32 



THE ORNITHOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



The Black-Breasted Red Game 

 Bantam. 



BY H. S. BABOOCK. 



A letter received from a friend, who, lilfe 

 the writer, is a fanciers of Bantams, con- 

 tains a sentence to this effect. "Ithinlf 

 the Game Bantam is the most thorough-; 

 hred of all Bantams and produce the larg- ; 

 est percentage of standard chicks." He 

 was writing, not about the Black-breasted 

 Red, but the Slim Duckwing, I will add 

 that his experience was based upon some 

 eggs which he had received from me. But 

 while the words were true of the Slim 

 Duckwing, they will apply with even more 

 force to the Black-breasted Red Game Ban- 1 

 tam, for It is beyond question, the most 

 strictly thoroughbred Bantam with which 

 I have had any experience, and I have tirst 

 and last, bred nearly all the standard and 

 some non standard varieties and breeds. 

 It is a fact that in a brood of Black-breast- 

 ed Red Game Bantams, nearly every chick 

 will be a standard bred. 



But, lest anyone should make a mistake 

 of rav meaning, it is necessary to define 

 what a standard bird is. The shortest, the 

 cleanest and most exact definition is, one 

 that is free from disqualiticatlons. In must 

 breeds and varieties of fowls there will be a 

 peicentage varying from almost zero up to 

 twentv-tive per cent, of disqualified birds, 

 and ill Black-breasted Red (iame Bantams 

 you seldom get any disi.iualifled chickens. 

 But on the other hand, while there is a 

 difference in the quality , you usually get a 

 good many that will, in color particularly, 

 approach standard requirements. It is not 

 very difficult to breed very good colored 

 Black Reds, though even in this variety 

 there will be pullets with too much red on 

 the wing or cockerls with too much black 

 in the hackle, these being the most pro- 

 nounced color faults. But in shape there 

 is a much wider variation than in color, 

 and shape, more than color, makes the 

 score and price of these beautiful little 

 fowls. Of course one is not to jump to the 

 conclusion that color is valuless, for that 

 would be a very erroneous conclusion. It 

 is the union of correct color and shape that 

 make the value of these birds, but shape is 

 the larger factor in the product. 



In shape a Game Bantam should be iden- 

 tical with the large game fowl— tall, broad 

 at the shoulder, narrow at the stern, with 

 short, closely folded and lowly carri.ed tail 

 — but as a matter of fact it is very seldom 

 that the shape is identical with that of the 

 large fowl. The dwarfing process to some 

 extent seems to shorten the limbs and neck 

 and thus cliaiige t hi; proportions. In The 

 Fhilosoplni of JiAilijiiiy the reader will find 

 this niaitei' suiistantiated by measure- 

 ments w iiich were made for the work. 



But wliile identity of shape seems impos- 

 sible, identity or ideal is desirable and a 

 closer and closer approximation to the de- 

 sired proportions has been obtained. It 



I pays to aim high, for if one misses his mark 

 he will still shoot higher than if he aimed 

 ! at a less elevation. A high ideal in poultry 

 1 breeding is servicable, almost indispensable 

 I if one expects to reach satisfactory results. 

 For a beginner there is no variety of 

 Game Bantams that can be more confi- 

 dently recommended than the Black- 

 breasted Red. It will give him good re- 

 sults, and thougli he possesses but little 

 skill, while it will continually offer oppor- 

 tunities for the exercise of his increasing 

 knowledge in breeding. I know one 

 fancier who started with game fowls and 

 Bantams of nearly every variety and now, 

 after a quarter of a century of experience, 

 has discarded everything but the Black- 

 breasted Red Game Bantam. ■ Although it 

 gave him good results on the start, he still 

 finds it to require all his skill, gained in .so 

 many years of breeding, to produce speci- 

 mens that are a near realization to his 

 ideal. So that in recommending this va- 

 riety to a beginner, we need not think that 

 a beginner will be able to reach perfection 

 in the variety and that it will be necessary 

 for him to select some other fowl when lir 

 has gained some experience in breedin:^. 

 The Black-breasted Red Game Bantam is \. 

 good variety to begin with, but it is also ;!■ 

 hood variety to continue with: it is a begin- 

 ners fowl, but it is also a fowl for tbi ' 

 veteran breeder. 



The price of these little beauties varie; 

 exceedingly. It is possible to buy very in 

 ferior specimens, not carefully bred, af 

 sums ranging from 25 cents to $1, but tht 

 moment you strike well-bred stock th 

 price mounts up rapidly; two dollars, flv< 

 dollars, ten dollars, twenty-live dollars, lift, 

 dollars and even more have been realize( 

 for a bird in this country. I know that fo 

 the winning cock at New York City tW' 

 years ago fifty dollars was refused, and I re 

 member a cockerel for which it was saii 

 sixt3-llve dollars were paid. But as high a 

 these tigures seem they are comparative! 

 low to what is asked and obtained for th 

 best pecimens in Egland. Fifty pound 

 about $250 in our money, has more tha 

 once been paid fora winning Black-breaste' 

 Red Game Bantam. Still one can get fa 

 breeding stock here for from five to ten do 

 lars for each bird, and fine breeding stoc,, 

 for ten to twenty dollars for pullets and fli 

 teen to twenty-flve dollars for cockereli 

 At the higher limit extra fine birds, fit tf 

 win in strong competition, are obtaintibL[ 

 For the few that would be sure winners 

 the largest shows large sums would be ,r<| 

 quired. 



