48 



THE BANTAM FOWI.. 



anything of less value in the way of a Bantam than a 

 poor Rose Comb. 



Good health and condition are of great importance to all 

 Hose Combs. They are naturally rather delicate, and de- 

 mand care and attention. Diphtheritic roup seems to be 

 their enemy, and must be guarded against by having dry 

 ^luarters that are well protected and properly ventilated, and 

 iept as warm as a building can be kept without artificial 

 heat. Draughts or currents of air blowing over them, either 

 might or day, are bad for them; in fact such conditions are 

 bad for all Bantams. More attention should be paid to ven- 

 tilation of poultry houses of all kinds than is at present 

 ■manifested. If a man goes to bed with a window open so 

 that the wind blows directly on him, he is more than likely 

 to get up in the morning with a cold — if he gets up at all. 

 It is just the same with a fowl. 



MATING BtACK ROSE COMB BANTAMS. 



In mating Black Rose Combs, you will find that the best 

 -males come from the dull colored females; and the best pul- 

 lets from the richest colored hens. Many of the males from 

 Tich colored hens sliow bronze or red in plumage, and for 

 this reason double matings are made; but the same results 



these high qualities they will be beauties of whlOh we will 

 be proud. 



Poor lobes and short plumage are the leading faults with 

 the Whites. To remedy this, the Blacks have been crossed 

 into them; but the results have not pleased those who tried 

 the experiment so far as I can learn. Bad legs, and black 

 in plumage, show for generations. Greater progress has 

 been made by selecting the best to be found and pairing 

 them, and working for an out cross from other yards, rather 

 than to breed in the black that is bound to cause so much 

 trouble. In mating, place together the very best pair you 

 can get, and continue to do tliat each year. Whenever you 

 can find a well bred specimen of good quality, make use of 

 it for new blood to add vigor to your line; for this variety 

 has been so in-bred for years that anything like an outcross 

 must help them. One cause of their unpopularity is that 

 they must be washed every time they are shown, for they 

 are apt to get very dirty. The beak and shanks of the White 

 Rose Comb must be white or yellow. If you have the white 

 shanks and beak you are almost certain to 'have very white 

 plumage — a feature which is most valuable. 



We quote the following from the Stock Keeper on Rose 

 Comb Bantams therein described as 



BLACK AND WHITE KOSE COMB BANTAMS— MALE AND FEMALE. 



may be obtained by having both kinds of hens with each 

 male and keeping the eggs separate. In this way you have 

 the advantage of raising good chicks of both sexes from one ■ 

 male. In mating and breeding for this very rich color 

 sooner or later gives trouble from too much color. It is best 

 always to have at hand a few females of the dull dead black 

 shade to mate with your highest colored males. Of all things 

 in mating Rose Combs, be sure that the comb and ear-lobes 

 of all of your breeding stock are natural, and not made or 

 -fixed. There is so much faking in head points practiced that 

 it' is just as well to be fully informed on this or you may 

 have a lot of bad combs as the result of your years' labor at 

 breeding. 



BREEDING THE WHITE ROSE COMB BANTAMS. 



These are not as popular either here or in England, 

 nor is the quality as good — if we judge by those that we see 

 in this country — as the Black Rose Comb. Mr. Hearnshaw, 

 of England, in his book on Rose Comb Bantams, tells us that 

 the best Whites are bred in Yorkshire, and that Driffie.d 

 is the great center for them. The Whites have gained in 

 popularity, public favor and in quality, within a few years; 

 .and it may be that the time is not far distant when we shall 

 have them equal in quality with the Blacks. They should 

 lave all the qualities of shape, comb, lobe and feather that 

 the Blacks have, and in addition to this they should bs a 

 pure, spotless white in color. When we can have them with 



HAMBURG BANTAMS 



BY P. PROUD, ENGLAND. 



In concluding the variety Bantam arti- 

 cles with Hamburg Bantams, I bethooighlt 

 myself that I could not do better (seeing I 

 had never bred these beautiful varieties) 

 'than write Mr. John William Famsworfch, 

 who I knew had made a specialty of Silver 

 Spangled Hamburg Bantams for many years, 

 not only breeding them, but also exhibiting 

 them successfully at a few shows where the 

 classiification was at all suitable. 



To my request for information as to 

 how he started and eventually perfected the 

 Silver Spangled Hamburg Bantam, Mr. 

 Farnsworth wrote me a thorough fancier- 

 like reply, which I cannot db better 'than 

 give in his own words: 

 "The following I do not say is the right way to go about 

 the work, but it is the line pursued in producing my blTds. 

 My accommodation has always been limited, hence anything 

 but Bantams In the fowl line was out of the question. 



"Born with the hen fever of a permanent character, a 

 general liking for anything small, and a great admirer of the 

 'black and white' combination, the Silver Spangled Ham- 

 burg Bantam, although only existing in my mind's eye, 

 stamped itself at once to be the very thing. A really good 

 but undersized Silver Spangled Hamburg cockerel of notable 

 descent having been mated to a couple of rather large 

 Sebright hens, resulted in my being, the following year. In 

 possession of a fairly good Mooney cross cockerel which was 

 mated to a somewhat large blue legged White Rose Comb 

 hen, a Black Rose Comb hen, and his sister, a Mooney cross 

 pullet. Another similar pullet was bred to a pure White 

 Rose Comb cock. 



"The remaining Mooney cross pullet, the smallest of 

 the three, was put back to her sire, the Hamburg cock, the 

 services of the Sebright hen being at once and forever dis- 

 pensed with. 



"These three pens produced a number of odd-looking 

 chickens, of various markings, but a very good selection was 

 obtainable therefrom, some of which were bred togetber, 

 others were mated with White Rose Combs 

 and Black Rose Combs to improve size and 



