The Feather's Practical Pigeon Book 



tory than if both were descended from Yellow. Mating 

 two Yellows, in which the Yellow blood predominates, 

 is likely to produce pale yellow progeny. Frequently, 

 when two Reds are mated, especially if there is Yellow 

 blood in both, there will be one, if not two. Yellows in 

 the nest, and if by such a union Reds are produced the 

 results will be light Reds. While Dun is regarded by 

 some as an objectionable color to mate with Reds and 

 Yellows, in consequence of the tendency of the young 

 to appear with ashy-colored rumps 'and tails, still if the 

 Dun has Red or Yellow blood in it, I should not hesitate 

 to make the cross, especially if a good rich Dun, for 

 the reason that the results of such a union would show 

 flesh-colored bills, a very desirable quality in Reds and 

 Yellows of any variety. 



The mating for, color can be seen by what I have said 

 to be something of a game of chance, and it is certainly 

 a problem requiring deep study and a thorough under- 

 standing of the flock. It may be necfssary to improve 

 the color of Red, Yellow, Dun, or Black birds to intro- 

 duce at times new blood to your loft. In such a case I 

 should recommend as a step towards this improvement 

 to introduce a good, rich, glossy Black,, if you can find 

 one of good parentage, or a rich, deep Red descended 

 from Blacks. Such a graft would be most likely to 

 improve your color in this line. Blues and Silvers, es- 

 pecially in Owls, Fantails, and Dragoons, are colors 

 that must be properly mated for, to produce good 

 shades of these colors. While the chances are not so 

 much against you as in mating the other colors men- 

 tioned, still they require study, in Fantails particularly, 

 where there is a tendency of the Blue to come clouded 

 or even Blue Chequered. For instance, two Blues that 

 have Black blood in them when mated together would 



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