BREEDING DARK BRAHMAS. 



Double Mating of This Variety AdYocated-The Matings Described-Caring for the Laying Stock- 

 Feeding, Yarding and Housing the Growing Chicks. 



By L. 0. Sage. 



m 



UCH lias been said and much more remains to be 

 said regarding the mating, breeding and rearing 

 of the Dark Brahma fowls. Good judgment must 

 be used in selecting the birds to be mated if the 

 best results are to be obtained. In the first place, two pens 

 are necessary, one for pullet and the other for cockerel 

 breeding. When breeding for the latter a healthy cock or 

 cockerel must be selected; one with nice shaped head, the 

 hackle a pure black' and white, and both hackle and saddle 

 well striped. The top parts must be free from red and of 

 a silvery white; the under parts black, and tail well spread, 

 a. glossy black and free from white. The feet must show 

 mo sign of white feathers or vulture hock. He should have 

 an upright, graceful carriage. Now the hens that are mated 

 to such a bird should be large, well feathered, good shape 

 and the less marking they have the better, or mottled breasts 

 in the cockerels will be the result. Always avoid the Cochin 

 shaped hen When mating for show pullets and get a cock or 

 cockerel as good in all points as possible, but he should have 



First Prize Dark Brahma Cockerel at Toronto and I^ondon, 1903, 

 Exhibited by I,. C. Sage, 



hackle and saddle well penciled. His top parts sivery white, 

 with fluff a good black nicely laced with white, and breast 

 evenly mottled. The head small and well sbaped. 



The hens or pullets for this pen should be a good steel 

 gray in color, well penciled all over, especially on the fluff 

 and well up to the throat, with hackle well striped. From 

 such matings you would surely get good show birds. You 

 may often get a good cockerel from a pullet breeding pen, 



but never a good show pullet from a cockerel breeding pen. 

 Many breeders, especially beginners, have been heard to com- 

 plain that the Dark Brahma is not a good egg producer. 

 But it can be proved that if properly fed they will lay as 

 well as any other breed. The fault with moet breeders is 

 that they get the females too fat. One thing must be borne 

 in mind, not to overfeed them. 



Give a good feed of dry oats in the morning and let 

 them scratch around until noon. Then give a mash made 

 of table scraps mixed up dry with shorts and bran, and 

 for a last meal, a generous feed of mixed grain. On this 

 diet the hens will lay their share of eggs and keep in good 

 health. 



In winter when kept in confinement it is well to give 

 green food in the shape of cabbage or turnips hung up within 

 easy reach and plenty of grit. Never allow them to drink 

 stale or mucky water. 



The most satisfactory way of feeding chicks to avoid 

 the many complaints they are liable to have, is to wait 

 until they are about twenty-four hours old. Then give dry 

 bread crumbs and hard boiled eggs chopped fine, shell and 

 all, for a few days, then a variety of small or crushed grains, 

 millet seed and grit; feed four or five times a day. Do not 

 keep food lying around to get stale, as this is the chief cause 

 of bowel trouble in young chicks. Let them have only 

 enough feed to eat up clean. Give them plenty of fresh 

 water or milk in a shallow dish until they are large enough 

 to reacb the drinking fount. 



At the age of three months they should be fed only 

 three times a day. Give grain in the morning, at noon mash 

 the same as the old birds have and the evening meal should 

 be of grain, with a little green ground bone or meat just 

 before going to roost. 



It is a good plan to put a little flowers of sulphur in 

 their mash at noon about twice each month when they are 

 finishing out, as it aids the growth of the feathers. 



Growing chicks must have shade as well as sunshine. 

 If there are no trees for shade a good substitute may be had 

 by growing a few groups of sunflowers or hills of corn in 

 the yard where they run. This will answer the purpose, 

 besides providing food, as it is a fact that fowls fed a few 

 sunflower seeds once a day will add a nice gloss to their 

 feathers. Chicks should not be over-crowded at night, for 

 if given plenty or room they will grow faster. 



This last point is all important, but is often neglected 

 by those who otherwise take the best of care of their chicks. 

 The coops in which to spend the hot summer nights 

 should be wholly open or covered with wire on at least one 

 side and provision made for protecting the inmates in stormy 

 weather without cutting off their supply of air. 



By following the rules laid down here you will have 

 good and strong, vigorous birds, as I have proved by twen- 

 ty-five years' experience as a breeder of the Dark Brahma 

 fawl - L. C. SAGE. 



