42 



THE ASIATICS. 



of neck exactly as described in the Standard, but it is better 

 by far to have a weak colored neck than to have bad body 

 coloring and pencilling. I always find that the finest col- 

 ored offspring come from the pen of birds that are mated 

 exactly as described for the exhibition pen, provided they 

 have been bred in line long enough to establish the influence 

 that comes from such matings. It is almost useless to hope 

 to produce high class Partridge Cochins from chance mat- 

 ing. 



Formerly there was some trouble in getting the proper 

 size in White Cochins. Years of selection and of using the 

 very largest White Cochin females as producing stock, to 

 be secured by hatching them early and feeding them plen- 

 tifully throughout the whole season, have very much im- 

 proved the size, and the size of the Black Cochins has been 

 improved in the same way until it is not unusual to see 

 White and Black Cochins fully the equal in size of the other 

 varieties. Whites are just as apt to have had color in the 

 plumage as are any other white fowls. This can be bred 

 out and kept out through care in selecting pure white plum- 

 age in your producing stock. The shanks of all Cochins 

 have a tendency to a little bad color, from the fact that 



they are so completely covered with feathers that but little 

 of them is seen. Buff Cochins and White Cochins have nat- 

 urally rich colored yellow shanks and there is but little 

 trouble in getting them to equal the Standard demand ex- 

 cept that they lose a little of their color win age. 



The shanks of he Partridge Cochin and Black Cochin 

 are of a darker shade of color than the others, and there is 

 less trouble experienced in having them of the proper Stan- 

 dard color. One great trouble with Cochins of all kinds is 

 that they seem to be more afflicted with scaly legs than 

 some breeds, and it is hard to get this out when once it gets 

 a hold. The way to prevent it is never to make use of 

 Cochin females for mother hens that have this affliction, 

 for so sure as you do, all the young chicks that such a hen 

 raises to maturity will be afflicted in like manner. 



In preparing birds for the show room, you must have 

 them in the very finest of health and condition, absolutely 

 clean throughout, and their foot feathering as well pre- 

 served as possible. Foot feathering is usually kept in good 

 shape for exhibition by keeping the fowls on dry sand, 

 feeding them all their food from troughs or boxes and never 

 inducing them to scratch or break the foot feathering. 



J. D. NEVIUS. . 





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Standard Bred Buff Cochins— By Sewell. 



