26 



• THK BANTAM FOWL. 



for a number of badly grown Cochins. Yet to err on the 

 - other side is even worse. Pekins are delicate little things, 

 and the probabilities are they will succumb altogether if the 

 would-be exhibitor attempts to starve his chickens. At the 

 same time as they grow and thrive, any unnecessary bone 

 making food may safely be discontinued, and substitutes 

 such as rice, canary seed, etc., should be given. Still always 

 feed liberally — no prizes will ever be won by poorly fed, ill- 

 nurtured birds — even if they survived such Spartanlike treat- 

 ment the chances are they would never attain the high con- 

 dition which is such a necessary feature in the show pen." 



Some of the very best Cochin Bantams that have ever 

 .been shown in England have been reared and shown by 

 Ethel A. Southam, one of the most ardent fanciers of the 

 whole Bantam Club, and writer of the above. Some of her 

 . best productions have found their way to this country, and 

 we have bred from them to the fourth generation. Their 

 great strength of character and blood influence are shown 

 in the persistency with which they crop out. The most 

 prominent is the hock feathering, and the color — which is 

 much too strong for the American idea of buff. For beauty 

 of form and feather, they are pleasing, and' their use may 

 be made a benefit; but it will take time to bring them to 

 the American demand. 



We have noticed in writings from the pen of this lady 

 that she has bred in and in the distinctive features which 

 she desired most prominent in her strain. Her success in 

 England has continued through years, and her type of birds 

 seems to have the call. Those that have come to this coun- 

 try would be classed as too deep a shade for true buff, how- 

 ever, which shows that England prefers a deeper or darker 

 shade than we do. 



THE BUFF COCHIN BANTAM IN AMERICA. 

 The Cochin Bantams as we now have them are truely 

 and distinctly American. They have the comb, the shape, 

 the feather, and the color which are most admired in Buff 





■V 1 ■ 

 >• t 1 





feSs£- 





FEATHER FROM BUFF COCHIN 



BANTAM, ILLUSTRATING THE 



PRESENCE OF MORE 



DOWN THAN WEB. 



AN ENGLISH BUFF COCHIN COCK. 



Cochin fowls; not the dark nor 



the reddish buff, but the true 



Golden Buif, soft and clear. 



Whenever you see the red color 



in the male Buff Cochin Bantam, 



you may rest assured that the 



owner does not know what the 

 . requirements in America are; he 



is keeping and selling poor qual- 

 _ ity. To sell it as cheap Bantam 



stock may do; but when sold for 



high grade, it is a mistake. Con- 

 siderable injury has been done 



the Bantam -interest through this 



trading in cheap stock, all of 



which has and will continue to 



reflect on Bantams so long as it 



goes on, and we should be out- 

 spoken against it. 



There are a few facts in connection with our Buff Cochin 



Bantams which should be corrected before they go too far. 



One is the thin surface color which some of them have. At 



times this color is so thin and the under-color so white that 

 it shows through and looks like white lines, spots or streaks 

 in the surface color. We call it white ticking, because it 

 looks as if the whole surface is spotted with indistinct white 

 lines which show just a little lighter than the buff coloi^- 

 which in itself is little darker than a pale lemon. 



The true color as we should have it, is the clear, clean 

 golden buff, which is laid on so thick and dense that the 

 entire web of the feather is one even shade of true buff that 

 shuts out the possibility of any ticking or marking; and the 

 under-color, just a few shades lighter in color than the 

 surface-color, adds to the real beauty. Such color as this 

 in both males and females (the female not quite so deep in 

 color as the male) is correct for this variety. Both should 

 be one even shade from tip to tip, including tail and wings; 

 and the evenness is quite as important as the true color. 

 Neither black nor white should be present; but in these min- 

 iature Cochins I would rather see a little white than black, 

 if either is present, as it is easier to drive out the white with 

 good color than to get rid of the black. 



The broad back, full cushion, and close, compact tail are 

 demanded, as are the short ftiU feathered thighs and shanks, 

 with but little show of full hocks, and an entire absence of 

 stiff hock feathers. Small well formed combs are the rule^ 

 the large combs of former days have largely disappeared. 



In mating Buff Cochin Bantams, always have the best 

 Cochin shape possible ta obtain, fine comb of small size, and 

 good, even,_ true buff color. Have the breast color of the 

 male just a shade darker than the breast color of the female 

 which goes with him. If this rule in mating is followed for 

 three or four years you will establish a true breeding 

 strain; and as to color, have and breed from only the golden 

 buff of the truest kind, as we have described above; and 

 cling to this, and to true shape and feather, and you will 

 succeed. 



In judging Buff Cochin Bantams, color seems to have 

 the call over all else; but in too many instances bad color 

 is encouraged. There may be some excuse for giving a 

 prize to an unusually fine cplored bird which is defective in 

 shape, but there cannot be offered a reasonable excuse for 

 not selecting both for a place in the line of awards. We 

 should rememher at all times that shape makes the breed; 

 .color is only the variety distinction; and without the best 

 of shape, how can a specimen be justly awarded a prize 

 among Cochin Bantams? Again, without good color, how 

 can it be classed as a worthy specimen of its variety? Both 



