CHAPTER VII 



Mating Stock 

 The Male Is Half the Breeding Pen 



HE fundamental point in mating stock is to Select 

 good, vigorous birds! The male is half the pen 

 and should he a bird of good type; the back 

 should be long, with a slightly downward slope 

 to the tail, with no apparent angle at the tail. 

 The tail should be carried at an angle of about 40 

 degrees, and don't be afraid of the tail being too 

 low. The head, and especially the comb, should be 

 as near perfect as possible. The comb is the first thing that is 

 noticed in a bird and is naturally very prominent. The comb should 

 not have over five serrations; three or four is ho serious objection, 

 because the tendency is for the points to increase in number. It 

 should stand erect, the blade forming a regular curve and leaving 

 the line of head and curving upward, free from all side spriggs. 

 Do not use a male too light in color. He should be dark, with as 

 little white in his wings and tail as possible. The shanks should 

 be yellow, or yellow mottled with black. Females of good sliape, 

 with a long body, with tlie tail carried at an angle of about 35 degrees, 

 good head points, comb of good size with iive serrations or less, free 

 from side spriggs and folds, well mottled, with as few white feathers 

 in the tail and wings as possible. The shanks should be yellow, or 

 yellow mottled with black. If the male bird has a solid yellow 

 shank the female may have a little more black on the shank. A 

 combination such as this will give you splendid results. It the male 

 bird is very dark the female birds may have more white. By mating 

 them for a season or two you can determine what results you will 

 get from light or dark colored birds. The tendency Is to breed 

 lighter, so it is a good fault to breed the birds dark. 



The Rose Comb Ancona may be mated the same as the Single 

 Comb, excepting the comb. The principal point to note is to see that 

 the male bird is strong in the points where the females are weak. 

 If the male bird has not a good spike on his comb care should be 

 taken, to secure females that are strong on this point. 



Breeding pens to get best results should not have over fifteen 

 females, and if the male is not vigorous one dozen is better. I have 



