24 



THE BANTAM FOWL. 



When below this they should be discredited for under-size 

 and loss of constitution. 



Cochin Bantams are troubled with two grave faults, bad 

 shaped backs, and too long legs. These faults seem to be 

 more serious in the BufE than in the others. 



We must not expect to remedy this in a year's time, but 

 all should contend for better form, feather and color. 



The standard calls for the same general form as for 

 standard Cochins, but it must be remembered that the tall 

 formation of Pekins is quite different from their larger 

 cousins; so this alone must change their form somewhat. 

 Figs. 1 and 2 show what might be considered proper form 

 from side and rear views of the male. 



To be good Cochin Bantams they must be miniatures of 

 standard Cochins. The neck of the Pekin should be short 

 and full, in fact, the neck of the cock bird should be very 

 full and heavy looking, see Pig. 1. The back should widen 

 from front to rear, saddle very full. The cushion and saddle 

 of a good Pekin cock should rise from between his shoulders 

 and not just forward of the tail proper, as is so often seen. 

 The tail should be very full and surrounded with abundant 

 saddle feathers and tail coverts with but few hard quills. 

 The tail should help to add shape to both back and saddle. 

 The fluff under the saddle and tail should be very full. This 

 formation makes the most perfect and handsome looking 

 bird. This is the natural tail forma- 

 tion for the Pekin, see Fig. 1. 



The legs of the Pekin should be 

 short; in fact, a mature cock bird 

 when well feathered should appear 

 as if his body almost touched the 

 ground. To fiave this form his body 

 must be set low between the legs, 

 and the fluff must be quite abund- 

 ant; this also widens out his legs 

 and adds to their breadth. Always 

 remember, however, that a Cochin 

 Bantam never reaches its full 

 form under sixteen or eighteen 

 months, and is often two years old before it is fully devel- 

 oped. Quite often this is forgotten, and we expect to see a 

 -matured form on a young specimen. 



The female must also conform to the description of a 

 standard Cochin. Head, neck and body formation should be 

 -& miniature Cochin. The divided back so often seen, more 

 especially in Buffs, should be guarded against; this is from 

 lack of cushion and a narrow tail. The narrow or flat tail 

 grows up between the wings, unsupported by any cushion, 

 tind gives the divided form of back, which is the very worst 

 defect a Cochin Bantam can have, and should be stamped 

 -out as soon as possible. Do not hope to do this in a day, 

 for it may take years to fully accomplish It, as it did in the 

 standard varieties, and even now it is often seen in them. 

 The cushion should begin just back of her shoulders and 

 sweep back about the tail as in a well formed Cochin pullet 

 of the larger variety. The Pekin's tail being composed of 

 flexible or soft feathers, adds much to the beauty of a proper 

 back and cushion, see. Figs. 2 and 3. The tendency at this 

 time is to improve their form and color by crossing with 

 the larger Cochins, and that is changing the tail formation 

 to conform more to the larger Cochins. 



Figs. 2 and 3 furnish the rear view of the proper forma- 

 tion — broad, full and well feathered with good fluff almost 

 to the ground. This is a description of a fully developed 

 -hen. Do not hope for this just yet in a pullet. Let it be 

 your aim to produce this form and feather, if possible, on a 

 pullet, but feel satisfied when you have it in a moderate 

 .degree, for the female, like the male, continues to improve 



5i-*^ 



FTG. 1. Srjsm VIEW OF COCHIN 

 MALE. 



FIG. 2. REAR VIEW 

 OF COCHIN MALE. 



in form and feather each year, and never fully develops 

 until the second year. 



The combs of many of our Cochin Bantams are much 

 larger than their size and beauty demand. This might be 

 improved, and also the shape of the comb. No reason can 

 be advanced for a small Cochin cock having a comb almost 

 as large as a Leghorn's. All these 

 points only need our close at- 

 tention to be soon corrected. 



The following points should be 

 always remembered in breeding 

 Cochin Bantams: The neck should 

 be short and full, neatly arched; 

 the body should lean slightly for- 

 ward, and the top of the tail be al- 

 most as high as the top of the 

 head on the male. The head should 

 not be held high above the body on a long, slim neck over- 

 looking a slim, flat tail, all these points must be considered 

 in the producing of a perfect Cochin Bantam. 



The Cochin Bantams came from Pekin, China, to En- 

 gland in 1860. The first that came Tvere Buffs. For many 

 years no other color was known, and then caane the Blacks. 

 At the, time of the coming of the Blacks the original Buff 

 stock was almost run out by inbreeding. They were im- 

 proved by crossing them with White Booted Bantams. This 

 cross aggravated the tendency toward extended hocks that 

 -still exists in this variety. These crosses produced the 

 foundation of the Cuckoo Pekin stock, afterwards built up 

 with birds of the same markings from China. The early 

 Black Pekin males were crossed upon the Buff, and this 

 cross produced some cockerels very near Partridge color. 

 The cross of the White Booted Bantams on the Buffs also 

 gave the foundation for the Whites. We give our English 

 brothers the credit for building up the five colors of Cochin 

 -Bantams. We of this side of the world have made several 

 efforts to produce by crossing and reducing some Partridge 

 Pekins, but up to this time nothing of much value has re- 

 sulted from our efforts. Many have introduced standard 

 Cochin blood into the Buff Pekins with some benefit. No 

 one has, to our knowledge, produced either Partridge or 

 Cuckoo colored birds of high quality in this country. Some 

 are now being bred and we hope to see them in the show 

 room. 



BUFF COCHIN BANTAMS. 



Buff Cochin Bantams or Pekins were, as stated by the 

 best English authority, first bred to some extent by Mr. 

 Kenick, of Dorking, who bred In and in from the original 

 importation for almost twenty years, until size and constitu- 

 tion were gone. Others secured some of the same stock 

 from him and introduced new blood by 

 Importation and a cross, as above stat- 

 ed, with the White Booted, building up 

 their constitution. Some also intro- 

 duced Nankin Bantam blood. This 

 cross did not harm the color of feather 

 to any gre(at extent, but it darkened 

 their legs and made them longer, also 

 reduced the leg and" toe feathering and 

 spoiled their shape and form of back. 

 breast and tail. Evidently the first that came to this coun- 

 try were tainted with the Nankin blood, for a large per cent 

 of them had bad colored legs and scant leg and toe feather- 

 ing. Those produced here of good form are descendants of 

 a cross with the standard Cochins and reduced hy crossing 

 with smaller specimens. 



Mr. Entwisle, of England, who pnrchased some stock 



"fig. 3. REAR VIEW 

 ^ OF COCHIN HEN. 



