of most • 

 excellent quality. Ornamental they can hardly be called, many of the cocks appearing to have 

 the power of throwing over the comb to either side of the face at pleasure ; but their fine 

 size and that of their eggs present the useful qualities of the Hamburghs without their mo:;i 

 obvious deficiencies. 

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