STANDARD PARTRIDGE COCHINS. 



An Illustrated Description of the Standard Requirements for This Variety— The Cuts Scored by- 

 Judges for the Defects Found in Each Section. 



By Theo. Hewes, with Illustrations by Seweli,. 



irp EALIZING that one must have ideas of his own and 

 ]j\£ by a careful study of the different breeds, together 

 with the Standard description of them, arrive at 

 some definite conclusion, I offer to the readers my 

 ideas of the different breeds, and I believe if the amateur 

 will study the chart and defective feathers, together with 

 my description, he will arrive at a fair conclusion as to what 

 constitutes perfection and gain a fair knowledge of the de- 

 fects that he may expect to find in breeding the different 

 varieties. 



I will take up the Partridge Cochins, and since there is 

 the same general shape in all varieties of the Cochin fam- 

 ily, it will not be necessary to give a detailed description of 

 the other varieties. 



In Chart Pig. 1 is shown a male that can truly be called 

 an ideal. While, as in the cases cited above, there are a few 

 minor changes that could be suggested, the picture is so 

 good, that I agree to pass without discount on shape such a 

 specimen when found in the show room. The Standard says 

 in describing outline for the Cochin male, that he should 

 be a very deep, massive bird, showing great constitution, 

 having a dignified carriage and a tendency to lean forward, 

 the keel carried low and the saddle or cushion well up. The 

 outline of every section should be well rounded and free 

 from any flat or concave surface. Mr. Sewell has certainly 

 filled the Standard description in the outline Fig. 1. 



In color the Partridge Cochin should be rich, deep black 

 in breast and body; neck and saddle, bright red or dark 

 orange with black stripe extending down each feather. In 

 Fig. 1 Mr. Sewell has faithfully portrayed the correct color 

 as described in the Standard, and in the accompanying 

 drawings I call your attention to defective feathers with 

 their discounts as measured by our best judges. It is a well 

 known fact that some males are used in the breeding yard 

 that are decidedly off color so far as the Standard is con- 

 cerned, and our best breeders tell me they have to use them 

 in order to get the fine penciling and proper ground color 

 on the females, so that a discount in the show room is not 

 always so serious a defect as the cut would lead one to 

 imagine. As an illustration, a male bird might be cut on 

 color of neck, back, breast and body, and still be the high- 

 est priced bird in the breeder's yard, or in other words, his 

 best breeding male. I call special attention to this so that 

 the amateur may learn the difference between a show bird 

 and a pullet breeder. 



I will how take up the different sections, using a few 

 feathers from each section for comparison. 



NECK. 



This section should be bright red or dark orange red, 

 with a distinct black stripe extending down each feather 

 running nearly parallel with the edge of the feather and 

 tapering to a point near its extremity, the red or dark 

 golden edge to be free from black. Such necks as the Stan- 

 dard describes are met with quite often in our fancy show 



specimens; in fact, so exquisitely are some of them colored 

 that an artist could hardly improve on them with his brush 

 or pencil. There are others, however, where many defec- 

 tive feathers are found, and to better illustrate these defects 

 I call the attention of the readers to Fig. 2. Feather No. 1 

 of this group is, taken from the lower part of neck, and is 

 fairly well proportioned in black and red, but the under 

 color is too light, and there is a streak of red running along 

 the shaft, and black runs to the end of feathers, making the 

 point look black and smutty. A neck with plumage like this 



Defective Neck Feathers of the Male. 



should be discounted one and one-half points. Feather No. 

 2 is taken from upper part of neck and is quite a good one, 

 except the tracing of black on outer edge of feather. Dis- 

 count one-half point. In feather No. 3 is found a defect 

 quite common among the pullet breeding males. The black 

 and red mingle up in the center of the feather, and the out- 

 side edging of red is too light, and there is a trace of black 

 on its edge. A neck like this should be discounted two 

 points. 



BACK 



This is the most important of all the shape sections, 

 and nearly if not quite the most important in color. The 

 Standard says in describing this section, in shape, appar- 

 ently short, very broad and well rounded. You will note the 

 words "apparently short" are used in describing back. This 

 breed if bred to feather as the Standard, calls for is very 

 deceptive. A glance at the Chart Fig. 1 would lead one to 



